Question on the Ar 234

[Beefcake]

Was the 234 a 4 engine jet German Bomber? I can't remember, the # but I know there was one. (watched it on the history ch) There where only 10 ever made, and there is only one left in the world today. Anyway just wanted to know.

That Beef guy.

[Nashwan]

Most 234s were twin engined, but there was a four engined variant, the 234C. No idea how many were made, but it never enterd service.

[Azrael]

The Ar 234 had usually two jet engines, but there were some pre-series types with 4 engines and a very small Ar 234 C series, 14 were built but never saw combat use.

 

 

Az

[jmccaul]

I thought they ran some recon missions?

[RAM]

 

Originally posted by jmccaul:
I thought they ran some recon missions?

Not exactly. Arado bombers didnt flew recon, ARado recon plane did.

Ar234A was designed as a dedicated recce aircraft...the develop as a bomber was the Ar234B with landing gear mounted internally (A versios used detachable trolley to take off and skies to land), and in some examples, with rearward firing Mauser Mg151/20 cannons.

[Nashwan]

Ar234s carried out a lot of bombing and recce missions, but the 4 engined Ar234C never entered service.

[Azrael]

Ar 234 A were prototype variants, partly 4-engined (V6, V8, V13) which had the start trolley. This wasn't a solution for front line units, so the B-Series was started.

Ar 234 B-0: Small series of 13 planes, similar to the projected A series but with retractable landing gear.

Ar 234 B-1: First true Ar 234 series, reconnaisance plane.

Ar 234 B-2: Bomber version, 2 rearward firing MG 151/20, max bomb load 1.500 kg

Ar 234 C-3: 4 engined bomber series, 2 fixed forward firing MG 151/20, 2 rearward firing MG 151/20, ETC 504 bomb racks.

Ar 234 C-4: Reconnaisance version of the C-3.

Some more variants were projected but the protoypes were destroyed at the end of the war:

Ar 234 C-5: 4 engined, 2 seater bomber.
Ar 234 C-6: 4 engined, 2 seater reconnaisance plane
Ar 234 C-3N, C-7, P: Night fighter

The only Ar 234 that was used as a night fighter was a Ar 234 B-1 which had a belly gondola with 2 MG 151/20. It shot down several heavies in the winter of 44/45.

Az

[fdiron]

The AR234 did fly recon missions.  One mission was flown over England.  I remember watching an episode of wings and a british pilot was telling about a 234 flying over England but they couldnt catch it.  An interesting fact about the AR234b is that it had a tank periscope mounted above the cockpit so the pilot could see what was behind his plane.

[HABICHT]

with using the arado234, the LW was possible
to fly recon missions over the allied landing
zone in france.
on flight offered the axis HQ more infos than all recon flights bevor.
with a flight of 2 1/2h he fotographed nearly
all of the allied forces at the normandy beaches.
THIS RECON MISSION WAS FLOWN ON 2.AUGUST'44.
bevor that date, german HQ HAD NO INFOS ABOUT
the allied troops landed in ther normandy.


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JG2 "Richthofen"

[This message has been edited by HABICHT (edited 05-21-2000).]