Arado Ar 234

E14887

The Arado Ar 234 was a German World War II jet-powered bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, notable as the world’s first operational jet bomber.

Aliases (2)
  • Arado Ar 234B ×1
  • Arado Ar 234C ×1

Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II aircraft
jet bomber
military aircraft
reconnaissance aircraft
aircraftCategory twin-jet aircraft
airForceBranch German Luftwaffe bomber units
German Luftwaffe reconnaissance units
armament bombs
defensive cannon (some variants)
cockpitType pressurized cockpit
conflict World War II
construction all-metal
countryOfOrigin Germany
crew 1
designer Walter Blume
developedFrom earlier Arado jet project concepts
engineType turbojet
era 1940s
firstFlight 1943
historicalSignificance pioneered operational use of jet propulsion in bomber role
introduced 1944
landingGear tricycle landing gear
manufacturer Arado Flugzeugwerke
maximumSpeed about 742 km/h
notableAs world’s first operational jet bomber
notableOperation reconnaissance over Allied beachheads in Normandy
numberBuilt about 210
numberOfEngines 2
operationalPeriod 1944–1945
originatedIn Nazi Germany
powerplant Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet
primaryUser German Luftwaffe
productionEnded 1945
propulsionLayout engines mounted in nacelles under wings
range about 1,500 km
role bomber
reconnaissance
serviceCeiling about 10,000 m
status retired
successorInRole early postwar jet bombers
tailConfiguration single vertical tail
usedBy Luftwaffe
usedFor high-speed reconnaissance
precision bombing
variant Arado Ar 234B
Arado Ar 234C
wingConfiguration mid-wing monoplane

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Arado Ar 234 ("Arado Ar 234B")
Arado Ar 234 ("Arado Ar 234C")
variant
Luftwaffe
usedAircraft
MG 131 machine gun
usedOnAircraft

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