Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units

Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472844408
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
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 Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units

Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472844408
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Arado AR 234 Blitz: Volume 2

Author: Marek Murawski
Publisher: Monographs 3D Edition
ISBN: 9788364596650
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Tests with the Arado Ar 234 prototypes demonstrated that straight wings retained their good aerodynamic characteristics only at speeds below 800 kph. Near-supersonic flights demanded a completely new approach to wing geometry. On 9th December 1942 two Arado company engineers, Rüdiger Kosin and Walter Lehmann, patented a crescent shaped wing, which had its sweep and chord decreasing from root to tip. In mid-1944 Kosin decided to use his wing design on the Arado 234. Five variants of the wing were built, designated Versuchsflügel I through V, each differing in its sweep. Nevertheless, none of them was used in practice. The most advanced work on this project was carried out at Dedelsdorf airbase, where the Ar 234 V16 was being re-built as part of this research. The aircraft was destroyed in mid-April 1945 by advancing British troops as they captured the airfield.

Arado Ar 196 Units in Combat

Author: Peter de Jong
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472845005
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
Beating its biplane rivals in a 1936 Reich Air Ministry design competition, the Arado Ar 196 provided the Kriegsmarine with possibly the best shipborne reconnaissance seaplane of World War II. Replacing the Heinkel He 60 biplane as the standard catapult-launched floatplane embarked on the Kriegsmarine's capital ships, the Ar 196 flew an assortment of combat missions during World War II, including coastal patrol, submarine hunting, light bombing, general reconnaissance and convoy escort sorties. The first vessel to take its Ar 196A-1s to sea was the pocket battleship Graf Spee, which embarked two in the autumn of 1939. The battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz could carry six Arados each, the battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst four and smaller pocket battleships and cruisers two. Shore-based aircraft were also operated from coastal ports on the Channel, Baltic, North Sea and Bay of Biscay coasts, as well as in the Balkans and Mediterranean. In this title, supported by an excellent selection of photographs and full-colour illustrations, Peter de Jong explores the history of the Arado Ar 196, detailing their development and assessing the combat capabilities of one of the last fighting seaplanes.

B-57 Canberra Units of the Vietnam War

Author: T. E. Bell
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472800273
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Book Description
The B-57 Canberra was the first jet-powered American attack aircraft committed to the Vietnam War. Involved in day-to-day interdiction missions as well as in classified “black” missions and a starring role in Operation Rolling Thunder; the B-57 evolved to become one of the most valuable weapons in the USAF inventory. The B-57E was involved in the Patricia Lynn missions, parts of which remain classified. This book also fully documents the role of the Australian Canberra B-20 in working alongside the B-57. Featuring scores of previously unpublished photographs; the story of the B-57 is the story of the Vietnam War.

Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units

Author: Marco Mattioli
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178200808X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 96

Book Description
Italy's most successful wartime bomber, the S.79 saw combat with the Regia Aeronautica in France, Yugoslavia, Greece, North Africa, East Africa and in the Mediterranean. Initially developed as a transport, the aircraft evolved into a dedicated medium bomber during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The manufacturer then produced the S.79-II torpedo-bomber which entered service in 1939 – which primarily saw service against the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Illustrated with 30 full colour profiles of the main units that saw action with either the Regia Aeronautica or the ANR, this title is the first of two volumes to cover the development history and wartime performance of the S.79.

Fighting Hitler's Jets

Author: Robert F. Dorr
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
ISBN: 1610588479
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
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.

Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West

Author: Malcolm V. Lowe
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472854462
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Book Description
Using specially commissioned artwork and detailing technical specifications, this book explores the Bf 109's different roles occasioned by wartime necessity, from its employment as a fighter to its evolution as a fighter-bomber. One of the principal types in the Luftwaffe's inventory at the beginning of World War II, the piston-engined Bf 109 was central to the many initial victories that the Germans achieved before coming up against the unbeatable RAF during the Battle of Britain. Nevertheless, by the second half of 1940 the Bf 109's operability was widened due to operational needs and it was flown as a fighter-bomber for precision attacks in Southern England. At first ad hoc conversions were made 'in the field' to allow the aircraft to carry a bomb or extra fuel tank. Such modifications were soon formalised by Messerschmitt, which created the Jabo Bf 109s. Drawing from pilots' first-hand accounts, author Malcolm V. Lowe explores the number of specialised units, including Lehrgeschwader 2 and dedicated fighter-bomber sections of standard fighter units such as 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26, which flew this highly specialised fighter-bomber. Including technical specifications, rare photographs and outstanding artwork, this book explores the Jabo versions of the Bf 109E, F and G both on the production line and with the addition of Rüstsätze field conversion kits.

Me 210/410 Zerstörer Units

Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472829115
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
Intended as a progressive development of the twin-engined Bf 110 Zerstörer ('destroyer' or heavy fighter), the Me 210 first took to the air in September 1939. However, due to a lack of sufficient flight-testing before being declared service-ready, the Me 210 suffered from a less than satisfactory reputation in respect to its flight characteristics and weak undercarriage. After enhancements were made to the fuselage and wings, and the power of the plane was increased, the Me 210 became the Me 410 in late 1942. By this stage of the war much was expected of the two types, which were forced to fly in very dangerous skies over North Africa and in the defence of the German homeland. Both aircraft were deployed as heavy fighters, fighter-bombers, reconnaissance platforms and interceptors, seeing service with a number of different units. The Me 410 was fitted with 30 mm cannon, 21 cm underwing mortars and the colossal 5 cm BK cannon that was intended to pack a punch against the USAAF's four-engined bombers which threatened the Reich in large numbers from 1943 onwards. In this title, supported by contemporary photography and full-colour artwork, Robert Forsyth tells the complex story of the Me 210 and 410, detailing their development and assessing their capabilities as combat aircraft.

Arado Ar 234 Blitz

Author: Gustavo Urueña A
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781535308274
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 186

Book Description
Ar 234BThe RLM had already seen the promise of the design and in July had asked Arado to supply two prototypes of a Schnellbomber ("fast bomber") version as the Ar 234B. Since the original skid-equipped Ar 234A's fuselage design was very slender and entirely filled with fuel tanks, there was no room for an internal bomb bay and the bombload had to be carried on external racks.Since the cockpit was directly in front of the fuselage, the pilot had no direct view to the rear, so the guns were aimed through a periscope, derived from the type used on German World War II tanks, mounted on the cockpit roof. The defensive fixed rear gun system was generally considered useless and it was omitted in production examples of the Ar 234B, while still retaining the periscope for rearwards vision. The external bombload, and the aforementioned presence of inactive aircraft littering the landing field after their missions were completed (as with the similarly dolly/skid-geared Messerschmitt Me 163) made the skid-landing system impractical, so the B version was modified to have fully retractable tricycle landing gear, with the mid-fuselage very slightly widened to accommodate the forward-retracting main gear units, the nosegear retracting rearwards. The ninth prototype, marked with Stammkennzeichen (radio code letters) PH+SQ, was the prototype Ar 234B, and flew on 10 March 1944.