The Ago Ao 192 ''Kurier'' was a small German twin-engined aircraft designed and built by

AGO Flugzeugwerke AGO Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company from 1911 until 1945. The initials AGO had a variety of meanings (such as ''Aktiengesellschaft Otto'') during the company's lifetime, but in its final version stood for ''Apparatebau Gmb ...

in the 1930s. A small production run of six aircraft followed three prototypes, these being used as transports.

Development and design

The AGO Flugzeugwerke was re-established at Oschersleben in 1934, with its first design a multi-purpose light-twin-engined aircraft offered against the same requirement for a light aircraft that produced the Gotha Go 146 and Siebel Fh 104.Smith and Kay 1972, p.578. AGO's design, the Ao 192, was a low-winged cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction. Its monocoque fuselage accommodated a crew of two pilots who sat side by side in an enclosed flight deck, while there were seats for five passengers in a separate cabin. It was powered by two 179 kW (240 hp) Argus As 10 and had a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The first

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

made its maiden flight in mid-1935, soon being followed by a second aircraft, similar to the first. A third prototype, with a deeper fuselage allowing an additional passenger to be carried, more powerful engines and a revised undercarriage, formed the basis for the planned Ao 192B civil transport, with versions planned to serve as light transports, ambulance aircraft and survey aircraft. In addition, a number of military variants were proposed, including a light reconnaissance aircraft and a light bomber. AGO had large orders for licence-built aircraft for the Luftwaffe however, with much of their wartime work involved with

Focke-Wulf Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG () was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It is one of the ...

, and only six AGO production aircraft could be built.

Operational history

The six production aircraft were acquired by the German state, with one being used as the personal transport of Dr Robert Ley, the head of the

Reichsarbeitdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with ...

, while others were used as transports by the Waffen-SS and at the test-centre at Rechlin.

Variants

;Ao 192 V1 :First prototype. Argus As 10 C engines. ;Ao 192 V2 :Second prototype, revised, braced, tailplane. ;Ao 192 V3 :Third prototype. Argus As 10E engines, revised fuselage and undercarriage. ;Ao 192B :Production series based on V3. Six built.

Specifications (Ao 192B)

Notes

References

* *"Plane Facts". ''

Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...

'', June 1977, Vol 12 No 6. p. 306. *Smith, J.R. and Kay, Antony J. ''German Aircraft of the Second World War''. London: Putnam, 1990. .

External links

AGO Ao 192

- In Polish {{RLM aircraft designations 1930s German civil utility aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1935 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Ao 192