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The Arado Ar 231 was a small floatplane designed for use from U-boats, but which only reached the prototype stage.
One big problem faced by the U-boats was the difficulty of locating enemy shipping when the highest vantage point was the top of the bridge, which was too close to the water to give much of a view. One solution was to carry a small floatplane that could be launched and retrieved from the U-boat, and could scout a large area looking for suitable targets.
In 1940 Arado was asked to produce an aircraft to fit this role. The new aircraft would have to fit within a 2m diameter tube when dismantled, and be easily assembled and dismantled in the limited space available on the U-boat.
Arado produced a small parasol wing monoplane, powered by a 160hp Hirth HM 501 inverted inline air cooled engine. The fuselage was narrow, to make space for the twin floats to be stored alongside it in the tube. The tail was limited in height by the size of the tube. The wings were hinged at the centre. Their most unusual feature was that the right wing was slightly higher than the left wing, allowing the left wing to fold back close to the fuselage, and the right wing to fold back above the left wing. The width of the horizontal parts of the tail was limited to two meters. Some pictures show the aircraft with a conventional tail, others with small vertical fins attached to the ends of the horizontal surfaces.
Six prototypes were built during 1941, Ar 231 V1 to Ar 231 V6. Tests showed that the aircraft could be launched or retrieved in six minutes if the aircraft was in place, but it would take longer to retrieve it in real world situations as the aircraft would have to land and get close enough to the U-boat. The Ar 231 also handled badly both in the air and on the water, perhaps not a surprise given the constraints on its design.
Early in 1942 the Ar 231 was cancelled in favour of the Focke Achgelis Fe 330, a simple autogyro kite that would be towed from the U-boat. This did enter service, but was only responsible for a single known sinking, that of the Greek steamer Efthalia Mari by U-177 on 6 August 1943.
Arado Ar 231 V1
Engine:
Power:
Crew:
Span: 33ft 4.5in
Length: 25ft 7.5in
Height: 10ft 2.75in
Empty weight: 1,837lb
Loaded weight: 2,315lb
Max speed: 106mph at sea level
Climb Rate:
Service ceiling: 9,843ft
Endurance: 4 hours
Normal range: 310 miles
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe (Read Full Review)
