The Arado Ar 96, a German aircraft, was a single-engine, low wing monoplane made entirely of metal.
It served as the Luftwaffe’s primary advanced trainer during World War II.
The design was created by Walter Blume in response to a tender from the Reich Air Ministry in 1936.
The prototype was equipped with a 179 kW (240 hp) Argus As 10c engine.
In 1939, the first batch of Ar 96A planes was manufactured, followed by the production of the more powerful Ar 96B series, which featured the Argus As 410 engine.
In the latter part of 1939, German flight training schools began receiving their initial shipments of Ar 96s.
The first batch of Ar 96B-1s, which were fully equipped trainers, arrived first, with the subsequent Ar 96B-2 model following several months later.
It is worth noting that all Ar 96B-1 aircraft were devoid of any armament.
The Ar 96 soon became a common sight at fighter pilot schools, primarily utilised for advanced, night, and instrument-flying instruction.
They were often praised for their durability, user-friendly flying experience, easy maintenance, and modern technological features.
During the Battle of Berlin, on the evening of 28 April 1945, Hanna Reitsch, a test pilot, embarked on a flight with Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim, who was then the head of the Luftwaffe.
They took off from an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten area of Berlin in an Ar 96 trainer, all while facing Soviet gunfire.
Despite the conflict coming to an end in May 1945, the production of the AR 96 continued for several years in Czechoslovakia, which had recently gained its freedom.
In Czechoslovakia, the aircraft was given the local designation of Avia C-2B.
Additionally, the French also produced their own version of the aircraft, known as the SIPA S.10.
This was followed by further developments, including the SIPA S.11 and the metal version, SIPA S.12.
A total of 188 aircraft of all versions were manufactured until 1958.
The S.11 saw successful operations in Algeria, where it was commonly equipped with 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 396A-1
Single seat gunnery trainer, powered by an Argus As 411 engine, built largely from wood.
Modified version of S.10, powered by Renault 12S, 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.
Specifications
Crew
Two
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 take-off 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 (210 mph, 180 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed
295 km/h (183 mph, 159 kn)
Range
991 km (661 mi, 574 nmi)
Service ceiling
7,100 m (23,300 ft)
Rate of climb
5.08 m/s (1,000 ft/min)
Armament
1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun.
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.
German Aircraft Industry and Production, 1933-45-Ferenc A Vajda & Peter Dancey.
