Arado Ar 195

Prototype torpedo bomber by Arado

The Arado Ar 195 was a single-engine prototype carrier-based torpedo bomber, built by the German firm Arado for service on the German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, during World War II.

Design and development

A derivative of the Ar 95, fitted with an arrestor hook and catapult equipment as well as a taller canopy, the Ar 195 was intended as a torpedo bomber to equip Nazi Germany's first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, which was named after Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin, of dirigible fame. Although three prototypes were flown in 1937, the design did not meet the requirements of the specification. It suffered an excess of drag which was detrimental to its flyability, and so was rejected in 1938^[1] in favour of the Fieseler Fi 167, which was considered superior.^[2]

Operator

 Germany

• Luftwaffe

Specifications (Ar 195)

Data from ^[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in)
• Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 46 m² (500 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,143 kg (4,725 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,670 kg (8,091 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × BMW 132M 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 619 kW (830 hp) for take-off
• Propellers: 3-bladed fixed pitch metal propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 290 km/h (180 mph, 160 kn)
• Cruise speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
• Range: 650 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 6,000 m (20,000 ft)
• Time to altitude: 4,000 m (13,123 ft) in 14 minutes

Armament

• Guns: 1x fixed forward firing 7.9 mm (0.311 in) MG 17 machine gun with 500 rounds
  • 1 x 7.9 mm (0.311 in) MG 15 machine-gun with 600 rounds flexibly mounted in the rear cockpit
• Bombs: 1 x 500 kg (1,102 lb) SC500 bomb

or

• 1x 250 kg (551 lb) SC250 bomb
• 4 x 50 kg (110 lb) SC50 bombs

or

• 1 x 700 kg (1,543 lb) torpedo

See also

Related development

• Arado Ar 95

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Fieseler Fi 167
• Fairey Albacore

References

1. Munson 1978, p. 18.
2. "Luftwaffe Resource Center - Bombers - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
3. Green, William (2010). Aircraft of the Third Reich. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). London: Aerospace Publishing Limited. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-900732-06-2.

• Green, William (2010). Aircraft of the Third Reich. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). London: Aerospace Publishing Limited. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-900732-06-2.
• Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN 0-7137-0860-3.