Arado Ar.96, Bulgarian users

 

The Arado Ar.96 was a German single-engined, low-wing monoplane made entirely out of metal which was produced by Arado Flugzeugwerke which was exported to various countries and also produced abroad.

The Royal Bulgarian Air Force bought twenty-four Arado Ar.96B-2 (though some sources claim it was a total of thirty-four - 3 Ar.96A and 31 Ar.96B) which were delivered in May 1940. They received the nickname of "Sokya" (Bulgarian word for jay - the bird- ) and were assigned to the Royal Bulgarian Fighter School for the advanced pilot training course. 

Among those 24 Ar.96 some of the were of the Ar.96B/MG category which featured a single defensive 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun in the rear. 

The Ar.96 served throughout all the war as the main trainer of the Royal Bulgarian Air Force with many additional one being captured as war prizes in Yugoslavia when Bulgaria switched sides in September 1944. Many other ones were captured in July 1945, just after the war, when Bulgarian troops left Austria. After the war, when Bulgaria became a communist country, the Ar.96 was still the main trainer serving with the 3rd (Advanced Training) Squadron at Telish, in Pleven, Bulgaria. Under this unit they received nine additional Avia-made machines, the Avia C.2 and they served as the main advanced trainer of both Royal Bulgarian Air Force, Bulgarian Air Army and Bulgarian People's Army Air Force until 1953 when they were replaced by Soviet types like the Yakovlev Yak-11 or the Yakovlev Yak-18.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_96

2. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/bulgaria/af/types/arado.htm

3. https://www.valka.cz/Arado-Ar-96-B-t6478

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_Bulgarian_military_aircraft