Arado Ar 240 from Above |
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The Arado Ar 240 was a twin engine monoplane developed to use a system of advanced remote controlled guns, but which never entered full production and saw limited use as a high speed reconnaissance aircraft.
In 1938 Arado, DVL and Rheinmetall-Borsig combined to develop the FA-13 system of hydraulically powered remote controlled gun positions. This advanced system was tested out on the Messerschmitt Bf 110C-2/U1, and after the success of these tests the RLM issued a specification for a fast, twin-engined multi-purpose aircraft that would be armed with two FA-13s. Two new aircraft were proposed – the Ago Ao 225 and the Arado E 240, while Messerschmitt suggested using it in their Me 210.
Of these three designs the Ao 225 was rejected because of its drive system, which would have had the engine in the fuselage, driving propellers mounted in the wings, while the Me 210 was a generally unsuccessful design. This left the Arado design, which was designated as the Ar 240 and ordered into development.
Work on the Ar 240 was led by Ing Hans Rebeski. He produced a mid-wing two engined monoplane, powered by two 1,075hp Daimler-Benz DB 601A engines with annular radiators and a crew of two, carried in a pressurized cabin carried over the wings. The wings had a straight leading edge. The trailing edge had a straight inner section, and tapered in outside the large engine nacelles. It had a twin tail, with each version having some sort of air brake mounted at the tip of the fuselage behind the tail.
The first two prototypes, Ar 240 V1 and Ar 240 V2, were built to this design. However the FA-13 wasn’t ready, so couldn’t be used. Instead the V2 was built with two 20mm MG 151/20 in the nose and two 7.9mm MG 17 in the wings. V1 made its maiden flight on 10 May 1940 and V2 in July 1940.
The first two prototypes proved to be unstable in flight. As a result the third prototype, Ar 240 V3, was built to a greatly modified design. The cabin was moved forward to the nose. The fuselage was made 4ft 1.5in longer. The long tail mounted air brake (resembling a cone at the very tip of the tail) was replaced with a shorter cone shaped system with fins. The FA-13 was also ready, so V3 was given two systems, mounted on either side of the fuselage aft of the cockpit and each armed with one 7.9mm MG 81. V3 made its maide flight in the spring of 1941 and was an improvement over the first two aircraft, but still handled poorly. A number of changes were made to V3 to try and improve this, including changes to the ailerons. In the late summer of 1941 the aircraft went to 3./Aufklarungsgruppe in northern France for operational trials. This was a reconnaissance unit, so the FA-13 systems were removed and two Rb 50/30 cameras installed. The V3 proved to be a success in this role, with its high performance meaning it was able to safely carry out several missions over Britain.
Arado Ar 240 V4 was completed in mid 1941. It was given a tail mounted dive brake, and more powerful 1,750hp Daimler-Benz DB 603A engines.
Work them moved onto the first preproduction aircraft, Ar 240A-01 (V5) and Ar 240A-02 (V6). These were intended for use as reconnaissance aircraft. They were armed with two 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns in the wing roots and two 7.9mm MG 81 guns carried in each of the two FA-13 barbettes. They were completed in October 1942.
Ar 240A-03 (V7) was originally built with the 1,175hp DB 601E engines, but these were later replaced with two 1,880hp BMW 801TJ radial engines.
Ar 240A-04 (A-0/U1) and Aro 240A-05 (A-0/U2) made their maiden flights late in 1942, powered by 1,750hp Daimler-Benz DB 603A engines, but with no armament.
Ago was then given an order for forty A-series production aircraft, to be built at their Oschersleben factory. Work on tooling up for production began
Next to be completed were Ar 240B-01 (V7) and Ar 240B-02 (V8), prototypes for a proposed B-series. These were similar to the A-0, but were powered by two 1,475hp Daimler-Benz DB 604A engines. Both were equipped with MW-50 water-methanol injection systems to give temporary boosts of engine power. V7 was armew ith two fixed MG 17 machine guns and four MG 81s, two per FA-13. The V8 was similar, but with an additional rear firing 20mm MG 151/20 cannon. They made their maiden flights in October and December 1942 respectively.
Ar 240C-01 (V9) had a wing with a longer span and improved profile and was powered by two 1,900hp Daimler-Benz DB 603G engines.
Ar 240C-02 (V10) carried an extra pair of MG 151/20s under the fuselage, and was intended to be the prototype of a night fighter version.
Ar 240C-03 (V11) was similar to C-01.
Ar 240C-04 (V12) was a heavy fighter/ destroyer type.
Several versions of the aircraft were proposed for production. The Ar 240C-1 was to have been a destroyer, the C-2 a night fighter, C-3 a light bomber and C-4 a fast reconnaissance aircraft. The Ar 240D series would have been similar but with two 2,000hp Daimler-Benz DB 614 engines. The Ar 240E was to have been a bomber.
The Arado Ar 440 was a multi-purpose aircraft based on the Ar 240. Four prototypes were completed in 1942, powered by either two 1,900hp DB 603G or two 2,000hp DB 627 engines.
However the entire programme then came to an end, after it was cancelled by Erhard Milch in December 1942.
Although the programme had been cancelled, the existing aircraft were still considered to be useful. Ar 240A-01 and Ar 240A-2 were delivered to 13.(Zerstorer)/ JG 5 at Petsame in northern Finland, from where they were used to fly reconnaissance missions over the Murmansk railway.
Ar 240A-03 and Ar 240A-05 went to units on the Eastern Front, one to 3.(F)/10 in the north and one to 3.(F)/100 in central Russia (both reconnaissance units).
Ar 240A-02 was moved to 2.(F)/122 at Frosinone, south of Rome, in July 1943, but crashed when returning from its first operational mission and had to be written off. Ar 240A-04 then replaced it with the same unit, which was now based at Perugia, to the north of Rome. However this aircraft suffered from engine problems, and had to be sent back to Germany for repairs. A-02, B-01 and B-02 were then sent to the Eastern Front.
In March-May 1944 two Ar 240s were moved to France to try and take advantage of their high speed and allow the Luftwaffe to make successful reconnaissance flights over Britain. One went to the Sonderaufklarungssaffel of the Oberbefehlshaber de Luftwaffe in France, the other to 1./Versuchsverband Ob.d.L. However both disappeared after D-Day.
Arado Ar 240A-0
Engine: Two DB 601E engines
Power: 1,175hp
Crew: 2
Span: 43ft 9in
Length: 42ft 0.33in
Height: 12ft 11.5in
Empty weight: 13,669lb
Loaded weight: 20,834lb
Max speed: 384mph at 19,685ft
Climb Rate: 11min to 19,685ft
Service ceiling: 34,450ft
Max range: 1,242 miles
Armament: Varied
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe (Read Full Review)
Arado Ar 240 from the left 
Arado Ar 240 from the front