Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units

Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units
Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2020-09-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472844408

When the revolutionary twin jet-powered Arado Ar 234 first appeared in the skies over north-west Europe in the summer of 1944, it represented the state-of-the-art in terms of aeronautical and technical development. The Ar 234 was a formidable aircraft – powered by Jumo 004Bs, the same engine used by the Me 262, and with a maximum speed of 735 km/h and range of 1600 km/h, it was very difficult for the Allies to 'catch'. Here was a machine that with its superior speed could operate with impunity as both a bomber and in the reconnaissancerole. As such, the aircraft became the world's first reconnaissance jet, undertaking secret, high-speed, high-altitude observation missions for the German High Command over the Allied beachheads in Normandy and other Allied strongholds. Astonishingly, in September 1944 and as late as 1945, lone Ar 234s conducted reconnaissance flights over British ports and theMediterranean. The aircraft was equally efficient as a jet bomber – although the Ar 234B-2 bomber variant carried no defensive gun armament, it was able to deliver 1000 kg of bombs at high-speed and at either low- or high-level with considerable and devastating accuracy. This highly detailed title from renowned aviation historian Robert Forsyth explores the history of this incredible aircraft, from its development in the early 1940s to its deployment in both reconnaissance and bomber roles throughout the rest of the war. The masterful text is supported by stunning, specially commissioned artwork.

Arado Flugzeugwerke

Arado Flugzeugwerke
Author: Volker Koos
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2021-04-19
Genre: History
ISBN:

Founded in Warnemünde in 1925, Arado Flugzeugwerke developed civilian and military prototypes for the clandestine armament programme of the Reichswehr. From 1933 when licensed production of military aircraft commenced, the factory also built a number of their own designs. Best known are the training planes Ar 66 and Ar 96, the catapult floatplane Ar 196, and the record-breaking sport aircraft Ar 79. With the two- or four-engine Ar 234, the world’s first operational jet bomber was built. At the end of the war, Arado initiated the project of the first supersonic experimental aircraft. Arado Flugzeugwerke: Aircraft and Development charts the development of all Arado aircraft between 1925 and 1945, as well as the development and capabilities of the factory. It also gives an overview of the licensed-productions and other projects. The information in this book is based on original documentation, unpublished photographs and will rectify some of the speculation and fantasy that has been published about Arado Flugzeugwerke.

The Jet Race and the Second World War

The Jet Race and the Second World War
Author: S. Mike Pavelec
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2007-02-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 1573567191

In the 1930s, as nations braced for war, the German military build up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology. The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines. In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft. It was installed in a Heinkel-designed aircraft, and the Germans began the jet age on August 27, 1939. The Germans led the jet race throughout the war and were the first to produce jet aircraft for combat operations. In England, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart. The British came second in the jet race when Whittle's engine powered the Gloster Pioneer on May 15, 1941. The Whittle-Gloster relationship continued and produced the only Allied combat jet aircraft during the war, the Meteor, which was relegated to Home Defense in Britain. In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane. On October 1, 1942, a lackluster performance from the Bell Airacomet, ushered in the American jet age. The Yanks forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programs in development by the end of the war. But, the Germans did it right and did it first, while the Allies lagged throughout the war, only rising to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat. Pavelec's analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport.

Fighting Hitler's Jets

Fighting Hitler's Jets
Author: Robert F. Dorr
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2013-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1610588479

Fighting Hitler's Jets brings together in a single, character-driven narrative two groups of men at war: on one side, American fighter pilots and others who battled the secret “wonder weapons” with which Adolf Hitler hoped to turn the tide; on the other, the German scientists, engineers, and pilots who created and used these machines of war on the cutting edge of technology. Written by Robert F. Dorr, renowned author of Zenith Press titles Hell Hawks!, Mission to Berlin, and Mission to Tokyo, the story begins with a display of high-tech secret weapons arranged for Hitler at a time when Germany still had prospects of winning the war. It concludes with Berlin in rubble and the Allies seeking German technology in order to jumpstart their own jet-powered aviation programs. Along the way, Dorr expertly describes the battles in the sky over the Third Reich that made it possible for the Allies to mount the D-Day invasion and advance toward Berlin. Finally, the book addresses both facts and speculation about German weaponry and leaders, including conspiracy theorists’ view that Hitler escaped in a secret aircraft at the war’s end. Where history and controversy collide with riveting narrative, Fighting Hitler’s Jets furthers a repertoire that comprises some of the United States’ most exceptional military writing.

Arado

Arado
Author: Jörg Armin Kranzhoff
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
Total Pages: 174
Release: 1997
Genre: History
ISBN:

The Arado Flugzeugwerke devoted twenty years to making aviation history in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Within the pages of this book the reader will find the first comprehensive history of Arado, including many previously unpublished details about this little-known aviation company.

The Me 262 Stormbird

The Me 262 Stormbird
Author: Colin Heaton
Publisher: Zenith Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2012-05-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1610584341

The Me 262 was the first of its kind, the first jet-powered aircraft. Although conceived before the war, with the initial plans being drawn in April 1939, the Stormbird was beset with technological (particularly the revolutionary engines) and political difficulties, resulting in it not entering combat until August 1944, with claims of nineteen downed Allied aircraft. The performance of the Me 262 so far exceeded that of Allied aircraft that on 1 Sepember 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz remarked that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive. The story of how the Stormbird came to be is fascinating history, and it comes to life in the hands of noted historian Colin Heaton. Told largely in the words of the German aces who flew it, The Me 262 Stormbird provides the complete history of this remarkable airplane from the drawing boards to combat in the skies over the Third Reich. Features two forewords, one by Jorg Czypionka, Me 262 night fighter pilot, and another by historian and author Barrett Tillman.

Wings of the Luftwaffe

Wings of the Luftwaffe
Author: Eric Brown
Publisher: Crowood Press (UK)
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1993
Genre: Air warfare
ISBN: 9781853104138

At the end of World War II, Eric Brown had the extraordinary experience of testing no fewer than 55 captured individual German aircraft types. These ranged from such exotic creations as the prone-pilot Berlin B9 and Horten IV, the push-and-pull Dornier DO335 and the remarkable little Heinkel He 162 Volksjager, to the highly innovative combat types that were entering the inventory of the Luftwaffe shortly before the demise of Germany's Third Reich. Brown also interrogated many of the leading German wartime aviation personalities, such as Willy Messerschmitt, Ernst Heinkel, Kurt Tank and Hanna Reitsch. From this background knowledge of German aviation he has selected those he considers the most important, and presents detailed descriptions of their background and characteristics.

Arado Ar 234 A

Arado Ar 234 A
Author: John Richard Smith
Publisher: Specialty Press (MN)
Total Pages: 108
Release: 2006
Genre: History
ISBN:

The Arado Ar-234 was the first purpose-built jet bomber. Although the prototypes were completed largely by the end of 1941, delays in the supply of the engines meant that it was not until July 1943 that the type first flew. By the end of the war, more than 220 of the type had been constructed, although only a small proportion of these had actually entered service. The first of Midland Publishing's new 'Military Aircraft in Detail' series provides a detailed history of the development and operation of the Ar-234, supported by many photos, line drawings, and speciallly commissioned artworks. The camouflage schemes applied to the aircraft are also examined: many of the illustrations are previously unpublished, making the book an essential addition to the limited range of publications available on this important aircraft type. Aimed specifically at the aviation modeler and those interested in the history of the Luftwaffe, this first volume gets the new Military Aircraft in Detail series off to a good start and adds greatly to our knowledge of one of the most advanced aircraft which saw service during World War II.