Arado Ar 234 Blitz

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War Documentary narrated by Alex Scott and published by Others in 1992 - English narration

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The Arado Ar 234 "Blitz" (or "Lightning") was part of the German success with turbojet development in the latter years of World War Two. The system was the world's first purpose-built jet bomber to ever enter service, and did so by 1944 with over 200 models produced by war's end.

The Ar 234 was of a basic design, though cutting-edge in many regards. Early developmental models were too skinny to accommodate any type of retractable landing gear system and thusly were fitted with a dolly that could be jettisoned during take off. This allowed a retractable skid to be deployed for landings. Multiple models were produced during the development of the Ar 234 including a four-engined derivative that would eventually be produced to some extent.

The system was a twin-engine high-monoplane design that placed the engines away from the fuselage. The cockpit was well-forward, providing a good amount of visibility while a single rudder assembly sat above the tail.

The Ar 234 series could be fitted with up to 4,400 lbs of internal ordnance and saw twin 20mm rear-facing 20mm cannons as standard. The cannons could be operated by the pilot through a periscope-type apparatus in the cockpit and was suitable - in practice - for engaging rear-approaching interceptors. Additional rocket-assistance could be mounted under the wings for better take-off capability (spent systems were jettisoned shortly after takeoff).

As turbojet technology improved, the pilot's ability to make a successful jump from a malfunctioning and fast-moving jet aircraft such as the Ar 234 became highly impractical. As such, development led to the first few instances of standard ejection seats being fitted into the cockpits. Early ejections seats were still a dangerous system so the safety of the pilot was still in jeopardy until he could be effectively removed from his aircraft as a safe altitude and his canopy parachute opened. Cabin pressurization and a powered tricycle landing gear were among the other technological advancements utilized in the Ar 234.

In the end, a multirole bomber, dedicated bomber and reconnaissance version all represented the Blitz. The system was put into service in 1944 as two evaluation models with 1 Staffel and utilized as high-speed reconnaissance systems. From there, full-production models in the form of the Ar 234B-1 came into the hands of Sonderkommando Gotz by September of '44. By December, B-2 systems were being used as dedicated jet-bombers in the Ardennes Offensives and would go on to see action in nighttime sorties as well.