Arado Flugzeugwerke
Encyclopedia
Arado Flugzeugwerke was a German
aircraft manufacturer, originally established as the Warnemünde
factory of the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen firm, that produced military hydroplanes during the First World War.
when restrictions on German aviation were created by the Treaty of Versailles
. In 1921, the factory was purchased by Heinrich Lübbe
, and re-commenced aircraft construction for export, opening a subsidiary, Ikarus, in Yugoslavia
. Walter Rethel
, previously of Kondor
and Fokker
was appointed head designer.
In 1925, the company joined the Arado Handelsgesellschaft ("Arado trading firm") that was founded by the industrialist Hugo Stinnes Junior for covering up illegal trade with military equipment. When in 1933 the new Nazi
government came to power in Germany, Stinnes emigrated and Lübbe took control over the company. Just prior to this, Walter Blume
, formerly of Albatros
replaced Rethel.
Arado achieved early prominence as a supplier to the Luftwaffe
with the Arado Ar 66
, which became one of the standard Luftwaffe trainer
s right into World War II
. The firm also produced some of the Luftwaffe's first fighter aircraft
, the Ar 65
and Ar 68. In 1936, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - "Reich Aviation Ministry") insisted that, as a show of loyalty, Lübbe should join the Nazi party. When he refused, he was arrested and forced to sell the company to the state. It was renamed to the more specific (and accurate) Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH, and was placed under the direction of Erich Serno and Felix Wagenführ.
As Germany entered World War II, two more Arado products rose to prominence, the
Ar 96
which became the Luftwaffe
's most used trainer, and the Ar 196
a reconnaissance
seaplane
that became standard equipment on all larger German warships. Unfortunately for Arado, most of their other designs were passed over in favour of stronger products from their competitors, such as Germany's only heavy bomber
fielded during the war, the Heinkel He 177
, for which Arado was the primary subcontractor. Perhaps Arado's most celebrated aircraft of the war was the Ar 234
, the first jet
-powered bomber. Too late to have any real effect on the outcome of the conflict, it was nevertheless a sign of things to come.
Until their liberation in April 1945 by the Soviet army, 1,012 slave laborers from Freiburg, a sub-camp of the Flossenburg concentration camp
, worked at the Arado factory, beginning with the first trainload of 249 prisoners arriving in August 1944. The prisoners were mostly Polish Jewish women and girls sent to Freiburg from Auschwitz
.
Arado also licence-built various versions of the Focke Wulf Fw 190.
In 1945, the company was liquidated and broken up.
The Ar 96 continued to be produced in Czechoslovakia by Zlin for many years after the war as the C.2B.
List of Major Internal Projects of the WW2 Era under the RLM:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
aircraft manufacturer, originally established as the Warnemünde
Warnemünde
Warnemünde is a sea resort and northmost district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, situated on the Baltic Sea in the northeast of Germany at the estuary of the river Warnow.- History :...
factory of the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen firm, that produced military hydroplanes during the First World War.
History
With its parent company, it ceased operations following the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when restrictions on German aviation were created by the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. In 1921, the factory was purchased by Heinrich Lübbe
Heinrich Lübbe
Heinrich Lübbe was a German engineer working for Dutch aircraft designer Anthony Fokker during the First World War, invented the interrupter gear which enabled a machine gun to fire through the arc of a fighter aircraft's propeller without the bullets striking the blades.In 1921 Lübbe purchased...
, and re-commenced aircraft construction for export, opening a subsidiary, Ikarus, in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Walter Rethel
Walter Rethel
Walter Rethel was a German aircraft designer.Working for the Dutch company Fokker in the years after World War I, he designed aircraft such as the amphibious Fokker B.I and the Fokker F.VII airliner. In the 1920s he worked for Arado Flugzeugwerke in Germany, before moving to Messerschmitt, where...
, previously of Kondor
Kondor
The Kondor was a German automobile manufactured from 1902 until 1904. The 5 hp two-seater was the product of a bicycle works....
and Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
was appointed head designer.
In 1925, the company joined the Arado Handelsgesellschaft ("Arado trading firm") that was founded by the industrialist Hugo Stinnes Junior for covering up illegal trade with military equipment. When in 1933 the new Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
government came to power in Germany, Stinnes emigrated and Lübbe took control over the company. Just prior to this, Walter Blume
Walter Blume
Walter Blume was a German fighter ace of World War I and aircraft designer.During World War I, he flew with Jastas 26 and 9, gaining 28 aerial victories and earning the Iron Cross and Blue Max Pour le Merite....
, formerly of Albatros
Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer best known for supplying the German airforces during World War I.The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded by Walter Huth and Otto Wiener on December 20, 1909. It produced some of the most capable fighter aircraft...
replaced Rethel.
Arado achieved early prominence as a supplier to the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
with the Arado Ar 66
Arado Ar 66
-See also:-References:* Smith, J.R and Kay, Antony L. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-836-4.-External links:*...
, which became one of the standard Luftwaffe trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
s right into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The firm also produced some of the Luftwaffe's first fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, the Ar 65
Arado Ar 65
-See also:-References:* Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters...
and Ar 68. In 1936, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - "Reich Aviation Ministry") insisted that, as a show of loyalty, Lübbe should join the Nazi party. When he refused, he was arrested and forced to sell the company to the state. It was renamed to the more specific (and accurate) Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH, and was placed under the direction of Erich Serno and Felix Wagenführ.
As Germany entered World War II, two more Arado products rose to prominence, the
Ar 96
Arado Ar 96
-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
which became the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
's most used trainer, and the Ar 196
Arado Ar 196
-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
a reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
that became standard equipment on all larger German warships. Unfortunately for Arado, most of their other designs were passed over in favour of stronger products from their competitors, such as Germany's only heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
fielded during the war, the Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
, for which Arado was the primary subcontractor. Perhaps Arado's most celebrated aircraft of the war was the Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
, the first jet
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
-powered bomber. Too late to have any real effect on the outcome of the conflict, it was nevertheless a sign of things to come.
Until their liberation in April 1945 by the Soviet army, 1,012 slave laborers from Freiburg, a sub-camp of the Flossenburg concentration camp
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
, worked at the Arado factory, beginning with the first trainload of 249 prisoners arriving in August 1944. The prisoners were mostly Polish Jewish women and girls sent to Freiburg from Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
Arado also licence-built various versions of the Focke Wulf Fw 190.
In 1945, the company was liquidated and broken up.
The Ar 96 continued to be produced in Czechoslovakia by Zlin for many years after the war as the C.2B.
Aircraft
Arado aircraft include:- Arado L 1Arado L 1|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, sportsplane - Arado L IIArado L II|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, sportsplane - Arado S IArado S I|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, civil trainer - Arado S III, civil trainer
- Arado SC IArado SC I|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, civil trainer - Arado SC IIArado SC II|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, civil trainer - Arado SD IArado SD I|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
, prototype fighter - Arado SD IIArado SD II|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 74*...
, prototype fighter - Arado SD IIIArado SD III|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 74*...
, prototype fighter - Arado SSD IArado SSD I|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 74*...
, prototype fighter seaplane - Arado V IArado V I|-References:*...
- airliner - Arado W 2Arado W 2|-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 73*...
- civil trainer seaplane
- Arado Ar 64Arado Ar 64|-See also:-References:* Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters ...
, fighter (biplane) - Arado Ar 65Arado Ar 65-See also:-References:* Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters...
, fighter/trainer (biplane - re-engined Ar 64) - Arado Ar 66Arado Ar 66-See also:-References:* Smith, J.R and Kay, Antony L. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-836-4.-External links:*...
, trainer + night fighter - Arado Ar 67Arado Ar 67|-See also:-References:* Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters...
, fighter (biplane) (prototype) - Arado Ar 68, fighter (biplane)
- Arado Ar 69Arado Ar 69The Arado Ar 69 was a two-seat German beginners school and sport biplane with an open cockpit, developed in 1933 by Arado Flugzeugwerke. Powered by a Siemens & Halske 14A engine, the aircraft featured swept wings constructed from wood and a steel tube frame hull....
, trainer (biplane) (prototypes), 1933 - Arado Ar 76Arado Ar 76|-See also:-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Aerospace Publishing, London. File 889 Sheet 69....
, fighter (biplane) + trainer - Arado Ar 79Arado Ar 79-External links:*...
, trainer + civilian aircraft - Arado Ar 80Arado Ar 80The Arado Ar 80 was a pre-World War II fighter aircraft, designed by Arado Flugzeugwerke to compete for the Luftwaffes first major fighter contract. The Ar 80 was uninspiring in terms of performance and also suffered a number of failures...
, fighter (prototype) - Arado Ar 81Arado Ar 81|-References:...
, two-seat biplane (prototype)(1936) - Arado Ar 95Arado Ar 95-See also:...
, coastal patrol + attack (biplane seaplane) - Arado Ar 96Arado Ar 96-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
, trainer - Arado Ar 195Arado Ar 195-See also:...
, carrier based torpedo bomber - Arado Ar 196Arado Ar 196-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
, ship-borne reconnaissance + coastal patrol (seaplane) - Arado Ar 197Arado Ar 197-See also:-References:* Kay, Anthony L. and Smith, J. Richard. German Aircraft of the Second World War. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2002. ISBN 978-1-55750-010-6....
, naval fighter (biplane - derived from Ar 68) - Arado Ar 198Arado Ar 198The Arado Ar 198 was a prototype reconnaissance aircraft developed by Arado Flugzeugwerke, with backing from the Luftwaffe, who initially preferred it over the Blohm & Voss BV 141 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 189. However, when flight tests were carried out the aircraft performed poorly, and did not...
, reconnaissance - Arado Ar 199, seaplane trainer
- Arado Ar 231Arado Ar 231The Arado Ar 231 was a light-weight Floatplane, developed during World War II in Germany as a scout plane for submarines. The need to be stored inside the submarine necessitated compromises in design that made this single-seat seaplane of little practical use....
, fold-wing U-boat reconnaissance aircraft (prototype) - Arado Ar 232Arado Ar 232The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüssler was the first truly modern cargo aircraft, designed and built in small numbers by the German firm Arado Flugzeugwerke during World War II...
, transport - Arado Ar 233Arado Ar 233-See also:...
, seaplane(concept), 1940 - Arado Ar 234Arado Ar 234The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
Blitz ('Lightning'), bomber (jet-engined) - Arado Ar 240Arado Ar 240The Arado Ar 240 was a German twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter aircraft developed for the Luftwaffe during World War II by Arado Flugzeugwerke. Its first flight was in 1940, but problems with the design hampered development and it remained only marginally stable through the prototype phase...
, heavy fighter + attack - Arado Ar 296, trainer, similar to Ar 96 but all wood construction
- Arado Ar 340, medium bomber
- Arado Ar 396, trainer
- Arado Ar 432, transport, similar to Ar 232 but mixed wood and metal construction
- Arado Ar 440, heavy fighter + attack
- Arado Ar 532, cancelled transport
List of Major Internal Projects of the WW2 Era under the RLM:
- E.240
- E.300
- E.310
- Arado E.340
- E.370
- E.371
- E.375
- E.377
- E.377a
- E.380
- E.381/I
- E.381/II
- E.381/III
- E.385
- E.390
- E.395
- E.396
- E.401
- E.430
- E.432
- E.433
- E.440
- E.441
- E.470
- E.480
- E.490
- E.500
- E.530
- E.532
- Arado E.555Arado E.555The Arado E.555 was a bomber proposed by the German Arado company in response to the Amerika Bomber project.-Project request:This was an initiative of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium , RLM, to obtain a long-range bomber for the Luftwaffe that would be capable of striking the continental United...
- E.560
- E.561
- E.580
- E.581.4
- E.581.5
- E.583
- E.625
- E.632
- E.651
- E.654