How long was the Arado Ar 231 supposed to take to assemble on a submarine?

The Ar 231 was conceived from the first sketch for use on cruiser submarines, such as the Type XI B, and was a light parasol-wing monoplane. That approach produced a simple, compact aircraft, able to fit inside a storage cylinder barely 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. To ease stowage, the wing had removable sections that two crew members could remove in under six minutes. The aircraft had a 10 m (33 ft) wingspan, weighed around 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and was powered by a 119 kW (160 hp) Hirth HM 501 inline engine.

Part of the testing was carried out on the auxiliary cruiser Stier, which carried two of the six prototypes on a voyage. The trials soon revealed that the Ar 231 was fragile, underpowered, and difficult to fly even in calm weather.

Submarine commanders were reluctant to stay on the surface long enough for the aircraft's launch and recovery. Development ended in favor of the Focke Achgelis Fa 330.