Arado 234 Blitz Luftwaffe jet bomber of ww2

[SignorThomasino]

Some parts were manufactured in Chotzen/Protektorat B u M. (former Benes-Mraz factory) Some sources say, that germans manufactured there some parts for A4 rockets too. Usually they ran manufacturing of Fi 156 Storch and DFS Kranich.

[anisocoro]

The idea is good, a bomber whose best defence is speed rather than-unuseful- gun machines,but in order to achieve enough range Ar234 needed so much fuel that there was nearly no room for ammunition

[shnurf1971]

actually...................... the Ar 234 prototypes DID have a trolley!! and in fact the first operational use of the Ar234 was used with a prototype using the trolley... first ever jet photo reconnisance mission over the normany beach heads

[EvilxMerlin]

@shnurf1971

Thats correct the first 8 of them all were trolly launched. Not until the B model did the 234 have retracts.

[safetychoice]

Very interesting. Thank you. My understanding was that the four engine version was powered by BMW engines due a shortage of the Junkers JUMO 004. The usually brilliant German engineers showed little imagination in designing the undercarriage. Compare this to the B 47 landing gear. An even better solution would have been to rotate the gear 90 degrees prior to retraction, thus enabling internal storage with a wider track.

[EvilxMerlin]

@safetychoice

Not quite the move to the BMW's was to free up the Jumo's to be dployed only in the Me 262 which was a priority.

[BeorhtFrognostic]

Good video.

[49bobbyk]

German designers were years ahead of the Allies. One thing about the 234 was that the landing gear arrangement should have been ironed out much sooner. German jets make the British Meteor and the American jets look like toys.

[GAGE1959]

The 234 didn't have a trolly setup, the me-163 did.

[spottydog4477]

@GAGE1959 hey there,, thanx for writing....you kinda right....in that the first 234's did have trollies,, however all the later variants had the classic retractable undercarts..cheers!

[powndpuppy]

@GAGE1959 this is an amazingly ignorant comment, since the movie just showed the Arado with a trolley

[toddi1971]

My information is, that the takeoff with trolley attached was an accident and not intended.