Germany's Arado Ar 196 floatplane
Design
The Arado Ar 196 was to be the Heinkel He 50 replacement as it was becoming obsolete.1,2 The Ar 196 was originally to be carrier based but since no carrier was built it did server aboard the larger ships in the German Navy.3 Kriegsmarine put out specifications in 1936 for a plane that could be catapulted from a carrier.3 Focke Wulf and Arado submitted designs.3 Focke Wulf's was a bi-plane.3 Four prototypes of the Arado Ar 196s were ordered.3
The Arado Ar 196's skeleton was of steel tubing.3 The rear of the fuselage was fabric covered with the rest being metal.3
Trials were being completed just as the war started.1
Wings
The wings had fabric covering the control surfaces with the rest being metal.3
Floats
Each float had seven water tight compartments holding fuel.3
Prototypes
Prototypes had a 2 blade propeller.1
The Ar 196V1 prototype first flew in May 1938.2
Production
It was built by Fokker and SNCA of Germany.1
- Prototypes: 52
- Production: 19373
- Preproduction: 102
- Arado Ar 196A: 5262
- Arado Ar 196A-1: 202
- Arado Ar 196B: 5462
- Arado Ar 196A-3:
- Production: Spring 1941 - ?3
- Arado Ar 196A-5:
- Production: ? - August 19443
- Total: >6003
- Manufacturer: Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH3
Variants
- Arado Ar 196V1: Prototype.2 Single central float.2
- Arado Ar 196V2: Prototype.2 Single central float.2
- Arado Ar 196V3: Prototype.2 Twin floats.2
- Arado Ar 196V4: Prototype.2 Twin floats.2
- Arado Ar 196V5: Prototype.2 Twin floats.2
- Arado Ar 196A-0: Preproduction.2
- Arado Ar 196A-1: Production version.2 Catapult attachments reenforced.3 Delivered in the summer of 1939.3
- Arado Ar 196A-3: Two 20 mm cannons in wings and one 7.9 mm machine gun on the side of the fuselage.3
- Arado Ar 196A-5: Two 20 mm cannons in wings, one 7.9 mm machine gun on the side of the fuselage, and one machine gun for the observer.3
- Manufacturer: Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH3
Usage
The Ar 196s were also used in the English Channel for air-sea rescues.1
In 1940 two Ar 196s helped in the capture the HMS Seal submarine.1,2,3 The submarine had been damaged by a mine off the coast of Norway.1 Two Ar 196s based in Aalborg, Denmark attacked the submarine and prevented it from submerging.1 The Kriegsmarine then captured the submarine.1
Warships
The Admiral Graf Spee was the first warship supplied with the Ar 196.1 Eventually all capital ships and heavy cruisers had them.1
The battleships Bismark and Tirpitz had six Arado Ar 196s each.2 The Gneisenau and Scharnhort each had four.2 Pocket battleships and light cruisers had two Ar 196s.2 Heavy cruisers had three Ar 196s onboard.2
Land Based
The Ar 196 was also used from land bases in the North Sea, Baltic, English Channel, and the Bay of Biscay.2
Many Uses
The Ar 196 was used for coastal patroling, reconniassance, anti-submarine, light bombing, and convoy escorting.2
Used in Which Countries
Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, and Romania all used the Ar 196.2
Specifications
| Arado Ar 1961 | Arado Ar 196 A-13 | Arado Ar 196A-32 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Shipboard and coast patrol craft1, Floatplane1, Reconnaissance seaplane2 | Reconnaissance3 | |
| Crew | 21,2 | 23 | |
| Engine (Type) | BMW 123K1 BMW 132K2 |
B.M.W. 132 K3 | |
| Cylinders | Radial 91,2 | Radial 93 | |
| Cooling | Air1 | Air3 | |
| HP | 9002, 9601 | 9603 | |
| Propeller blades | 31,2 | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Span | 40' 8"1, 40' 10"2 12.4 m1, 12.45 m2 |
40' 8"3 | |
| Length | 36' 1"1,2 11 m1,2 |
36' 1"3 | |
| Height | 14' 6"2, 14' 7"1 4.32 m2, 4.45 m1 |
14' 7"3 | |
| Wing area | 306 ft2 1 28.4 m2 1 |
||
| Weight | |||
| Empty | 6,592 lb1 2,990 kg1 |
6,580 lb2 2,985 kg2 |
|
| Loaded | 8,223 lb1 3,730 kg1 |
8,225 lb3 | 8,223 lb2 3,730 kg2 |
| Performance | |||
| Speed @ 13,120' / 4,000 m |
193 mph1 310 kph1 |
193 mph3 | 193 mph2 310 kph2 |
| Cruising speed | 166 mph2 267 kph2 |
||
| Climb | 1,358'/minute2 414 m/minute2 |
||
| Service ceiling | 23,000'1 7,000 m1 |
22,960'3 | 22,965'2 7,000 m2 |
| Range | 665 miles1 1,070 km1 |
665 miles3 | 670 miles2 1,078 km2 |
| Armament | |||
| Wings | 2: 20 mm1 | 2: 20 mm2 | |
| Upper cowling | 1: 7.9 mm MG2 | ||
| Rear cockpit | 1 or 2: 7.92 mm MG 151 | 1: MG3 | 1 or 2: 7.9 mm MG2 |
| Bombs - under wing | 2: 110 lb1 2: 50 kg1 |
2: 110 lb3 | 2: 110 lb2 2: 50 kg2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
- World War II Airplanes Volume 1, Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi, 1976

