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Without doubt the most important advanced trainer produced for the
LuftwafTe was the Arado Ar 96. Extremely advanced for its time, the Ar
96 was designed in 1938 by Dipl Ing Walter Blumc. chief designer of
Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH. It was a neat cantilever low wing mono
plane built of light metal throughout with duralumin skin. The pupil and
instructor were seated in tandem beneath an elongated and extensively
glazed canopy. The fuselage was an oval section monocoque struc
ture built in two halves and the mainwheels retracted into the wing centre
section. The tail assembly was of typical Arado design with a tall fin
and rudder of narrow chord and the tailplane mounted at the extreme
rear of the fuselage.
The prototype, the Ar 96 V I D-IRUU, powered by a 240 hp Argus As
IOC eight cylinder inverted vee air cooled engine, flew for the first time in
1938. As originally flown, the Ar 96 V I had an outward retracting under
carriage, but this was replaced by the inward retracting type subsequently
adopted for all production aircraft. The wide track undercarriage was
considered to be much more suitable for the rough landings associated
with fledgling pilots.
The Ar 96 proved so successful that the RLM placed a large order for
the machine in 1940. A small batch of Ar 96A 1 aircraft had been
completed in 1939. these being powered, like the first prototype, by the
240 hp Argus As 10C engine. It was foreseen that the aircraft would
provide the Luftwaffe's training schools with an excellent intermediate step
between the standard initial trainers such as the Ar 66. Fw 44. Go 145 and
He 72 biplanes and the advanced fighter monoplanes which were then in
service.
The main production series was the Ar 96B which differed in being
powered by a 465 hp Argus As 410A I twelve cylinder inverted vee air
cooled engine driving a two blade metal airscrew with an Argus automatic
pitch change spinner. The Ar 96B also had a longer fuselage to accommo
date more fuel. The first production model was the Ar 96B I unarmed
pilot trainer. The Ar 96B-2 carried a 7-9 mm MG 17 machine gun. for
gunnery training, above the engine cowling and offset to starboard. A
further five B series aircraft have been reported including the Ar 96B-5
pilot gunnery trainer and the B 7 which could carry bombs for the training
of ground attack and dive bomber pilots. Other aircraft were modified for
night and blind flying^ communications and navigational training, and at
least one. D IXWZ, carried a 7-9 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear of
the cockpit for the training of air gunners.
Despite the success of the Ar 96. relatively few were built by the Arado
company. Until mid 194 I. the Ago Flugzeugwerke (a Junkers subsidiary)
built most aircraft, but then, the Czechoslovak Avia company took over
series production. The Letov company of Prague joined the Ar 96 pro
gramme in 1944 and by the end of the war no less than 1 1.546 aircraft had
been completed.
The Ar 96C. of which only a pre-production batch was built, was
powered by a 480 hp Argus As 410C engine and had a small window in
the floor of the cockpit for bomb aiming practice. A development of the Ar
96B was the Ar 296 project to be pqwercd by a 600 hp Argus As 41 1
twelve cylinder inverted vee air-cooled engine. This was abandoned in
favour of the Ar 396 (see page 54) designed to use the minimum of
strategically important materials. After the war the Ar 96B remained in
production in Czechoslovakia until 1948 under the designation C.2B I.
The Ar 96B formed the main equipment of the Jagdschulgeschwader
(fighter-training wings) of which there were eventually thirteen, designated
JG lOltoJG HOandJG 114toJG 1 16. The aircraft also served with the
training and replacement fighter units (EJG), the pilot training schools
(FFS A/B Schulen) and the officer cadet schools (LKS).

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Arado Ar 96 B.
The Arado Ar 96 A (see type description "Flugsport" 1937, pp. 263 and 306) and the Arado Ar 96 B show significant differences in their intended use, engines, and construction. The Ar 96 A is equipped with the 240 hp Argus As 10 C engine and serves as a training aircraft for pilots, as well as for observer training and for training in aerobatics, night, and blind flying. The Ar 96 B, on the other hand, is a multi-purpose training aircraft that, thanks to its armament and equipment, characteristics, and performance, is also suitable as a light combat aircraft. As a training aircraft, it serves, in addition to the uses already listed for the Ar 96 A, for training pilots and observers in MQ firing and bombing, as well as in photography and telegraphy. The Ar 96
B is equipped with the 360/450 hp Argus As 410 A engine. Its performance is significantly higher than that of the Ar 96 A.
The low-wing structure, consisting of a cantilevered trapezoidal wing with a 6° dihedral, manufactured without a detachable joint, is connected under the fuselage by means of four ball joints. The connecting fittings allow for compensation for changes in angle and length due to wing deflection and ensure its easy replacement.
The static structure of the wing, which is covered with sheet metal on all sides, consists of two I-spars with strong composite ribs. Handholes in the outer skin allow for inspections and repairs.
Automatic Handley-Page slotted wings are installed on the wing, and the inwardly folding disappearing undercarriage is located in the wing nose. A strong jacking fitting with eyelets for securing the aircraft is provided between ribs 7 and 8.
The fuselage, made of Qanz metal, has a consistently oval cross-section; the fuselage skin is formed from longitudinal profile and Qlatt panels. Two access steps and two handrails are located in the left fuselage wall; special fittings for jacking up the aircraft. The pilot's and observer's compartments are covered with sliding Plexiglas canopies that can be locked in any position by a clamp. This allows for unobstructed entry and exit and good ventilation, for which adjustable ventilation is also provided. The front floor section of the observer's compartment can be removed and replaced with a Plexiglas panel to provide good visibility when installing a slewing camera or bomb aiming device. The pilot's and observer's seats are vertically adjustable, and the weight of the occupants is compensated by rubber cables. The seats are equipped for a cushion parachute and are equipped with adjustable waist and shoulder straps. Luggage compartment is located behind the second seat. Dual stick control: Transmission of individual control movements via levers, pushrods, and threaded wires; the latter are routed twice for elevator control. The control section located in the rear seat compartment can be removed. The rudder control for the front seat is a rotary foot lever design, while that for the rear seat is a separate foot pendulum lever design. Both can be adjusted relative to the pilot's seat during flight. Adjustment is made in the front seat by pulling a knob on the auxiliary instrument panel, and in the rear seat by moving a small lever on the pendulum levers themselves. The brake pumps for the landing gear braking system are located on the rudder control foot lever of the front seat and are operated with the tips of the feet. All control movements are limited by adjustable travel and are smooth. The elevator control is operated by a sliding knob mounted on the left side of the front seat, whose movements are transmitted via pushrods, levers, and steel wires. A control lever mounted in the front seat hydraulically operates the landing flaps. The takeoff position is clearly marked on it, and a mechanical device also indicates the current position of the flaps. When the flap is extended and full throttle is applied, the flap automatically returns to the most favorable takeoff position due to the coupling between e flap control lever and the throttle lever. Coupling the ailerons with the landing flaps causes the aileron neutral position to be adjusted to +13° at a flap deflection of 45°, while full control surface deflection can still be applied.
The slotted vanes built into the outer wing can be locked in the retracted position and can be unlocked by moving a rocker lever on the auxiliary instrument panel.
The throttle and mixture control levers are mounted on the left fuselage wall. When the throttle lever is released, the mixture lever is also released.
The engine can be started either manually or with compressed air. For the latter, a quick-release coupling is provided in the hull behind the firewall, accessible from the outside through the wheelhouse. A small aluminum sheet fuel tank, with a capacity of 205 liters, is located under the floor of the first
The disappearing landing gear is extended and retracted by a hydraulic lifting mechanism via the engine, or by a hand pump when the engine is stopped, whereby the landing gear is swung upwards and downwards laterally. The final positions of the landing gear are indicated by an electrical signaling system and a mechanical indicator. A warning signal (horn) sounds if the throttle is released while the landing gear is not extended, until a button on the joystick handle is pressed to stop it. When the button is released, the lifting signal sounds again immediately and continues until the landing gear is extended. The landing gear suspension on the landing gear consists of a pressure-rubber column with an oil-damping cylinder. The brake wheels (Argus type) with high-performance tires 580x165 are hydraulically operated by the foot pedals on the front side controls.
Wingspan 11 m, length 9.13 m, height 2.64 m, wing area 17.10 m². Argus As 410 A engine, takeoff power 450 hp, power at full pressure altitude (3000 rpm) 360 hp,
full pressure altitude 3000 m, fuel consumption (n = 0.85 nmax) 200 g/hp/h. Two-bladed variable-pitch propeller (automatic), max. diameter 2.7 m.
Empty weight 1220 kg, total load 530 kg, take-off weight 1750 kg, fuel 183 kg, lubricant 21 kg, wing area 102 kg/m², power area 4.86 kg/hp.
Top speed on ground 310 km/h, at 3000 m altitude 340 km/h, cruising speed (n = 0.85 nmax) on ground 255 km/h, at 3000 m 275 km/h, landing speed 103 km/h,
Flight endurance 4 hours, range 1100 km. Climb time to 1000 m: 2.5 minutes, to 2000 m: 5 minutes, to 3000 m: 7.5 minutes, and to 4000 m: 10.3 minutes. Service ceiling 7200 m.