Arado Ar 234 Blitz

The Arado Ar 234 Blitz was a WW2 jet bomber, which entered service with the Luftwaffe in September 1944. Although it had been conceived as a fast reconnaissance aircraft, it would officially be introduced as a bomber, being the first one in history of military aircraft to be powered by jet engines. 210 Blitzs were built in the Ar 234A, 234B, and 234C variants. It was a good design, with excellent handling and performance. However, many of them would be shot down by British Hawker Tempest fighter/interceptors.

The first prototype, the V2, flew for the first time on June 15, 1943. The V3, V4, V5, and V7 prototypes all flew in quick succession. The V6 and the V8 would be fitted with four jet engines and they would become the Ar 234C version. The mass production variant was designated Ar 234B. It carried out the first bombing raid on December 24, 1944. It was a successful air attack on Allies' munition and military equipment supplies located in Liege, Belgium. But the most important sorties took place during the Battle for Ramagen, in early 1945, bombing Allied troops advancing in a counteroffensive on the Ardennes. This German bomber would also fly missions as a reconnaissance aircraft.

Below, the Arado Ar 234B parked at a Luftwaffe airbase in late September 1944.

Technical Characteristics

The Arado Ar 234 was a large, twin-engine, shoulder-wing monoplane. The fuselage consisted of metal semi-monocoque structure covered by stressed skin, with 'top hat' section longerons being used. The wings were built around two main spars, which ran across the top of fuselage. These wing spars rested on a central box girder arrangement and were attached to upper fuselage longerons at four points.

The early Ar 234 prototypes were not fitted with conventional landing gear. They used a three-wheel trolley, which was jettisoned once the aircraft was 60 m off the ground. Later, the Ar 234B and 234C versions would be equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear. Two Walter rocket-assisted take-off units were fitted to the wings to improve thrust; these were dropped after climb out and descended to earth by parachute.

The Ar 234B version of the Blitz was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B-1 Orkan, axial-flow turbojets, with 1,975-lb-thrust. The Ar 234C was equipped with four engines. Flying in a straight line, it was fast, outrunning most Allied aircraft. However, it was hard to maneuver at slow speeds.

Specifications

Length: 12.64 m (41 ft)

Wing Span: 14.44 m (46 ft)

Wing Area: 27.3 m2 (294 sq. ft)

Height: 4.29 m (14 ft)

Weight: 5,200 kg (empty)

Power Plant: two 1975-lb-thrust, Junkers Jumo 004B-1 Orkan turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: 742 km/h (461 mph)

Range: 1,556 km (967 miles)

Ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft)

Crew:  1

Armament: two fixed, aft-firing 20-mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannons. Up to 1,995 kg of bombs.

Below, an Ar 234A taking off assisted by the two rocket units.

The Ar 234C version. You can see the four jet engines, two on each wing.

The Blitz bomber in 1945, after the war.