Arado Ar 96

Design and development

Designed by Walter Blume as the result of a 1936 Reich Air Ministry tender, the prototype, powered by a 179 kW (240 hp) Argus As 10c engine, first flew in 1938. In 1939, an initial batch of Ar 96A aircraft was produced. This was followed by the major production series, the more powerful Ar 96B, fitted with the Argus As 410 engine.

Operational history

The Ar 96 was used for advanced, night and instrument flying training. Famously, during the evening of 28 April 1945, pilot Hanna Reitsch was flown with then-Luftwaffe head Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim out from Berlin under Soviet fire in an Arado Ar 96 trainer from an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten, piloted by a Luftwaffe sergeant.

Shadow production was undertaken by Letov and the Avia factory in occupied Czechoslovakia, where manufacturing continued for some years after the war, being designated the Avia C-2B.

A wooden version known as the Ar 396 was built in France and was designated the SIPA S.10. Further developments were the SIPA S.11 (armed version), and the SIPA S.12, a metal version; 188 of all versions were produced until 1958. The S.11 was operated with some success in Algeria carrying machine guns, rockets and light bombs.

Variants

Ar 96A

Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft. Initial production version.

Ar 96B

Improved version. Main production version.

Ar 96B-1

Unarmed pilot trainer version.

Ar 96B-2

Ar 96C

Ar 296

A proposed development of the Ar 96 with an Argus As 411 engine, abandoned in favour of the Ar 396 due to the use of non-strategic materials in the Ar 396 production.

Ar 396A-1

Single-seat gunnery trainer powered by an Argus As 411 engine, built largely from wood.

Ar 396A-2

Unarmed instrument trainer version.

SIPA S.10

French production version of Ar 396, 28 produced.

SIPA S.11

Modified version of S.10, powered by Renault 12S (French built Argus As 411), 50 built for the French Air Force.

SIPA S.12

All-metal version of S.11, 52 built for the French Air Force.

SIPA S.121

Modified version of S.12, 58 built for the French Air Force.

Avia C.2B

Czechoslovak production version of the Ar 96B. Czechoslovak designation C.2B. 228 built by Avia and 182 by Letov between 1945 and 1950.

Operators

 Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force - Bulgaria received two Avia C.2s in 1948.

 Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakian Air Force operated Avia C-2 variant postwar.

Czechoslovakian National Security Guard

 France

French Air Force (Postwar)

 Germany

Luftwaffe

 Hungary

Hungarian Air Force

 Romania

Romanian Air Force

 Slovakia

Slovenské vzdušné zbrane

Surviving aircraft

Arado Ar 96 B-1 - Deutsches Technikmuseum. Berlin, Germany.

Arado Ar 96 B-1 - Flyhistorisk Museum. Sola, Norway.

Specifications (Arado Ar 96B-2)

Data from Aircraft of the Third Reich Vol.1

General characteristics

Crew: 2

Length: 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)

Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)

Height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)

Wing area: 17.1 m² (184 sq ft)

Empty weight: 1,295 kg (2,855 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 1,700 kg (3,748 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × Argus As 410A-1 inverted V-12 air-cooled piston engine, 347 kW (465 hp)

Propellers: 2-bladed variable pitch metal propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 330 km/h (205 mph; 178 kn) at sea level

Cruising speed: 295 km/h (183 mph; 159 kn)

Range: 990 km (615 mi; 535 nmi)

Service ceiling: 7,100 m (23,294 ft)

Rate of climb: 5.083 m/s (1,000.6 ft/min)

Time to altitude:

Armament

1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun