PRIMARY ARMAMENT
Spoiler
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1x 7.92mm MG 17 machine gun
-Placement: Fixed, forward firing -
1x 7.92mm MG 15 machine gun in rear
-Placement: Flexible turret in the rear
SECONDARY ARMAMENT
Spoiler
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1x 500 kg bomb on under fuselage rack
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1x 800 kg torpedo on under fuselage rack
TECHNICAL DATA
Length: 11.10 Meter
Wingspan: 12.50 Meter
Height: 3.60 Meter
Wing area: 45.40 m2
Empty weight: 1,111 kg
Max takeoff weight: 3,560 kg
Powerplant: 1x BMW 132De air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engine
Maximum speed: 310 km/h at 3,000 m
Cruise speed: 255 km/h at 1,200 m
Range: 1,100 km
Service ceiling: 7,300 Meter
Rate of climb: 7.5 m/s
Crew: 2
HISTORY
The Arado Ar 95 is a single engine reconnaissance aircraft that was designed, developed and built by the German aircraft manufacturer Arado. The first prototype which is this specific plane named D-OLUO, first flew on the 3rd of December 1936, and unlike the second prototype D-OHEO it were equipped an BMW 132 radial engine. The second prototype D-OHEO were equipped with the Junkers Jumo 210 liquid-cooled engine. The third prototype were equipped an BMW 132De air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engine and an three-blade metal variable-pitch propeller along with other changes such as RPM control and pitch control. The photo above is from the trials.
On the 3rd of January 1935, the Norwegian Aircraft Factory was asked to investigate the possibilities of acquiring a new torpedo plane to replace the aging planes it had. One of the requirements for these planes was that they had to be able to fly from Hoten to Jærens Rev with an 800 kilo torpedo at cruise speed up to 80 kilometers from the coast. It was also further stated that it should preferably be a twin-engine aircraft to provide better working conditions for the crew. This was a process that lasted several years, and in 1937 there were even stricter requirements for the planes. The new Norwegian F.2 Flytorpedo was now under construction and a future aircraft had to be able to carry such a torpedo and at the same time have a range of 1,000 Kilometers and a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour. Currently, only the French Latecoere 298 aircraft was able to maintain these requirements they had set for the aircraft, but this aircraft was unfortunately reserved only for the French Navy and therefore not available to other countries.
One of the other aircraft factories in this picture was the German Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH, and in 1937 they sent their prototype for their newly developed Arado Ar 95 aircraft, designated D-OLUO, to Horten in Norway for a demonstration. The Norske Lieutenants Østby and Brun were given the task of testing out this aircraft, and after tests in Horten on 19 and 20 August, they both stated that the aircraft was usable, but that both the carrying capacity and the range of the aircraft were a little too poor. The Arado factory did not give up on this, and therefore sent a better version of the Arado Ar 95 aircraft, the Arado Ar 95 with the designation D-ODGY, was sent to Horten. An 800 kilo normal vessel torpedo (Whitehead Model VIII) which is a Norwegian modified torpedo, was modified and adapted to fit the release device on the Aircraft. Although the trials with this aircraft were successful and satisfactory, the acquisition of this aircraft was not recommended, as they estimated that this aircraft would become obsolete within a few years. And the aircraft that they decided on a few years later was a twin-engine torpedo bomber Heinkel He 115N.
IN GAME
There are nothing “unique” about this plane, but as this plane, which were the first prototype of the Arado Ar 95 and it was trialed by the Norwegian Navy’s Airforce in the mid 1930’s i believe it could be a cool plane to implement either as an event plane or a reserve plane in a future Norwegian Tech tree or Subtree. Its a cool plane that would hopefully be added to the German Tech tree someday in the future, its self saying that they will receive this first.
SOURCES
Spoiler
Primary source:
Marinens flygevåpen 1912-1944
ISBN: 8299353513
Nasjonalbiblioteket
(Linked to the page describing the plane)
Norske militærfly 1912-2013
ISBN/EAN: 9788271286873
https://www.norskeserier.no/_norske-militarfly-sverre-mo-ole-bjorn-salensminde-9788271286873
Arado Ar 95 - Wikipedia
https://cyberaerobreton.fr/document/pdf-anglais/ar95.pdf
Arado Ar 95 – Wikipedia
Arado Ar 95 – Wikipedia
- Yes
- No