The Arado Ar 198, a prototype reconnaissance aircraft developed by Arado Flugzeugwerke with support from the Luftwaffe, was initially preferred over the Blohm & Voss BV 141 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 189.
Despite high hopes, the aircraft underperformed during flight tests and failed to meet the Luftwaffe’s expectations. Only one aircraft was fully completed in 1938. In 1936, the RLM released a specification for a fresh aircraft that would specialise in short-range reconnaissance, with a particular focus on ground vision. Arado, Blohm & Voss (Hamburger Flugzeugbau Division), Focke-Wulf, and Henschel all possessed expertise in this specific aircraft type and immediately commenced their work. The Ar 198 was designed to accommodate a three-person crew, comprising of a pilot, gunner/radio operator, and observer. The pilot and gunner/radio operator positions were situated above the wing, while the observer’s area was located below the wing, within a well-designed fuselage that facilitated effective communication among the crew members. The Ar 198 featured a shoulder wing configuration that provided the pilot with excellent forward visibility. The forward fuselage structure was made of steel tubes, while the tail boom was constructed using all-metal monocoque construction. An air-cooled radial BMW 132 engine was the original choice for the aircraft, but due to availability issues, the first prototype was equipped with the slightly less powerful Bramo 323 A-1 engine from Brandenburgische Motorenwerke. The Ar 198 took its maiden flight from the Warnemünde factory airfield in early March 1938. Despite initial flights showing overall satisfaction, issues with instability during low-speed flight were noted in all axes. The addition of automatic slats improved performance, but the aircraft remained challenging to manoeuvre. Due to subpar performance and production capacity concerns, the Technical Office decided to halt the development of the Arado Ar 198 by the end of 1938. Specifications Crew Three Length 11.80 m (38 ft 9 in) Wingspan 14.90 m (48 ft 11 in) Height 4.51 m (14 ft 10 in) Wing area 35.20 m2 (378.9 sq ft) Empty weight 2,400 kg (5,290 lb) Gross weight 3,031 kg (6,683 lb) Powerplant 1 × BMW-Bramo 323A, 9-cylinder air cooled radial engine, 670 kW (900 hp) Performance Maximum speed 359 km/h (223 mph, 194 kn) at 3,500 m (11,485 ft) Range 1,081 km (672 mi, 584 nmi) Service ceiling 8,000 m (26,250 ft) Armament Guns 1 × fixed forward firing 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun & 2 × MG 15 machine guns flexibly mounted at dorsal and ventral positions. Bombs 4 × 50 kg (110 lb) SC50 bombs on underwing racks. Sources Arado Geschichte Eines Flugzeugwerks-Jorg Armin Kranzhoff. Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, An Illustrated Guide-Jean-Denis GG LaPage. The Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft, 1935-1945-Kenneth A Merrick & Thomas H Hitchcock. Sea Eagles, Luftwaffe Anti Shipping Units, 1939-1941, Vol 1-Chris Goss.
