Arado Ar 68

The Arado Ar 68 was the last biplane fighter to see front-line service with the Luftwaffe, being replaced by the Messerschmitt Bf 109 before the start of the Second World War.

The Arado Ar 68 was ordered to replace the Heinkel He 51, which had itself replaced the Arado Ar 65 in 1935. Work the Ar 68 actually began before the He 51 entered service.

Left view of Arado Ar 68G Left view of Arado Ar 68G

The new Ar 68 was a single bay biplane, with a fixed cantilever undercarriage, making it quite old fashioned when it entered service, with some last generation biplanes having retractable undercarriages and cockpit canopies. The wheels were enclosed in spats. The wings were of unequal span and chord, with a wooden frame and plywood and fabric covering. They were braced by N type interplace struts.  The fuselage was built around a welded steel tube structure. The top and forward parts were covered with metal, the rest with fabric. The tail was quite a distinctive Arado design, with the horizontal tailplane connected to the tall rudder by struts. The elevator and the upper wing ailerons were all larger than normal.

The first prototype, Ar 68a D-IKIN, made its maiden flight in 1934. It was powered by a 750hp BMW VId twelve cylinder engine, which provided 550hp in continuous use. Handling was fine, but the aircraft’s performance was disappointing.

The second prototype, Ar 68b D-IVUS, was given a supercharged 610hp Junkers Jumo 210 twelve cylinder inverted V engine, which improved its performance at higher altitudes. The inverted V shape also improved the pilot’s view, cutting down the bulky nose needed for the BMW engine. However this aircraft had a poorly designed nose radiator, which reduced performance.

The third prototype, Ar 68c or V3, D-IBAS, had a better radiator and finally produced the expected performance. It was also the first to be armed, carrying two 7.9mm machine guns in the upper engine cowling. It was expected to be the prototype for the Ar 68C.

The fourth prototype, Ar 68d or V4, D-ITAR, had to return to the BMW VI engine due to a shortage of Jumo engines. This became the prototype for the Ar 68F, the first version to enter production.

The fifth prototype, Ar 68e D-ITEP, went back to the Jumo 210 and was the prototype for the Ar 68E, the second production variant.

During 1935 the Luftwaffe General Staff was unsure about ordering the Ar 68 into full scale production. It was considered to be superior to the He 51, but the new generation of monoplane fighters wasn’t far away, so there was some doubt about wasting effort on an aircraft with a very short lifespan. In January 1936 Ernst Udet took charge of technical matters for the Luftwaffe. He organised a mock combat between the He 51 and Ar 68, flying the Arado aircraft himself. This proved the Ar 68 to be superior in every way, and it was ordered into production.

1936 saw the Ar 68 play a significant role in German aviation. It was one of the main aircraft being tested at Rechlin, where it was used in tests with fixed obliquely firing armament, as used on later night fighters. It also took part in an air display in front of Goring on 22 May 1936 and a series of events later in the year. However it was also used in simulated dogfights against the new monoplanes, the Bf 109 and He 112, which were to prove it to be obsolete.

The Ar 68F entered service with I./JG 134 Horst Wessle during the late summer of 1936. During 1937 most of the Luftwaffe’s fighter units were equipped with the Ar 68E. Its entry into service sped up after the He 51 underperformed during the Spanish Civil War. The Ar 68E was sent to Spain in 1938 for its own combat trials, where it was used as a night fighter. It served with the Spanish Grupo 0, based at La Cenia. However those who had thought it would only have a very short front line career were proved correct, as the Bf 109 was being introduced into service in the same year, and clearly outclassed the Ar 68.

By the outbreak of war in September 1939 the Arado Ar 68 had been replaced in daytime fighter units by the Bf 109. However some were still in use with night fighter units 10.(N)/ JG 53, 10.(N)/ JG 72 and 11.(N)/ JG 72. The majority of Ar 68s had become advanced trainers, and they would soon be joined by the night fighters.

Arado Ar 68C

The Ar 68C was to have been the first production version of the aircraft. It was to be powered by the Jumo 210 engine, and armed with two 7.9mm machine guns. However a shortage of Jumo engines meant the BMW powered Ar 68F entered production instead.

Arado Ar 68E

The Ar 68E was the second and main production version, and entered production in the spring of 1937, once the Junkers Jumo 210 engine was available in significant numbers. It was powered by the 690hp Junkers Jumo 210 Da engine. It was armed with two machine guns and could carry six 22lb bombs under the fuselage.

Arado Ar 68F

The Ar 68F was the first version of the aircraft to enter production. It was powered by the BMW engine, and was always seen as an interim design, to be replaced once enough Jumo engines were available.

Arado Ar 68G

The Ar 68G was to have been a high altitude version, but was abandoned because of a lack of suitable engines.

Arado Ar 68H

The Arado Ar 68H was the most advanced version of the aircraft to be built, but only one prototype was completed. It was given a 850hp BMW 132 Da nine cylinder, which saw its top speed rise by 40mph. Two extra machine guns were added in the upper wing. It was given an enclosed cockpit with sliding canopy. This put in on par with the best biplane fighters of the period. However it never entered production.

Arado Ar 197

The Arado Ar 197 was developed alongside the Ar 68H, and was designed for use as a carrier based interceptor and light bomber. However the entire German carrier programme failed, while the Ar 197 was replaced in the plans by the Messerschmitt Bf 109T and Me 155.

Arado Ar 68E
Engine: Junkers Jumo 210 Da inverted V inline engine
Power: 690hp
Crew: 1
Span: 36 ft 1 1/8in
Length: 31ft 2in
Height: 10ft 9in
Empty weight: 3,528lb
Loaded weight: 4,454lb
Max speed: 190mph at sea level, 208mph at 8,695ft
Climb Rate: 2,476ft/ min
Service ceiling: 26,575ft
Range: 258 miles
Armament: Two 7.9mm machine guns
Bomb load: Six 22lb bombs

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)
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (20 September 2024), Arado Ar 68 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_arado_ar_68.html

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