The requirements was that it should be a rear-loading design and it had to be powered by two 1600hp BMW 801 A/B radial engines.
After the plans were examined, Arado's design was the most convincing one and was chosen, therefore three prototypes were ordered in 1940.
It was designed by Wilhelm van Nes, who chose an hidraulically powered clamshell doors on the rear bay with a ramp to allow cargo to be rolled into the hold. Tail control surfaces were placed on the end of a long boom, in order to keep the area behind the doors clear, so the load could drive right into the cargo hold.
It was also designed to be able to take-off from short runways, in fact 200 meters were enough and it also used some peculiar landing gear configuration. With various wheels placed in tandem configuration running under the main fuselage and a semi-retractable main front wheel, it could take off and land on rough terrains.
Normally it was operated by a crew of four, one pilot, one radio operator, one navigator and one loadmaster.
Due to the low supply of BMW 801, the Ar.232 was forced to use another engine, so it was fitted with two BMW Bramo 323 which also was powering the mighty Junkers Ju.200, and the first prototypes were built. The first ones, were tested in July 1941 and the front big wheel collapsed when landing, but the other smaller ones saved the aircraft from suffering any damage.
Further ten pre-production Ar.232A were built and it outperformed the Ju.52/3m in almost every aspect as it could cover much longer distances with the double amount of load, it could operate from short, damaged and rough runways and it even had faster cruise speed.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_232
2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=475
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