Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Vruth on April 15, 2001, 12:30:00 PM
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I love the Arado. What a plane - excellent work.
Here is a snippet out of Weapons and Warfare - Vol 2. p.136-138
The first prototype flew at Rheine on June 15, 1943, taking off from a tricle trolley, which was cleanly released at 60m (200ft) altitude, and landing on skids under the bellw and the engine nacelles housing the early Jumo 004B-0 turbojets. Extensive development led first ot a self-braked trolley that was left on the ground and finally to a conventional tricycle landing gear retracting into the fuselage.
By June 1944, the pre-production 234B-0 Blitz (Lightning) was rolling off the line at AltLonnewitz, with two 900-kg (1980-lb) thrust Jumo 004B-1 turbojets , rocket takeoff boost, and systems and equipment outstandingly advanced and often unlike anything previously used.
(snip)
Main production centered on the fully equipped B-2, built in several bomber, reconnaissance-bomber and pathfinder/marker versions. This had two nacelle attachments for up to 2000kg of bombs, and was equipped with a BZA attack computer, PDS autopilot and Lotfe 7k tachymetric bomb sight. Two 20-MM MG-151 cannons were fixed in the rear fuselage firing aft, with periscopic sighting.
During the Ardennes 'Battle of the Bulge' the Strabssteffel of KG76, under the great ace Robert Kowaleski, became the first jet-bomber unit in history. Other units of KG76 fought bitterly whenever they had fuel, their climax being the ten-day no-stop (and often suicidal) low-level attacks on the Remagen bridge with 1000-kg bombs which finally succeeded in destroying the bridge on March 17, 1945. There were many other semi-experimental AR 234B units, and numerous four-engined Ar 234C and other developments.
The Ar 234C-3 four-enginged production version of the Blitz retained the 789kg thrust BMW 003A-1 axial-flow turbojets introduced on the C-1. Unlike the C-1, a purely reconnaissance type, the C-3 was suitable for use as a bomber, night fighter or ground attack aircraft. Four MG151 cannons were carried in a ventral pack, two firing forward and two aft. Up to 1500kg of bombs could be carried.
Interesting stuff. Will the Arado ever have the 2 MG151's it is suppose to have HT/Pyro?
Vruth
[This message has been edited by Vruth (edited 04-25-2001).]
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Well vruth, this has been asked more than once and the answer is that it's very hard to do the periscope, and it just adds more weight to the thing. Personally i'd rather be faster, and lighter, but in a couple of months i hope to see it (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif).
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If it's added, I hope it's an option. I'd prefer to fly without it and it's extra weight. When a con gets anywhere near me when I'm in an Arado, I want to concentrate on escape, not manning the guns (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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Superfly said he was having too much trouble getting the periscope to work, so they dumped it. He also said that it might be added if they can work the kinks out of it. Provided, of course, they've set aside the time to tackle it.
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Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta Six's Flight School (http://www.worldaccessnet.com/~delta6)
Put the P-61B in Aces High
"For yay did the sky darken, and split open and spew forth fire, and
through the smoke rode the Four Wurgers of the Apocalypse.
And on their canopies was tattooed the number of the Beast, and the
number was 190." Jedi, Verse Five, Capter Two, The Book of Dweeb
(http://www.worldaccessnet.com/~delta6/htbin/delta6.jpg)
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Originally posted by SOB:
If it's added, I hope it's an option. I'd prefer to fly without it and it's extra weight. When a con gets anywhere near me when I'm in an Arado, I want to concentrate on escape, not manning the guns (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
guns would be useful to drain E from enemy..
They wouldnt want to approach slowly on your 6 anymore when there would be 2 cannons facing at them.
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We've got external view. Thats good enough for a periscope view.
I don't think you need the guns though.
Hans.
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Besides most Ar234s had the guns removed in service. They weight saving was worth more than what little use the guns provided in defense.
Pei
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We're fighting for this woman's honour, which is more than she ever did.
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hmmm
silly rear guns...
Or HT spends the time implementing something usefull...
Like a new armour system.....
If your not untouchable in an ardo your using it wrong.
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I would like to see the MG's too. But if they add them I believe the periscope must be working and NO external views for the Arado.
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Chuck Perry
"Sky61"
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I take it to be of interest that the history never mentions those rear guns making a kill. I seem to recall that Annie Oakly made alot of money being able to shoot something using a mirror. They called it Trick Shooting and it was with a static target and shooter and with a gun she could AIM. If the gun was sticking out her, um back pocket, and she had to move her derriere to aim it U suspect she would not have been so famous. Fixed weapons being targeted with a mirror, and directed by moving the direction of the plane in opposition to the direction of the guns would be impossible to use with any effectiveness. I suspect these things never put a round anywhere near an opponent which is why they took them out to save weight and fuel. Useless gimmickry. As for the difficulty of using the scope/mirror, umm grab the system Air Warrior uses for the Spit fire mirror view, how hard can that be if they did it?
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I agree with Pongo - the Ar234 is untouchable if used carefully.
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yello1,
i'll admit that it would be no easy 'trick' aimming a fixed, rear firing gun. but the 'mirror' is a non-issue. a periscope has 2 mirrors(the second inverting the image again, back to normal) so aiming behind you in a perisope should be no harder than aiming in a rear-facing seat.
[This message has been edited by capt. apathy (edited 04-23-2001).]
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Just as an aside, the developers of Wing Commander didn't seem to have a problem with implementing a rear-facing camera.
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qts
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During the Ardennes 'Battle of the Bulge' the Strabssteffel of KG76, under the great ace Robert Kowaleski, became the first jet-bomber unit in history. Other units of KG76 fought bitterly whenever they had fuel, their climax being the ten-day no-stop (and often suicidal) low-level attacks on the Remagen bridge with 1000-kg bombs which finally succeeded in destroying the bridge on March 17, 1985. There were many other semi-experimental AR 234B units, and numerous four-engined Ar 234C and other developments.
Go Robert go!
Its bithard to believe it took 40 years to know out that bridge...
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jochen / Gefechtsverband Kowalewski
Units: I. and II./KG 51, II. and III./KG 76, NSGr 1, NSGr 2, NSGr 20.
Planes: Do 17Z, Ju 87D, Ju 88A, He 111H, Ar 234A, Me 410A, Me 262A, Fw 190A, Fw 190F, Fw 190G.
Sieg oder bolschevismus!
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why not give ar234 a normal rear firing position(say looking back from periscope position) but reverse the controls so its very difficult to use? this would simulate the mirror/periscope.
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Hazed
3./JG2 (http://members.home.net/winyah999/3jg2.htm)