Germany's Arado Ar 240 reconnaissance, Arado Ar 240C-2 Night Fighter

Photos

Arado Ar 240 reconnaissance:

Arado Ar 240 reconnaissance:

Design

Arado started working on the E 240 project in 1938.¹ It was to have the latest technology by using aerodynamic devices, pressurization, and a tail mounted airbrake.¹ However instability of the aircraft plagued it throughout its development and operational career.³

The first two prototype, the Ar 240 V1 and Ar 240 V2, proved to be very unstable.¹ This lead to a redesigned prototype, the Ar 240 V3.¹

The Ar 240 V4 had the dive bombing equipment installed and proved successful, but it was thought that the reconnaissance version was more important.¹

The Ar 240 C-2 night fighter had remote controlled dorsal and ventral barbettes.^2,3 It used a FuG 202 Lichtenstein radar array.²

In December 1942 the program was halted.¹

Prototype

The prototype of the Arado Ar 240 was first flown on May 10, 1940.³ Over the next two years flight tests were conducted.³

There was one prototype, Ar 240 V10, built as a night fighter.² The prototype flew in the summer of 1943.² It was to become the Ar 240C-2 but it never was produced.²

Production

• Manufacturer: Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH³

Variants

• Arado Ar 240 V1, Arado Ar 240 V2: Initial unstable prototypes.¹
• Arado Ar 240 V3: Prototype without equipment for dive bombing.¹
• Arado Ar 240 V4: Prototype with dive bombing equipment.¹
• Arado Ar 240 V5: Became the preproduction Arado Ar 240A-01¹
• Arado Ar 240 V6: Became the preproduction Arado Ar 240A-02¹
• Arado Ar 240 V10: Night fighter prototype.² Became the Arado Ar 240 C-2.²
• Arado Ar 240 A-01: Reconnaissance.¹
• Arado Ar 240 C-2: Night fighter.²

Usage

The Arado Ar 240 V3 was used in high altitude and speed missions over England.¹

The Arado Ar 240A-01 and Ar 240A-02 flew missions over the Murmansk railway.¹

Specifications

	Arado Ar 2403	Arado Ar 240A-011	Arado Ar 240C-2
Type	Reconnaissance3	Reconnaissance1	Night fighter2
Crew	23
Engine (Type)	2: Daimler Benz DB 601E3	2: Daimler-Benz DB 601E1	2: Daimler-Benz DB 603A-22
Cylinders	V 123	I-12, inverted1	122
Cooling	Liquid3		Liquid2
Net HP	1,175 each3	1,176 each1	1,850 each2
Dimensions
Span	43' 9"3	43' 9"1 13.33 m1	54' 5 1/8"2 16.6 m2
Length	42'3	42'1 12.8 m1	43' 9.5"2 13.35 m2
Height	12' 11"3	12' 11"1 3.95 m1	12' 11.5"2 3.95 m2
Wing area		337 ft2 1 31.3 m2 1	376.75 ft2 2 35 m2 2
Weight
Empty		13,640 lb1 6,200 kg1	20,400 lb2 9,253 kg2
Loaded	20,834 lb3	20,790 lb1 9,450 kg1	28,300 lb2 12,837 kg2
Max overload
Performance
Speed @ 19,685' / 6,000 m	384 mph3		419 mph2 675 kph2
Speed @ 20,000' / 6,000 m		384 mph1 620 kph1
Climb		11 minutes to 20,000'1 11 minutes to 6,000 m1
Service ceiling	34,450'3	34,400'1 10,500 m1
Range	1,242 miles3		1,162 miles2 1,870 km2
Range with auxiliary fuel tank		1,240 miles1 2,000 km1
Armament	6: MG3
Nose		2: 7.92 mm MG 171
Barbettes		4: 7.92 mm MG 171
Forward firing			4: 20 mm MG 1512
Dorsal barbette			2: 13 mm MG 1312
Ventral barbette			2: 13 mm MG 1312