The Arado Ar 232 was a cargo aircraft, designed and built in small numbers during World War II.
The design introduced or brought together, almost all of the features now considered to be standard in modern cargo transport aircraft designs, including a box like fuselage slung beneath a high wing, a rear loading ramp a high mounted twin tail for easy access to the hold and various features for operating from rough fields.
Although the Luftwaffe was interested in replacing or supplementing its fleet of outdated Junkers Ju 52/3m transports, it had an abundance of types in production at the time, and did not purchase large numbers of the Ar 232.
The Ar 232 design resulted from a tender offered by the German Air Ministry, (RLM) in late 1939 for a replacement for the Ju 52/3m transport.
Both Arado and Henschel were asked for rear loading designs powered by two 1,193 kW (1,600 hp) BMW 801A/B radial engines, which was just entering prototype production and not currently used on any frontline designs.
Normally operated by a crew of four, the pilot was the only member without two roles.
The navigator operated a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in the nose, the radio operator a 20 mm MG 151 cannon in a rotating turret on the roof, and the loadmaster a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun firing rearward from the extreme rear of the cargo bay above the cargo doors.
Variants
Ar 232 V1 & V2
Ar 232A prototypes and research aircraft, powered by two 1,193 kW (1,600 hp) BMW 801A/B engines.
Ar 232 V3 & V4
Ar 232B prototypes and research aircraft, powered by four BMW Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir engines.
Ar 232A
Pre-production aircraft used for operational trials, powered by two BMW801 engines, only ten built.
Ar 232B
The first production aircraft powered by four Bramo 323 Fafnir engines, only ten built as Ar 232B-0.
Ar 232C
A redesigned version using wood for outer wing sections and control surfaces.
Specifications
Crew
4
Capacity
4,500 kg (9,921 lb) payload
Length
23.52 m (77 ft 2 in)
Wingspan
33.5 m (109 ft 11 in)
Height
5.69 m (18 ft 8 in)
Wing area
142.6 m2 (1,535 sq ft)
Empty weight
12,780 kg (28,175 lb)
Max take-off weight
21,150 kg (46,628 lb)
Powerplant
4 × BMW Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir, 9 cylinder air cooled radial piston engine,
890 kW (1,200 hp) each
Propellers
3 bladed constant speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
308 km/h (191 mph, 166 kn) at 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
Cruise speed
290 km/h (180 mph, 160 kn) at 2,000 m (6,562 ft)
Range
1,062 km (660 mi, 573 nmi)
Service ceiling
6,900 m (22,600 ft)
Take-off run
200 m (656 ft) minimum
Armament
Guns
1 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun mounted in the nose
1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 autocannon mounted in an Elektrische Drehlafette EDL 151 forward dorsal turret
1-2 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns mounted in the rear position
Up to
8 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 34 machine guns mounted in side windows when transporting infantry.
