The Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance aircraft built by the German firm Arado starting in 1936. The next year it was selected as the winner of a design contest, and became the standard aircraft of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) throughout World War II.

The plane was loved by its pilots, who found it handled well both in the air and on the water. With the loss of the German surface fleet the A-1s were added to coastal squadrons, and continued to fly reconnaissance missions and submarine hunts into late 1944. Two notable operations were the capture of HMS Seal, and the repeated interception of RAF Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bombers. Although it was no match for a fighter, it was considerably better than its Allied counterparts, and generally considered the best of its class. Owing to its good handling on water, the Finnish Air Force utilized Ar 196 solely on transporting and supplying special forces patrols behind enemy lines, landing on small lakes in remote areas. Several fully equipped soldiers were carried in the fuselage.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Arado Ar 196A-3 floatplane that was attached to 1./Bordflieger Staffel 196, then embarked upon the German battleship Bismarck during 1941. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-3/4-inches
Length: 6-inches

Release Date: February 2022

Historical Account: "In the Navy" - Embarked Air Group 196 (German: Bordfliegergruppe 196), was a unit of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) founded in 1937 and disbanded in 1945. Initially created as a group (German: Gruppe) composed of two squadrons (German: Staffeln), two further squadrons and a staff unit would be added as the group played a role in World War II, providing aircraft for service aboard the German Navy's surface combatants.

Formed from the 2nd Squadron of Coastal Reconnaissance Group 116, the 1st Fleet Air Squadron (German: 1. Flottenfliegerstaffel) was established on April 1st, 1936, at Norderney under the command of Captain Heinrich Minner. Initial equipment was the Heinkel He 60 biplane, though a number of elderly Heinkel He 42 aircraft were on strength for training use. Soon after establishment, the squadron was renamed the 1st Embarked Air Squadron (German: 1. Bordfliegerstaffel) and the following year it was again changed to Embarked Air Squadron 1/196 (German: Bordfliegerstaffel 1/196) upon assignment of the group identifier. 1937 also saw the squadron move to its permanent home at Wilhelmshaven, where it would remain for most of the war. During the war, detachments were sent to numerous locations throughout occupied Europe, including Aalborg, Brest, Drontheim, List auf Sylt, Palermo, Pillau, Schellingwoude, Stavanger, and Thisted. The squadron moved to Norway for a year and then to the Baltic coast later in the war.