The need to be stored inside the submarine necessitated compromises in design that made this single-seat seaplane of little practical use.

Designed from the outset for use on U-boat "cruisers", like the Type XI B, the Ar 231 was a light parasol-wing aircraft.

The aircraft was powered by a 119 kW (160 hp) Hirth HM 501 inline engine, weighed around 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and had a 10 m (33 ft) wingspan.

For ease of storage, the Ar 231's wings featured detachable sections that two operators could remove in less than six minutes.

Moreover, U-boat commanders were reluctant to linger on the surface for launch and retrieval[1] and, as a result, development ended in favour of the Focke Achgelis Fa 330 gyroglider.