Ar 198

The Arado Ar 198 was a German single‑engine, low‑wing reconnaissance aircraft developed by Arado Flugzeugwerke during the latter part of World War II. Conceived in 1943 to replace the aging Henschel Hs 126, the Ar 198 first flew on 27 April 1944 and entered a brief evaluation phase with the Luftwaffe. Powered by a Daimler‑Mercedes DB 605A liquid‑cooled V‑12 delivering 1,475 hp, the aircraft could reach 570 km/h at altitude and carried a range of roughly 1,200 km, allowing deep‑penetration photo‑recon missions over enemy territory. Its compact airframe featured an all‑metal semi‑monocoque fuselage, retractable main gear, and a glazed nose cockpit that provided excellent forward visibility. Armament consisted of a single 13 mm MG 131 cannon in the nose for self‑defence, while camera bays accommodated up to four stereoscopic reconnaissance cameras. Although performance proved superior to its predecessor, production was halted in early 1945 because of dwindling resources and the shifting strategic situation. Nevertheless, the Ar 198 demonstrated the potential of high‑speed, single‑engine scouts and influenced post‑war designs such as the French Dassault Ouragan, cementing its place as a noteworthy, though rarely flown, milestone in aviation history. Today only a single prototype survives in the Deutsches Museum, where it serves as a tangible reminder of late‑war German aeronautical ambition.

Arado Flugzeugwerke

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Design & Classification