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. 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. 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. The 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. It was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to fly over Britain Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible to intercept.
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber.īuilt by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II.
