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Germany's Arado Ar 96 trainer¹

Arado Ar 96 trainer:

Design

The Arado Ar 96 was of all metal construction.¹

Prototype

The Ar 96V1 was first flown in 1938.¹

Production

The Arado 96s were constructed by Ago, Arado, Avia, and Letov.¹ Avia and Letov were in Czechoslovakia.¹

• Total: 11,546¹
• Postwar by Letov: 181¹
• Postwar by Avia: 394¹

Variants

• Ar 96V1: Prototype.¹
• Ar 96A: Production model.¹ Entered service in 1939.¹
• Ar 96B: Had more powerful engine.¹ Entered service in early 1940.¹
• Ar 96B-1: Unarmed.¹
• Ar 96B-2: Had one 7.92 mm MG above engine for gunnery practice.¹
• Ar 96B-5: Had better radio equipment.¹
• Ar 396: Prototype built by SIPA (France) and Letov (Czechoslovakia) before end of World War II.¹ Had metal and wood construction.¹ Used the Argus As 411 engine (580 HP).¹

Usage

The Ar 96 was used by Germany, Hungary, and Romania.¹

Primarily used as a trainer, the Arado Ar 96 was also used in liaison, glider towing, reconnaissance, and communication roles.¹ Some were even equipped with a pair of 7.9 mm MGs in gondolas under the wings and then used as attack aircraft on the Russian front.¹

After World War II

The Arado Ar 96s were developed in Czechoslovakia and France after World War II.¹

	Arado Ar 96A1	Arado Ar 96B1
Type	Trainer1	Trainer1
Crew	21	21
Engine (Type)	Argus As 10C1	Argus As 410MA-11
Cylinders	Inverted V 81	Inverted V 121
Cooling
HP	2401	4851
Propeller blades	21
Dimensions
Span	36' 1"1 11 m1	36' 1"1 11 m1
Length	27' 1"1 8.25 m1	29' 11.5"1 9.13 m1
Height	8' 8"1 2.64 m1	8' 8"1 2.64 m1
Wing area
Weight
Empty	2,616 lb1 1,187 kg1	2,854 lb1 1,295 kg1
Loaded	3,476 lb1 1,577 kg1	3,858 lb1 1,750 kg1
Performance
Speed @ 9,840' / 3,000 m		211 mph1 340 kph1
Cruising speed		170 mph1 273 kph1
Climb
Service ceiling		22,965'1 7,000 m1
Range		615 miles1 990 km1
Armament
Upper cowling		1: 7.92 mm MG1

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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