The Arado Ar 196 is a shipboard reconnaissance low-wing monoplane aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Arado. It was the standard observation floatplane of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) throughout the Second World War, and was the only German seaplane to serve throughout the conflict. In addition to Germany, the Ar 196 was exported to the Bulgarian Air Force. Numerous examples were captured by the Allies, some of which were operated as late as 1955. Several Ar 196s have survived through to the twenty-first century, preserved for static display; none are known to be in an airworthy condition.
Design and development
Background
In 1933, the Kriegsmarine looked for a standardized shipboard observation floatplane. After a brief selection period, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (German Air Ministry, RLM) decided on the Heinkel He 60 biplane. This was one of a line of developments of a basic biplane airframe that appeared as a number of floatplanes, trainers, and fighters. Deliveries started in a matter of months.
By early 1935, it was determined that the He 60's performance was lacking, thus the RLM requested that Heinkel design a replacement aircraft, resulting in the He 114. The first prototype was powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 600 inline engine, but it was clear that supplies of this engine would be limited and the production versions turned to the BMW 132 radial engine instead. However, the aircraft proved to have only slightly better performance than the He 60 while its sea-handling was deemed to be poor and it did not meet strength requirements for catapult launches. Rushed modifications resulted in a series of nine prototypes in an attempt to solve some of the problems, but they did not help much. The Navy gave up, and the planes were eventually sold off to Romania, Spain and Sweden.
Submission and selection
During October 1936, the RLM issued a request for a He 114 replacement; the corresponding specification stipulated that the aircraft would use the BMW 132, and requested prototypes in both twin-float and single-float configurations. With the exception of the Arado low-wing monoplane design, all submissions received were conventional biplanes. The Ar 196 was a semi-cantilever low-wing aircraft.
Deeming Arado's submission to be the most modern and capable aircraft, the RLM placed an initial order for four prototypes. as such, only four prototypes of the Fw 62 were built.
Into flight
On 1 June 1937, the first prototype, Ar 196 V1, performed its maiden flight from the Plauer See. Both versions demonstrated excellent water handling and there seemed to be little to decide, one over the other. It was noted that the twin-float version exerted greater stress upon the wings, yet, since there was a possibility of the smaller outrigger floats on the B models "digging in", the twin-float A model was ordered into production. Nevertheless, the two different float arrangements were designed to be interchangeable, along with cushioned ice skis. A single additional prototype, V5, was produced in November 1938 to test final changes.
Ten A-0s were delivered in November and December 1938, permitting service tests to commence in the opening weeks of 1939.
Further development
Starting in November 1939, production switched to the heavier land-based A-2 model. Intended for the coastal patrol role, it added shackles for the carriage of two 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, two 20 mm MG FF cannon in the wings, and a 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun in the cowling.
A small series of fifteen A-4 models commenced production in December 1940. Intended to be exclusively operated from the Kriegsmarine's capital ships, changes involved the strengthening of the airframe, the addition of another radio, and substituting propellers to a VDM model. The land-based A-3, which had additional strengthening of the airframe, was produced from the end of 1940 to autumn 1941. The final production version was the A-5 from late 1941, which changed radios and cockpit instruments, switched the rear gun to the much-improved MG 81Z with 2000 rounds of ammunition, retrofitted the existing cannon to the MG FF/M with extended 90 round magazines, added armour protection for the pilot and observer and strengthened the airframe. The A-5 also upgraded engine type to BMW 132W. Arado also adjusted their own manufacturing arrangements, intentionally decentralising and dispersing work wherever possible to minimise the impact of strategic bombing. The Ar 196 detected on 11 September the British heavy cruiser in time to avoid confrontation, and the airplane scouted successfully for British ships. But the aircraft broke down just before the Battle of the River Plate and was not able to warn Admiral Graf Spee of a patrolling British force, which eventually led to her scuttling at Montevideo.
- The Admiral Hipper-class cruisers , and were equipped with one catapult and three Ar 196s.
Some auxiliary cruisers, including Pinguin, Komet and Orion which often operated disguised as neutral merchant ships, each had one Ar 196.
The Ar 196 was a popular aircraft amongst pilots, who commonly found that it handled well both in the air and on the water. The aircraft became a staple of coastal squadrons, and as such continued to fly reconnaissance missions and submarine hunts into late 1944 across various theatres, including the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Seas.
The Ar 196 was involved in two particularly notable operations, these being the capture of and the interception of Royal Air Force Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bombers. Although it was no match for a fighter, the aircraft was considerably better than its Allied counterparts and generally considered the best of its class. Despite this, it was apparent that floatplanes were at a disadvantage to most modern land-based aircraft. On 18 February 1944, one of these Arados rescued thirteen survivors of the German submarine UIT-23, by transferring them on its floats in several trips.
Ar 196s in Allied hands
thumb|One of Admiral Hippers three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes being launched in 1942
The first Ar 196 to be captured by the Allies was an example belonging to the German cruiser , which was captured in Lyngstad in Eide Municipality, by a Norwegian Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11 floatplane of the Trøndelag naval district on 8 April 1940, at the dawn of the Norwegian campaign. After being towed to Kristiansund by the torpedo boat HNoMS Sild, it was used against its former owners, flying with Norwegian markings. At 03:30 on 18 April, the Ar 196 was evacuated to the UK by a Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service pilot. The aircraft was shortly thereafter crashed by a British pilot while on transit to the Helensburgh naval air base for testing. At the end of the conflict, at least one Ar 196 was left at a Norwegian airfield; it was kept in use as a liaison aircraft by the Royal Norwegian Air Force for roughly one year on the west coast.
During 1944–1945, Soviet forces captured many Arados along the Baltic coast of Poland and Germany. At Dassow, a spare parts depot was also recovered. After repairs, thirty-seven Ar 196s were fitted with Soviet radio equipment and were integrated into the aviation element of the Soviet Border Guard. These were operated in the Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific coastal areas, serving until as late as 1955. One Soviet 196 was re-engined with a Shvetsov ASh-62, in case of shortages of the BMW 132, but these shortages did not occur, and no more Ar 196s were re-engined.
Operators
thumb|Arado AR196 naval reconnaissance floatplane in the collection of the Bulgarian Air Force Museum at the airport in Plovdiv
;
- Bulgarian Air Force
;
- Finnish Air Force
;
- Kriegsmarine
- Luftwaffe
; – (captured)
- Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
;
- Soviet Border Guard
Aircraft on display
;Ar 196 A-5 (originally A-3) Werknummer 196 0219
:An aircraft operated by the Bulgarian Air Force is displayed at the Museum of Aviation, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
;Ar 196 A-5, Werknummer 623 167
:An aircraft that formerly equipped the German cruiser is in storage at the Paul Garber Facility of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and awaiting restoration.
;Ar 196 A-5, Werknummer 623 183
:Another aircraft from the was displayed from 1949 to 1995 at the Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and subsequently transferred to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The upper fuselage and canopy were damaged during transit, and it remained in storage awaiting restoration. In December 2012, it was packed into containers and shipped to Nordholz, Germany. Restoration began in August 2013, in time for that city's celebration for 100 years of German naval aviation. The plane, on long term loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum, will eventually be displayed at the Naval Air Wing 3 (Marinefliegergeschwader 3) headquarters at Nordholz Naval Airbase.
;Arado Ar 196 A-2 Werknummer 196 0046 or 196 0048
The Aircraft Historical Museum, Sola, Norway, has on display an Ar 196 A-2 fuselage frame raised from the wreck of the German cruiser Blücher in Oslofjord.
Another aircraft is known to lie in the Jonsvatnet, a lake near Trondheim in Norway. A number of wartime German aircraft have been recovered from the lake, but the Ar 196 remains undisturbed as its crew were killed when it crashed there in 1940 and it has the status of a war grave.
A wrecked Ar 196 A-3, believed to be D1 + EH, was snagged by a fishing trawler off the island of Irakleia in 1982 at a depth of 91 meters. It was towed out of the fishing lanes to shallower waters (about 11 meters). The upside-down plane, with fuselage and wings mostly intact, has become a popular spot for scuba diving.
Specifications (Ar 196 A-5)
thumb|right|An Arado Ar 196, bearing the squadron markings of the reconnaissance unit assigned to the [[battleship .]]