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| Country:
Germany |
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Type: Transport |
| Manufacturer:
Arado |
| Service:
1943 - 1945 |
| First
Flight: June 1941 |
| Production:
20 |
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The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfussler (German: Millipede) was the first truly modern transport aircraft, designed and built in small numbers by the German firm Arado during World War II. The design introduced almost all of the features now considered to be standard to modern transports, including a low-slung box-like fuselage, rear loading ramp, a high tail for easy access to the hold, and various features for operating from rough fields. Although the Luftwaffe was interested in replacing or supplanting their fleet of outdated Ju 52 transports, they were overloaded with types at the time and did not purchase large numbers of the Ar 232.
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| TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS ( Ar 232B) |
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General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Length: 23.52 m (77 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 33.50 m (109 ft 10¾ in)
- Height: 5.69 m (18 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 142.60 m (1,535 ft)
- Empty weight: 12,780 kg (28,175 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 21,150 kg (46,628 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 x BMW Bramo 323 R-2 Fafnir 9-cylinder radial engine, 895 kW (1,200 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 308 km/h at 4,000 m (191 mph at 13,123 ft)
- Cruise speed: 290 km/h at 2,000 m (180 mph at 6,561 ft)
- Range: 1,062 km (660 miles)
- Service ceiling 6,900 m (22,640 ft)
Armament
- 1 x MG 131 machine gun mounted in the nose
- 1 x MG 151 cannon mounted in an EDL 151 dorsal turret
- 1 - 2 x MG 131 machine gun mounted in the rear position
and
- 8 x MG 34 machine guns mounted in side windows when transporting infantry
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