Which fighter replaced the Arado Ar 65E?

Short answer

The Heinkel He 51: from 1935 it replaced the Arado Ar 65 as a front-line fighter. The He 51 had been designed to replace the Ar 65 and served alongside the somewhat later Arado Ar 68, which later replaced it in turn. The Ar 65 was downgraded to a trainer in 1935, and the Ar 65E and 65F passed to flying schools.

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

Which fighter replaced the Arado Ar 65E?

Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC

A fighter of the early Luftwaffe

The Arado Ar 65 was a single-seat biplane fighter conceived as the successor to the Ar 64. The first prototype, the Ar 65a, was built in 1931, followed by the Ar 65d. It equipped the Luftwaffe's fighter squadrons after Hitler came to power: it was its first front-line fighter.

The Heinkel He 51 takes over

From 1935, the Ar 65 was replaced by the Heinkel He 51. The He 51 had been designed precisely to replace the Ar 65, and it flew alongside the somewhat later Arado Ar 68. The He 51 itself was eventually replaced in turn by the Ar 68.

From fighter to trainer

In 1935, the Ar 65 was downgraded to the category of trainer aircraft. Production of the fighter version ceased in 1936. The Ar 65E and Ar 65F continued in service at flying schools even after the start of World War II.