Arado Ar 80
Arado Flugzeugwerke · Germany · first flew 1935 · fighter
The Arado Ar 80 was a German single-seat fighter prototype of 1935 that competed unsuccessfully against the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the Luftwaffe's first modern fighter selection.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.3 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Inverted-gull low wing with elliptical planform on some variants
- Spatted fixed undercarriage on early prototype
- Single Jumo inline engine — lost to Bf 109 in fighter competition
Recognisable among 1930s German fighter prototypes by its inverted-gull wing arrangement, fixed spatted undercarriage, and the long Jumo engine nose — broadly similar in layout to the He 112 but with Arado's distinctive wing.
Specifications
- The Arado Ar 80 has a length of 10.3 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.89 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 415 km/h (258 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Walter Blume, the Ar 80 featured an inverted gull wing on early prototypes to accommodate the fixed, spatted undercarriage while maintaining ground clearance. Three prototypes were built, but the type was outperformed by the Bf 109 and Heinkel He 112, ending development.
Variants
Three prototypes were completed; the gull-wing was refined across iterations but no production followed.
Where you'll see it
The Ar 80 never entered service; it was eliminated in the 1936 Luftwaffe fighter competition.
Related aircraft
- Arado Ar 81
- Arado Ar 68
- Arado Ar 76
- Arado Ar 77
- Blohm & Voss Ha 137
- Breda Ba.65
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
- Curtiss P-36C Hawk
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