Arado Ar 65
Ar 65 | |
---|---|
Role | Biplane fighter |
Manufacturer | Arado |
First flight | 1931 |
Primary user | Luftwaffe |
Produced | 1931-1936 |
Number built | 85 |
The Arado Ar 65 was the single-seat biplane fighter successor to the Ar 64. Both looked very similar. The only major difference was the use of the 12-cylinder inline versus the 64's radial. The wingspan was also increased.
The Ar 65 appeared in 1931 and six models were built. The first three 65a-cs were prototypes, while the 65d-fs were production models. The Ar 65d was delivered in 1933 and served alongside the Ar 64 in the two fighter groups - Fliegergruppe Döberitz and Fliegergruppe Damm. In 1935, the Ar 65 was reduced to a training aircraft. Production of the fighter was discontinued in 1936. However, the next year, 12 of them were presented to Germany's ally - the Royal Bulgarian Air Force. The final production total was 85 aircraft.
Variants
- Ar 65a
- Prototype, powered by a 559 kW (750 hp) BMW VI 7.3 12-cylinder water-cooled engine. First flight in 1931.
- Ar 65b
- Prototype, similar to the 65a but with minor structural changes.
- Ar 65c
- Prototype, similar to the 65b but with minor structural changes.
- Ar 65d
- Production model.
- Ar 65E
- Similar to the 65d, but with the removal of the vertical fuselage magazine of six 10 kg (22 lb) bombs.
- Ar 65F
- Final production model. Similar to the 65E.
Operators
Specifications (Ar 65E)
Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 23 m2 (250 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,510 kg (3,329 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,930 kg (4,255 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 218 l (58 US gal; 48 imp gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI 7.3z V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 560 kW (750 hp) for take-off, 372.85 kW (500 hp) continuous maximum power (7.3:1 compression ratio)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 300 km/h (186 mph; 162 kn) at 1,650 m (5,413 ft)
- Cruise speed: 246 km/h (153 mph; 133 kn) at 1,400 m (4,593 ft)
- Range: 560 km (348 mi; 302 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 7,600 m (24,935 ft)
- Rate of climb: 10.60 m/s (2,086 ft/min)
- Time to altitude:
- 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in 1.5 minutes
- 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 10.6 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns with 500 rpg.
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arado Ar 65. |
- Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters (Salamander Books, 2002)