In 1938 the technical bureau of the RLM (acronym for Reich's Aviation Ministry) requested a naval trainer aircraft which could be used to completely train seaplane crews. The specification required a crew of three, a pilot and two students, plus full radio equipment which was placed at the very rear of the cockpit.
According to some sources, a total of 31 machines were completed, among them 5 prototypes and 26 series.
Initially, 65 machines were ordered on 10th January 1939, with the preliminary series, the "A" variant, consisting on 26 machines, the last four of them being manufactured in France. As the war necessities for fighters increased, the Ar.199 wasn't used as a trainer but, mainly, for sea rescue duties and, therefore, it was discontinued in favour of combat aircraft. Some Ar.199 were used by the 10. Seenotstaffel, which was a sea rescue squadron of the Luftwaffe based in Tromso and Kirkenes, in Norway.
The Ar.199 was a low-wing monoplane designed to be launched from a catapult and operated over water. Although similar to the Ar.196, it was developed on the basis of the Ar.79 and Ar.96 trainers. It was made entirely out of metal with wing ailerons covered in fabric.
It was equipped with two metallic floats which were designed for smooth handling when operating on water. It was powered by a single Argus As.410 engine which yielded 450 hp of power.
The third prototype, V3, was recovered from lake Wernj, in Finland in 1993/1994 and moved to the USA and later to Canada where it's in the process of being restored.
Sources:
1. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_199 (translated)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_199
3. https://www.valka.cz/Arado-Ar-199-Pantoffeltierchen-t57833
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