Arado Ar.96 - French Users

 

The Arado Ar.96 was a German single-engined monoplane made entirely out of metal which was used by the Luftwaffe and many other users around the world, among them, France.

In 1945, just after the war, the British Forces in Germany donated to the new re-established French Air Force a number of Arado Ar.96B to serve them as trainers. 

They were flown from Germany by French pilots before being reconditioned at Leck, Germany. 

In 1946 ninety were officially accepted into the École de pilotage de l'Armée de l'Air (French Air Force's Pilot School) at Cognac, close to Bordeaux. Due to mechanical failures, accidents and so on, by 1947 fifty-four of them were still active and around 19 in 1949. They were gradually withdrawn and replaced in their same role by better types, like the French-made SIPA S.10, together with other American or British-made trainers, like the North American T-6 or the Miles Master, among others.

Sources:

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

2. https://scalemodel.forumactif.org/t4649-arado-ar-96-b-1-armee-de-lair (translated)

3. https://www.traditions-air.fr/texte/article_ecole_air_gal_grigaut.htm (translated)