Arado Ar 69

The Arado Ar 69 B V3 training, touring and sporting aircraft prototype D-EPYT, Werknummer 141, was photographed during its existence with a short vertical tail and the typical Arado taller rounded vertical tail, both positioned in front of the elevators. The Arado tail was designed to improve the aircraft's spin characteristics.

The Ar 69 was developed in parallel to the Focke-Wulf Fw 44. It's upper and lower wings were designed with a sweep of 10 degrees and a span of 9 meters. At slightly above 500 kilograms, the aircraft was very light. The Ar 69 A was powered by an Argus As 8 B in-line engine, while the Ar 69 B as shown here utilized a Siemens-Halske Sh 14 A radial engine. The aircraft was evaluated by Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH and E-Stelle Rechlin.

Only seven Ar 69s seem to have been built, the last one being delivered on 30 April 1936.

Top: Arado Ar 69 B V3 D-EPYT at the XIV Paris Air Salon, November 1934 (where it was displayed next to a Heinkel He 70). Note the short vertical tail. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Bottom: Arado Ar 69 B V3 D-EPYT with the taller vertical tail of typical Arado design. Aircraft also sports a different paint scheme than that of the short-tailed version. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)