World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn Oct 1936, the German naval ministry asked for a new aircraft to replace the He 114 shipboard reconnaissance aircraft. The design submitted by Arado Flugzeugwerke was promising, and eventually won the competition. Production units of the newly designated Ar 196 reconnaissance aircraft began in Nov 1938, with ten units delivered by end of the year. By Jun 1939, a total of 30 units were delivered, with most of them being shipboard models for the Kriegsmarine. Most pilots of Ar 196 aircraft noted ease of flight and versatility. Both Germans and Finnish forces made use of Ar 196 aircraft in Finland to transport personnel and to supply units behind enemy lines, making use of the many small lakes in Finland as landing spots. Between 1938 and 1944, 541 units were produced.

SPECIFICATIONS

A-2

Machinery	One Bramo 323 9-cylinder radial engine rated at 830hp
Armament	1x7.92mm MG 15 machine gun, 1x7.92mm MG 17 machine gun, 2x20mm MG FF cannons, optional 2x50kg bombs
Crew	2
Span	12.40 m
Length	11.00 m
Height	5.00 m
Wing Area	37.90 m²
Weight, Empty	2,980 kg
Weight, Maximum	3,720 kg
Speed, Maximum	311 km/h
Service Ceiling	7,010 m
Range, Normal	1,080 km

Photographs

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1.  BILL says:
18 Mar 2009 05:54:10 PM

In-flight photo of (GA+DX) Arado Ar 196A-2. Deliveries began in Nov. 1939. Operators: Germany, Bulgeria, Finland and Romania. Total production was 593 aircraft.