Arado Ar-234 C-3, Luftwaffe April 1945 (III./ EKG 1)

[nönöbär]

Arado Ar-234 C-3

The Plane:

The Arado Ar-234 C-3 was the last production variant of the Arado 234 jet bomber. Equipped with four Junkers Jumo 004B-1 engines, this plane was said to reach speed up to 900 kph, which was  more than 150 kph faster than its two engined sister.
In reality, only three of those planes were build and did not see any operational usage. But in the what-if world, things are different ...

In April 1945, the exiting Ar-234 C-3 were converted as V1 carriers for airborn V1 launches. As the infrastructure of the V! launch pads was destroyed at this time, airborne launches were the only chance to get the V1 into the air.
For takeoff, solid boosters were required to bring the additional weight of the V1 into the air. By the end of the war, only very few missions of this kind were flows and the remaining Ar 234-C3 were destroyed before being captured by American troops. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Arado 234 C-3



Arado 234 C-3 preparing for a V1 deployment mission









The Model:
This is a quite old 1:72 Revell kit. I doubt that with the V1, drop tanks, and bomb load, it would be able to fly at all, but it looks cool
Airbrushed with Revell Aqua Color, the decals are from the original model.

[Gondor]

I agree about carrying the bomb as well as the V1.

Nice build of that old kit 

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

It's even older than it looks as it was a FROG kit originally.

You've made a super job of such an ancient moulding nonobar. 

[dumaniac]

nice build - nice doirama

[nönöbär]

Would the V-1's pulsejet cause damage to the Arado's fin when it's started

I don't know... so lets think that the V1's engine is started after it is launched form the Arado. Would be at least better for the pilot.

[zenrat]

Very good.
I've seen pics of He 111s with a V1 tucked under a wing.  Did they ever actually air launch any?

[PR19_Kit]

Would the V-1's pulsejet cause damage to the Arado's fin when it's started

The RW proposal had two long hinged arms that lifted the V1 well above the Ar234's fuselage before launch so the pulse jet exhaust was above the fin. I have an idea that the arms are in the kit but moulded in their fully retracted position.

I've seen pics of He 111s with a V1 tucked under a wing.  Did they ever actually air launch any?

They did, the world's first air launched cruise missile even. When the Northern France sites were over-run after D-Day the Luftwaffe flew the He111/V1 combos from airfields in Holland and launched them over the North Sea.

[Mossie]

Would the V-1's pulsejet cause damage to the Arado's fin when it's started

The RW proposal had two long hinged arms that lifted the V1 well above the Ar234's fuselage before launch so the pulse jet exhaust was above the fin. I have an idea that the arms are in the kit but moulded in their fully retracted position.

I've seen pics of He 111s with a V1 tucked under a wing.  Did they ever actually air launch any?

They did, the world's first air launched cruise missile even. When the Northern France sites were over-run after D-Day the Luftwaffe flew the He111/V1 combos from airfields in Holland and launched them over the North Sea.

Some landed in our wider local area (at least one military target was hit, a Halifax at RAF Pocklington).  From what I can gather, air launch of the V1 was even more indiscriminate than ground launch and there was a lengthy procedure that left the aircraft vulnerable.  Failure rate was high and there was a good chance that the missile would blow up on launch and destroy the carrying aircraft.

[comrade harps]

Nice doing. Looks the goods. 

Sometimes been tempted to do a USAF or USMC Mitchell with a US-built V-1 up top against Japan (the twin fins keeping the tail out of the way of the jet exhaust).

[sandiego89]

Well done, agree that is a great result with an old kit.   

[Captain Canada]

Very nice ! Lovely subject put into an interesting setting. Love looking at this one. I'd appreciate a few more pics too ! Seems there's always something new to see every time I look 

[NARSES2]

I've seen pics of He 111s with a V1 tucked under a wing.  Did they ever actually air launch any?

Quite a lot were aimed at Antwerp as well as the UK. If I recall correctly Antwerp was target by more V1's then the UK in total. An aunt's AA unit was one of the batteries sent over from the UK and I think this was the first time women had been sent overseas in a combat unit.