Arado Ar 68
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| Arado Ar 68 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | ||
| Role | Biplane Fighter | |
| Crew | 1 | |
| First Flight | 1934 | |
| Manufacturer | Heinkel | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 9.4 m | 30.84 ft |
| Wingspan | 11.58 m | 37.99 ft |
| Height | 3.3 m | 10.83 ft |
| Wing Area | N/A | |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 1600 kg | 3,538 lb |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | Junkers Jumo 210 Ea | |
| Power | 671 hp | |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 335 km/h | 215 mph |
| Range | 500 km | 270 miles |
| Service ceiling | 12800 m | 41995 ft |
| Armament | ||
| 2 × 7.9mm MG 17, light bombs | ||
| Ar 68 in early Nazi markings | ||
| Image:Ar-68-1.jpg | ||
The Arado Ar 68 was a single seat biplane aircraft developed in the mid 1930s. It was among the first fighters produced when Germany abandoned the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and began rearming.
Designed to replace the Heinkel He 51, the Ar 68 proved to have admirable handling characteristics on its first flight in early 1934 despite Heinkel's inability to secure a sufficiently powerful engine for the prototype. Eventually a Junkers Jumo 210 was installed and the Ar 68 went into production, though not before worries about the unforgiving nature of such a high-performance aircraft almost cancelled the project.
The Ar 68 entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1936 and one of the first units was stationed in East Prussia. Soon the fighter was sent to fight in the Spanish Revolution where it was outclassed by the stumpy Russian Polikarpov I-16. Arado responded by upgrading the engine of the Ar-68E, which soon became the Luftwaffe's most widely-used fighter in 1937-8 before being replaced by the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The last He 68s served as night fighters in the winter of 1939-40 and fighter-trainers.
Major Models:
- Ar 68V1 : Prototype, powered by a (660hp) BMW VI piston engine. First flight in 1933.
- Ar 68E : First type to enter Luftwaffe service, powered by a (610hp) Junkers Jumo 210 piston engine.
- Ar 68F : Powered by a (670hp) BMW VI piston engine.
- Ar 68G : Most Produced Variant, BMW VI piston engine (670hp+)
- Ar 68H : Only a single prototype was built. It was powered by an 850hp supercharged BMW 132Da nine-cylinder air-cooled radial. It was also the first Arado fighter to have an enclosed cockpit.
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