Arado Ar.234 B-2, B-2/N, C-3
Top Drawings No. 105
Author: Marek Rys
Kagero Books
ISBN: 978-83-66673-02-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 978-83-66673-02-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
As the first functional jet engines became available, the RLM published a requirement for a reconnaissance aircraft capable of long-range patrols over Britain, all the way to Scapa Flow.
The task to build the machine was given to Arado, who put Rudiger Kosin in charge of the design team. The initial E370 project was gradually tweaked and modified until it evolved into its final form as a single-seat aircraft powered by two jet engines in underwing pods, designated Ar-234.
In order to maximize the aircraft’s range, Arado’s design team embarked on a radical weight-shedding crusade. Among the components eliminated from the design was conventional landing gear, which was replaced with jettisonable three-wheel trolley used for take-off and retractable skids mounted under the fuselage for landings. These design features were incorporated into the first A series prototypes, powered by Junkers Jumo 004A engines.
Ar-234V-1 first flew on July 30, 1943. Soon, other prototypes joined the fighter test program, but the tests didn’t go smoothly as the engineers struggled with notoriously temperamental take-off trolleys. On October 1, 1943, Ar-234V-2 was lost in a fatal crash.
Even before the flight test program of the new aircraft had begun, the RLM tasked Arado with construction of a bomber version of the machine. This required significant changes to the basic design, first and foremost a larger fuselage. The take-off trolley, useless for a bomber-class aircraft, was replaced with a standard tricycle retractable landing gear.
The first prototype of the Arado Ar-234B was the Ar-234-V9, powered by Jumo 004B engines, which made its first flight on March 10, 1944. Not long thereafter the aircraft began trials inn full combat configuration. After the flight test program had been completed, the Ar234B-2 went into a full-scale production.
By the end of the war 238 examples of the machine had been built, most of which were used in combat – initially as reconnaissance platforms, later also in the bomber role. One of two examples of the machine were converted into night fighters, designated Ar-234B-2/N. Those two-seat machines were equipped with radar and featured a pair of MG 151/20 cannons carried in conformal ventral pods known as Magirusbombe.
The Ar-234C featured less powerful BMW 003A engines. Less thrust was supposed to be offset by a number of powerplants – four instead of two Early prototypes of that version were tested in two configurations : with four engines mounted in individual pods (Ar-234V-6) and two twin pods (Ar-234V-8). Finally, the latter configuration was adopted .
The first Ar-234C prototypes were essentially new engines mated to the B-version airframe. It wasn’t until the Ar-234V-19 was constructed that the final form of the aircraft emerge, featuring a new forward fuselage and cockpit. The machines were to be armed with four 20mm cannons in two sets – two forward-firing and two rear-firing.
However, rear-firing cannons were dropped in production aircraft. Only several examples of the Ar-234C-3 were built.
Ar-234D, Ar-234E, Ar-234P and other variants were designed for a variety of roles, never proceeded beyond the drawing board.
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope.
The text is multilingual in Polish and English.
The cover art has a dark-green background, with a white line drawing showing the bottom of a Ar-234. Overtop of that is two color side profiles that are repeated inside the book
The top one is overall dark-green, with a medium-gray bottom and yellow forward ends of the engines, white skeletal type German crosses on its fuselage sides and a white skeletal swastika on the rudder
This is an Ar-234C-3 version (W.nr. 250006 ) that was captured by U.S. troops at Munchen-Riem Airfield.
The lower profile is an Ar-234B-2 version (W.nr. 140131, F1+AA). It is overall dark-green with a medium gray bottom. The dark-green is covered with some waves of white winter white-wash water-soluble paint.
It was flown by Obslt. Robert Kowalski from KG76, during a mission against Ludendorff Bridge in Remegen in March 1945.
The first page holds the history of the Ar-234 over Kagero’s address in Lublin, Poland and the 2020 copyright date of the book.
The first page gives the history of the Ar-234 in Polish and English, over Kagero’s address in Lublin, Poland.
This is followed by 15 pages of line-drawings of the Ar-234 in 1/72nd and 1/38th scales.
In the center of the book there is two 6-views of the Ar-234’s already described above in the cover art description.
There are 4 loose line-drawing blue prints inserted in the book. One is to 1/48th scale and the other three are to 1 3/2nd scale. They are all printed on both sides and are in 15 ¾” x 23” format and folded 3 times to fit inside the book.
The face side of the 1/48th scale one shows a 4-view of an Ar-234B-3. The reverse side
The first 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a top and bottom view of an Ar-234B-2. The reverse side shows a 3-view of it and illustrations of the JATO (take-off assistance pods).
The second 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a 3-view of the Ar-234C-3. The reverse side shows a 2-view of a Ar-234B-2.
The third 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a 2-view of a Ar-234C-3. The reverse side shows another 2-view of it.
This is one neat book about this aircraft. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to build an Ar-234 and to aircraft historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be viewedon Casemate’s website at:
As the first functional jet engines became available, the RLM published a requirement for a reconnaissance aircraft capable of long-range patrols over Britain, all the way to Scapa Flow.
The task to build the machine was given to Arado, who put Rudiger Kosin in charge of the design team. The initial E370 project was gradually tweaked and modified until it evolved into its final form as a single-seat aircraft powered by two jet engines in underwing pods, designated Ar-234.
In order to maximize the aircraft’s range, Arado’s design team embarked on a radical weight-shedding crusade. Among the components eliminated from the design was conventional landing gear, which was replaced with jettisonable three-wheel trolley used for take-off and retractable skids mounted under the fuselage for landings. These design features were incorporated into the first A series prototypes, powered by Junkers Jumo 004A engines.
Ar-234V-1 first flew on July 30, 1943. Soon, other prototypes joined the fighter test program, but the tests didn’t go smoothly as the engineers struggled with notoriously temperamental take-off trolleys. On October 1, 1943, Ar-234V-2 was lost in a fatal crash.
Even before the flight test program of the new aircraft had begun, the RLM tasked Arado with construction of a bomber version of the machine. This required significant changes to the basic design, first and foremost a larger fuselage. The take-off trolley, useless for a bomber-class aircraft, was replaced with a standard tricycle retractable landing gear.
The first prototype of the Arado Ar-234B was the Ar-234-V9, powered by Jumo 004B engines, which made its first flight on March 10, 1944. Not long thereafter the aircraft began trials inn full combat configuration. After the flight test program had been completed, the Ar234B-2 went into a full-scale production.
By the end of the war 238 examples of the machine had been built, most of which were used in combat – initially as reconnaissance platforms, later also in the bomber role. One of two examples of the machine were converted into night fighters, designated Ar-234B-2/N. Those two-seat machines were equipped with radar and featured a pair of MG 151/20 cannons carried in conformal ventral pods known as Magirusbombe.
The Ar-234C featured less powerful BMW 003A engines. Less thrust was supposed to be offset by a number of powerplants – four instead of two Early prototypes of that version were tested in two configurations : with four engines mounted in individual pods (Ar-234V-6) and two twin pods (Ar-234V-8). Finally, the latter configuration was adopted .
The first Ar-234C prototypes were essentially new engines mated to the B-version airframe. It wasn’t until the Ar-234V-19 was constructed that the final form of the aircraft emerge, featuring a new forward fuselage and cockpit. The machines were to be armed with four 20mm cannons in two sets – two forward-firing and two rear-firing.
However, rear-firing cannons were dropped in production aircraft. Only several examples of the Ar-234C-3 were built.
Ar-234D, Ar-234E, Ar-234P and other variants were designed for a variety of roles, never proceeded beyond the drawing board.
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope.
The text is multilingual in Polish and English.
The cover art has a dark-green background, with a white line drawing showing the bottom of a Ar-234. Overtop of that is two color side profiles that are repeated inside the book
The top one is overall dark-green, with a medium-gray bottom and yellow forward ends of the engines, white skeletal type German crosses on its fuselage sides and a white skeletal swastika on the rudder
This is an Ar-234C-3 version (W.nr. 250006 ) that was captured by U.S. troops at Munchen-Riem Airfield.
The lower profile is an Ar-234B-2 version (W.nr. 140131, F1+AA). It is overall dark-green with a medium gray bottom. The dark-green is covered with some waves of white winter white-wash water-soluble paint.
It was flown by Obslt. Robert Kowalski from KG76, during a mission against Ludendorff Bridge in Remegen in March 1945.
The first page holds the history of the Ar-234 over Kagero’s address in Lublin, Poland and the 2020 copyright date of the book.
The first page gives the history of the Ar-234 in Polish and English, over Kagero’s address in Lublin, Poland.
This is followed by 15 pages of line-drawings of the Ar-234 in 1/72nd and 1/38th scales.
In the center of the book there is two 6-views of the Ar-234’s already described above in the cover art description.
There are 4 loose line-drawing blue prints inserted in the book. One is to 1/48th scale and the other three are to 1 3/2nd scale. They are all printed on both sides and are in 15 ¾” x 23” format and folded 3 times to fit inside the book.
The face side of the 1/48th scale one shows a 4-view of an Ar-234B-3. The reverse side
The first 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a top and bottom view of an Ar-234B-2. The reverse side shows a 3-view of it and illustrations of the JATO (take-off assistance pods).
The second 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a 3-view of the Ar-234C-3. The reverse side shows a 2-view of a Ar-234B-2.
The third 1/32nd scale one’s face side shows a 2-view of a Ar-234C-3. The reverse side shows another 2-view of it.
This is one neat book about this aircraft. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to build an Ar-234 and to aircraft historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be viewedon Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.