Arado Ar 65

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-c were the prototypes while the 65d-f were the production models. The Ar 65d was delivered in 1933 and served alongside the Ar 64 in the two fighter groups - Fliegergruppe Dx¶beritz and Fliegergruppe Damm. In 1935, the Ar 65 was reduced to a training aircraft. Production of the fighter was discontinued in 1936. But 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

Bulgaria
Germany

Specifications (Ar 65f)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 23 m² (248 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,550 kg (3,418 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,970 kg (4,344 lb)
Powerplant: 1 x— BMW VI 7.3 water-cooled engine, 559 kw (750 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)
Service ceiling: 7,600 (24,935)

Armament

2 x— 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns

Related development

Arado Ar 64

Comparable aircraft

Heinkel He 43

Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters (Salamander Books, 2002)

Arado Ar 65 Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia