How many pairs of wheels did the Arado Ar 232 have?

Short answer

Eleven per side: besides its main landing gear, the Ar 232 carried a set of eleven smaller, non-retractable twin wheels on each side, mounted along the fuselage's ventral centerline. The aircraft arose from a Reichsluftfahrtministerium competition in late 1939 seeking a Ju 52/3m replacement.

Published: November 2, 2026 · Updated: November 2, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many pairs of wheels did the Arado Ar 232 have?

Arado Ar 234 B-2 Blitz (Lightning)

An additional set of wheels under the fuselage

In addition to the main landing gear, the Ar 232 had an extra set of eleven twin wheels per side, smaller and non-retractable, aligned along the ventral centerline of the fuselage.

Where the aircraft came from

The Ar 232 emerged from a competition launched by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) in late 1939, seeking a replacement for the ubiquitous Ju 52/3m. Production of the BMW 801 was not enough to meet all expected demands, so Arado was forced to adopt an alternative engine. The choice was the 895 kW (1,200 hp) Bramo 323.

Production and final fate

Around 20 aircraft were built. Later, 10 more examples were ordered under the designation Ar 232B-0. Two Ar 232 B-0s were captured by British forces toward the end of the war. The Royal Air Force used them for a time on flights between England and Germany, still in 1946.