(Arado) Ar 234 Blitz @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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Arado Ar 234 Blitz

The Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) was the world's first operational jet powered bomber, built by the Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. In the field it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible to intercept.

In the autumn of 1940 the RLM offered a tender for a jet powered high-speed reconnaissance aircraft with a range of 2,156 km (1,340 miles). Arado was the only company to respond, offering their E.370 project, lead by Professor Walter Blume. This was a high-winged conventional-looking design with a Junkers Jumo 004 engine under each wing. The projected weight for the aircraft was approximately 8,000 kg (17,640 lbs). In order to reduce the weight of the aircraft and maximize the internal fuel Arado deleted the typical integrated landing gear and the aircraft was to take off from a wheeled trolly and land via retractable skids.

Arado estimated a maximum speed of 780 km/h at 6,000 m (485 mph at 19,685 ft), an operating altitude of 11,000 m (36,090 ft), and a range of 1,995 km (1,240 miles).

The estimated range was short of the RLM request, however they liked the design and ordered two prototypes as the Ar 234. The first two prototypes were largely complete before the end of 1941. However the Jumo 004 engines were not ready, and would not be ready until February 1943. When they did arrive they were only cleared for static and taxi tests, considered unreliable by Junkers to be used for in-flight use. Flight-qualified engines were finally delivered that spring, and the Ar 234 V1 made its first flight on June 15, 1943. By September four prototypes were flying. Of what ended up being eight prototype aircraft to be fitted with the original arrangement of trolley-and-skid landing gear, the sixth and eighth prototypes were powered with a quartet of BMW 003 jet engines each, the sixth having its engines housed in individual nacelles, and the eighth flown with them paired up in a single nacelle on either wing; the remaining ones were all Jumo 004 powered, with the V7 prototype destined to make history on August 2, 1944 as the first ever jet aircraft to fly a reconnaissance mission.

Arado 234B

The RLM had already seen the promise of the design and in July had asked Arado to supply two prototypes of a schnellbomber version as the Arado 234B. Since the aircraft was very slender and entirely filled with fuel tanks, there was no room for an internal bomb bay and the bombload had to be carried on external racks. The added weight and drag reduced the speed with a full bombload so a set of 20 mm MG 151 cannon was added to a rear tail stinger for defence. Since the pilot had no view to the rear they had to be aimed through a periscope mounted on the cockpit roof. The system was generally considered useless and many pilots had the guns removed to decrease weight.

The external bombload, and the presence of inactive aircraft littering the landing field after their missions were completed (as with the similarly dolly-geared Me 163) made the skid-landing system impractical, so the B version was modified to have tricycle landing gear. The ninth prototype, with radio code PH+SQ, was the first Arado 234B, and flew in March 10, 1944. The B models were slightly wider to hold the landing gear, and with full bombload the plane would fly as slow as 668 km/h (415 mph) at altitude. This was still better than any bomber the Luftwaffe had at the time, and made it the only bomber with any hope of surviving the massive allied air forces.

Production lines were already being set up, and twenty B-0 pre-production planes were delivered by the end of June. Later production was slow however, as the Arado plants were tasked with producing planes from other bombed-out factories hit during the Big Week. Meanwhile several of the prototypes were sent forward in the reconnaissance role. In most cases it appears they were never even detected, cruising around 460 mph at over 30,000 ft.

The few B's entered service in the fall and impressed their pilots. They were fairly fast and completely aerobatic. The long takeoff runs led to several accidents; a search for a solution lead to improved training as well as the use of RATO, or rocket assisted takeoff. The engines were always the real problem; they suffered constant flameouts and required overhaul or replacement after about ten hours of operation.

The most notable use of the Arado 234 in the bomber role was their use in the attempt to destroy the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. Between March 7 when it was captured by the Allies and March 17 when it finally collapsed, the bridge was continuously attacked by Arado 234's of III/KG 76 carrying 2,200 lb bombs. The aircraft continued to fight in a scattered fashion until Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Some were shot down in air combat, destroyed by flak, or "bounced" by Allied fighters during take-off or the landing approach. Most simply sat on the airfields waiting for fuel which never arrived.

The normal bombload consisted of two 1,100 lb bombs suspended from the engines or one large 2,200 lb bomb semi-recessed in the underside of the fuselage with maximum bombload being 3,300 lb. If the war had continued it is possible that the aircraft would have been converted to use the Fritz X guided bombs or Henschel Hs 293 air-to-surface missiles.

Overall from the summer of 1944 until the end of the war a total of 210 aircraft were built. In February of 1945 production was switched to the C variant. It was hoped by November of 1945 production would hit 500 per month.

Arado 234C

The 234C was equipped with four BMW 003A engines to free up Junkers Jumo 004s for use by Me 262. The utilization of four engines improved overall thrust, especially in take-off and climb-to-altitude performance. Additional airspeed was found to be about 20% faster than the B series and it had an increased range. Although Hauptmann Diether Lukesch was preparing to form an operational test squadron, the Arado 234C was not developed in time to participate in actual combat operations. There were two primary versions of the C, the C-1, a four-engined version of the B-1, and the C-2, a four-engined version of the B-2. At least seven other versions of the C were designed, or were in the planning stages before the war ended, these included bombers, armed reconnaissance, night-fighters and a heavy bomber. Fourteen prototypes of the Arado 234C, which included the C-1 and C-2 models, were completed before the end of the war.

Arado 234D

A two-seat aircraft powered by a pair of Heinkel HeS 011 turbojet engines. No D's were produced.

Arado 234P

A two-seat night-fighter version, differing in powerplant options and several options of radar. Several were in the planning stage, but none made it into production.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Arado Ar 234 of Wikipedia ( authors )

Arado Ar 234 Blitz

  • Role : Reconnaissance jet bomber.
  • Manufacturer : Arado Flugzeugwerke.
  • Designer : Walter Blume.
  • First flight : 15 June 1943.
  • Introduction : September 1944.
  • Status : Retired.
  • Primary user : Luftwaffe.
  • Number built : 210

    Specifications (Ar 234B-2)

  • Crew : 1.
  • Length : 12.64 m (41 ft 6 in).
  • Wingspan : 14.41 m (47 ft 3 in).
  • Height : 4.29 m (14 ft 1 in).
  • Wing area : 26.4 m² (284 sq ft).
  • Empty weight : 5,200 kg (11,464 lb).
  • Max takeoff weight : 9,800 kg (21,605 lb).
  • Maximum speed : 742 km/h (461 mph; 401 kn) at 6,000 m (20,000 ft).
  • Cruising speed : 700 km/h (435 mph; 378 kn) at 6,000 m (20,000 ft).
  • Range : 1,556 km (967 mi; 840 nmi) with 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb load.
  • Service ceiling : 10,000 m (32,808 ft).
  • Rate of climb : 13 m/s (2,600 ft/min).
  • Powerplant :
    • Two Junkers Jumo 004B-1 axial flow turbojet engines, 8.83 kN (1,990 lbf) thrust each.
    • Two Walter HWK 109-500A-1 Starthilfe liquid fuelled jettisonable JATO rocket pods.
  • Thrust : 4.905 kN (1,103 lbf) thrust each (optional).
  • Armament :
    • Guns : Two 20 mm MG 151 cannon in tail firing to the rear (installed in prototypes only; never used in military service).
    • Bombs : up to 1,500 kg (3,309 lb) of disposable stores on external racks.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Arado Ar 234 of Wikipedia ( authors )
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