World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
5 Nov 2013 05:56:21 PM

ARADO Ar234 JET BOMBER:

ABOVE FILE PHOTO: Ar234 of Kommando Sperling?

The Arado Ar234 jet bomber carried bombs up to
1500kg on three hard-points Combination of weapons
were 1400kg, 1000kg, 250kg, 500kg cluster bombs
packed w/2kg anti-personnel bomblets. Self defense
was 2 x 20mm cannons mounted in the tail.
The Luftwaffe lost many Ar234's due to landing & takeoff accidents, shot down by Allied fighters or anti-aircraft fire both German & Allied, some were destroyed by retreating German forces others were captured due to lack of fuel.

NATCHTIGALL: TOO LATE, TOO FEW

Following the design of the Ar234 jet bomber,
Arado proposed to develop a night fighter version
called the Ar234B-2/N another crew member was the radar operator his position was behind the pilot, crammed in, where the cameras would normally be installed.
Thirty Ar234's were modified into night fighters and armed w/2 x MG 151 20mm cannons w/200 rpg
due to the canopy design, it wasn't effective due to the curved full-view that caused very serious reflection problems for the pilot.

WAR PRIZE: WHO GOT WHAT

After Germany's surrender the Allies captured as much German technology as possible among that treasure trove were Ar234's. The British captured
twenty of the aircraft, one fell into Russian hands, the USAAF received three with one going to the US Navy, but was never flown.

LAST OF ITS KIND:

One Ar234 exists today at the National Air & Space Museum, Washington D.C.

WAY, WAY OUT THERE:

Almost like science-fiction another novel idea was the proposed Ar E381 parasite aircraft that was to be carried under the engine nacelle of a Ar234 jet bomber. The design was so small the pilot had to lay in the prone position, armed w/1 x 30mm cannon or 6 x RZ65 or 73 spin-stabilized rockets.
Powered by 1 x Walther rocket engine after launch from the mother Ar234 the little fighter would attack Allied bomber formations, after the attack it would glide back to base land on a skid attached under the fuselage this was only a concept design and never went into a prototype stage.