The Arado SSD I, a biplane fighter seaplane, was developed in Germany in 1930 for launch from catapults on warships.
This design by Walter Rethel was completely different from his other fighter designs for Arado in the late 1920s.
The aircraft featured an unequal-span, staggered biplane configuration, with the top wing slightly gulled and attached to the upper fuselage.
Initially equipped with a single large float under the fuselage and two outrigger floats near the wingtips, the floats were later removed after evaluation at Travemünde.
A simple wheeled undercarriage was then fitted for competitive evaluation against the Heinkel HD 38 at Lipetsk.
Ultimately, the Heinkel was chosen over the SSD I, which was subsequently assigned to trainer duties with the LVS in 1932.
Specifications
Crew
One
Length
8.50 m (27 ft 11 in)
Wingspan
10.00 m (32 ft 10 in)
Height
3.40 m (11 ft 2 in)
Wing area
30.9 m2 (332 sq ft)
Empty weight
1,627 kg (3,587 lb)
Gross weight
2,030 kg (4,475 lb)
Powerplant
1 × BMW VI, 485 kW (650 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed
280 km/h (174 mph, 151 kn)
Service ceiling
6,800 m (22,310 ft)
Rate of climb
11.1 m/s (2,180 ft/min)
Armament
2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine guns
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.
