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Arado Ar 234
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Arado Ar 234 aircraft originated when, in 1940, the Luftwaffe requested a speedy, jet powered, single crew airplane to be used for reconnaissance. Eventually it became the world's first jet powered bomber.
Arado Ar 234 prototypes first flew in June of 1943. These aircraft used skids instead of landing gear. They took off from a trolley that detached from the aircraft once it reached about 200 feet in altitude. A parachute was used to bring the trolley down gently so that it could be used again. However, it was soon realized that after landing the lack of mobility would be a great disadvantage especially after deployment.
That lead to all Arado Ar 234 production aircraft being equipped with landing gear. Rockets were attached to the aircraft for shorter take off runs.
Production Series B Arado Ar 234 aircraft had two engines They were equipped with ejection seats. A total of 210 were manufactured. A total of 14 four engine Arado Ar 234 Series C prototype aircraft were manufactured, but these never made it into service.
Early Arado Ar 234 missions were for reconnaissance, where their speed made them highly effective. Some were even tried as night fighters. However, it appears that dedicated night fighter aircraft equipped with radar were never produced.
The first of the Arado Ar 234 aircraft to be used on bombing missions flew in October of 1944. Initial missions were against targets in the Ardennes. In January of 1945 the jet bombers were heavily employed trying to disable the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen that was under American control.
A total of 224 Arado Ar 234 aircraft of all types were produced.
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Arado Ar 234 type B-2 Specifications |
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Primary Function:
Crew:
Engines:
Thrust:
Weight Empty:
Max. Weight:
Cannons:
Bombs:
Length:
Wingspan:
Max. Speed:
Climb:
Ceiling:
Range:
First Flight:
Year Deployed: |
bomber
one
BMW 004B
2- 1,962 lbs. ea.
11,450 lbs.
21,600 lbs.
2- 20 mm
4,400 lbs.
41' 5"
46' 3"
460 mph
1,250 fpm
32,800 feet
60 miles
6/15/43
1944 |
Arado Ar 234
 Chris Golds and his Arado Ar 234.
Pictured above is Chris Golds and his Arado Ar 234. It has a wingspan of 43" and weighs 34 ounces. Chris powers his Arado Ar 234 with four K&P 44 mm fan units. We were told that plans for the airplane were available through Traplet publications, but have not been able to find them.
The first picture below is of the Arado Ar 234 scratch built by Vincent Bonet. Wingspan measures 71". Vincent uses a pair of Kontronics 480/33 motors to turn the WeMoTec 68 mm mini fans of his airplane. The Arado Ar 234 fuselage is made from balsa and the wings are foam core. All up weight is 8 1/2 lbs.
The second picture below is of the Arado Ar 234 built by Bill G of RC Groups. Bill uses a Cox Airlifter wing measuring 35" on his RC Airplane. For power, Bill uses Feigo EDF 50 fan units. The airplane is made from foam.
Pictured next is the Arado Ar 234 scratch built by Toddi of RC Groups. It has
a wingspan of 57". There are four GWS EDF 55 fan units powering the radio
control airplane.
The bottom picture is of the Arado Ar 234 built by
Heiner of RC Groups. It has a wingspan of 80" and is powered by a pair of
HET2W20 motors. We don't know the length or weight of the airplane.
Do you know of a Arado Ar 234 that we should show on this page? If so, we would appreciate hearing from you.
Arado Ar 234
Vincent Bonet's Arado Ar 234.
Arado Ar 234
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Bill G's Arado Ar 234. |
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Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 built by Toddi.
Arado Ar 234
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Arado Ar 234
