| Ar 68 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Biplane Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Arado |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 514[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1936 |
| First flight | 1934 |
| Retired | 1944 |
The Arado Ar 68 was a single-seat biplane fighter designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Arado Flugzeugwerke. It was among the first fighters produced when Germany abandoned the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and began rearming.
The Ar 68 was a part of Arado's continuing fighter development programme, being designed during the early 1930s as a biplane of relatively standard construction. Both the Rolls-Royce Kestrel and BMW VI selected to power the type proved to be inferior in terms of high altitude performance to the newer Junkers Jumo 210, however, due to limited availability of that only, only late production Ar 68s were outfitted with this powerplant. In addition to its twin 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns, some aircraft were provisioned with a compact bomb bay. While the Ar 68 possessed favourable handling characteristics, some officials were concerned that the unforgiving nature of high-performance aircraft would make the aircraft unsuitable, allegedly nearly causing production to be terminated.
The prototype made its maiden flight in early 1934; Chief of the Technical Office Ernst Udet personally flew the aircraft, during which the competing Heinkel He 51 proved to be outclassed. During 1936, the Ar 68 entered service with the Luftwaffe; two years later, it was used by Condor Legion in active combat during the Spanish Civil War. In response to the Soviet Polikarpov I-16, Arado upgraded the engine of the Ar 68E, which was the Luftwaffe's most widely used fighter during 1937–1938. The type was eclipsed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109, a monoplane fighter, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War; however, it continued to be operated, mainly as a trainer, as late as 1944.