This design for a heavy fighter originates from 1937/1938. The fuselage was cigar-shaped, with the broad elliptical wings being mounted low on the fuselage. Although it looked as if there were two engines, one on each wing leading edge, this was not the case.  A very novel feature for the E.561 was the way the engines worked. The engines were to be mounted in the wing root junction with the fuselage, and the four-bladed, variable-pitch propellers were driven by a shaft. The reason behind this design was that if one engine failed, then the other engine could drive both propellers at half speed. Another advantage was that the aircraft could have a sleeker design with the engines buried in the fusleage-wing junction. Two annular radiators were located on the front of the small propeller nacelles. The tail consisted of a horizontal tailplane, with two small fins and rudders located on the ends. The main landing gear rotated 90 degrees and retracted to the rear, and the tail wheel could be retracted as well. A four man crew was chosen: a pilot and co-pilot sat side-by-side, a rear gunner sat behind them and a final crewman manned the rear gun in the lower rear fuselage. Armament was to consist of four cannon in the fuselage nose, and twin machine guns in the rear of the cockpit canopy and in the lower rear fuselage. The Arado Ar E.561 never progressed past the initial design stage, probably due to the complicated engine and gearing arrangement.