Floatplane

[Marcus]

What model floatplane is this?

Thanks.

/Marcus

[sdkfz182]

Hello Marcus,

It's an Arado AR 196-A3.

With kind regards, Benno

[Marcus]

Benno,

Thanks for the speedy help.

/Marcus

[varjag]

Benno - I admire your quick recognition, but how can you be so sure it is an A-3 model?

[sdkfz182]

Hello Varjag,

In my reference the A-1 and A-2 have a different kind of "floaters".

With kind regards, Benno

[varjag]

Aha, thanks Benno...we live and learn.....Varjag

[Percy Mandible]

Ah, but could it still be an Ar 196A-5, which was in production at Fokker after Arado Flugzeugwerke had cease production of the A-3, and using the same A-3 type floats? Fokker built 69 (it says here).
I pay attention to floats now because I once worked on float design - converting Wipaire amphibious floats for water-bombing operations for the Ministry of Natural Resources here in Canada.
Re the Arado 196 - A Lancaster bomber was returning, damaged, from a raid. With one engine out it was attacked by a flight of (cannon armed) Arados. Presumably they saw an easy kill. The Lanc shot them all down and returned safely.

[varjag]

Lovely - we've got a bunfight going! A-3 or A5? Let's get to the ship.The camera is focussing towards the stern, where a tripod mast shows. It is definitely not BISMARCK.There is a radar-mattress on a platform on the tripod that COULD be SCHARNHORST but when? Her rear radar was,I believe, mounted on the rear rangefinder, above an in front of the X-turret. So WHEN was this picture taken which could lead to an impasse between A-3 and A-5. It's trivia like this that the Forum is built on - so over to You - learned fraternity!

[Erik E]

I once saw a listing of the codes used on each ship.
I think the (+F) could tell which ship it is.......

EE

[Percy Mandible]

varjag, Erik, I have another picture of one of these machines in front of me (this aircraft also suspended on a derrick). This is an Ar 196A-5 (it says) of 2/SA Gr 126 operating in the eastern Mediteranean in early 1944.
This aircraft also shows an 'F' after the balkancreuze on the fuse - this time a dark character on a pale flash. The underside of the port wing is also visible - there the 'F' is dark on a camouflaged background outboard of the balkancreuze.
Just more grist for the mill.

[Robert Hurst]

Hi Marcus

The Ar 196A-5 was equipped with FuG 16Z and FuG 25a (later supplanted by FuG 141) radio equipment, rearranged instrumentation, and better defensive armament, the single flexibly-mounted 7.9 mm MG 15 in the rear cockpit was replaced by a 7.9 mm MG81Z (twin mounting) with 2,000 rounds.

The top photo is of a Ar 196A-3 (T3+FM) of 4./Bordfliegergruppe 196 operating in the North Adriatic in the autumn of 1943.

The bottom photo is of a Ar 196A-5 (DI+FK) OF 2./SAGr 126 operating in the Eastern Mediterranean early 1944.

Both photos were taken from 'The Warplanes of the Third Reich', by William Green.

Regards

Bob

[Percy Mandible]

Thanks Bob. At this stage I think Marcus should be very happy with the response he got to his original enquiry.
I hear the weather has been nasty over there in England (snow in the south-east and -20C forecast for parts of Scotland). Here in central Ontario we are snow-covered and hovering around -4C.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; bumping this thread with an inquiry..............

Floatplane Ar-196 A-?? and where?

Source: German Arado Ar-196 Floatplane Sea Plane 8"x 10" World War II Color Photo 333. eBay Auction.

TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Reichskriegsgericht]

Floatplane Ar-196 A-?? and where?
TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

That should be a photo of an Ar 196 A-5 from 2.Staffel, Seeaufklaerungsgruppe 125 (7R+BK), taken in the summer of 1942, Suda Bay, Crete.

[tigre]

Thank you very much Reichskriegsgericht . Cheers. Raúl M .