Arado Ar 96

Background The origins of the Ar 96 can be traced back to the mid 1930s and the shortcomings of the Focke-Wulf Fw 55W, a biplane floatplane intended for the trainer role. To suit its principal use as a trainer, the design of the aircraft incorporated various safety features. By 1943, Germany's declining military situation and intense demands for key materials motivated Arado started development of a new derivative of the Ar 96 that made greater use of lower grade non-strategic metals and wood. while the launch of the Allied invasion of France during the following year forced the Germans to shift production of the Ar 396 to Czechoslovakia instead. Accordingly, this work was undertaken by both Letov and the Avia factory in occupied Czechoslovakia, while considerations for another final assembly site in neighbouring Hungary was also considered. SIPA, meanwhile, continued work on its prototype after the German withdrawal from France, with the first French-built Ar 396, redesignated SIPA S.10, flying on 29 December 1944. ==Operational history==

In late 1939, the first deliveries of Ar 96s to German flight training schools took place. The Ar 96 quickly became commonplace at fighter pilot schools, where they were typically used for advanced, night and instrument-flying training. They were frequently described as being relatively rugged, easy to fly and maintain, and technologically up to date. Despite the end of the conflict in May 1945, manufacturing of the AR 96 continued for some years afterwards in the newly freed Czechoslovakia, where the type was locally designated as the Avia C-2B. French production of a model of the aircraft, under the local designation of SIPA S.10, also proceeded. Further developments included the SIPA S.11 (armed version), and the SIPA S.12, a metal version; 188 of all versions were produced until 1958. The S.11 was operated with some success in Algeria, where it was commonly armed with machine guns, rockets, and light bombs. ==Variants==

;Ar 96A :Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft. Initial production version. ;Ar 96B-5 :Largely identical to Ar 96B-2, but equipped with FuG ZY radio VHF set. ;Ar 296 :A proposed development of the Ar 96 with an Argus As 411 engine, abandoned in favour of the Ar 396, due to the use of non-strategic materials in the Ar 396 production. ;Ar 396A-1 :Single-seat gunnery trainer, powered by an Argus As 411 engine, built largely from wood. First flew 29 December 1944. ;SIPA S.11 :Modified version of S.10, powered by Renault 12S (French built Argus As 411), 50 built for the French Air Force. ==Production figures up to 1945==

; • Bulgarian Air Force – Bulgaria ordered 24 Ar 96Bs in 1939, which were delivered in 1940–1941. Some aircraft were captured in 1945 in Hungary and transferred to Bulgaria, including at last one Ar96-A version. After the war, Bulgaria received two Avia C.2s in 1948 from Czechoslovakia. ; • Czechoslovak Air Force operated Avia C-2 variant postwar. • Czechoslovak National Security Guard ; • French Air Force (Postwar) ; • Luftwaffe ; • Hungarian Air Force ; • Slovak Air Force (1939–1945) ==Surviving aircraft==

• Arado Ar 96 B-1 – Deutsches Technikmuseum. Berlin, Germany. • Arado Ar 96 B-1 – Flyhistorisk Museum. Sola, Norway. ==Specifications (Arado Ar 96B-2)==