The cancelled, twin-boom Arado Ar E.340 was to replace the Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 217s medium bombers in service with the German Luftwaffe during World War 2.
Arado proposed the Ar E.340 for a German Air Ministry requirement during World War 2 calling for a twin-engined, medium-class bomber to replace the pre-war line of Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 217 bombers then in frontline service. The Arado submission offered the potential for multi-role airframe capable of level bombing, dive-bombing and Close-Air Support (CAS). While four prominent German aviation bureaus submitting their designs, the Arado contribution was selected for further development.
As conceived, the E.340 was to utilize a twin-boom, prop-powered layout with a centralized fuselage nacelle. Engines would be fitted at the front of each nacelle to contour along the wing leading edges. The aft portions of the booms would mount horizontal planes and vertical fins. There was no stabilizer plane between the two aft boom sections (as seen in the American Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter). Wings included reinforced roots inboard of each boom and sections found outboard. Consistent with the period, the leading edge was to be straight with the trailing edge angled forwards to the clipped wingtips. The operating crew was to number four with the cockpit at the front-most section of the fuselage nacelle, heavily glazed for optimal viewing. Armament was to include 3 x 20mm MG 151/20 series cannons with 2 x 13mm MG131 heavy machine guns. Also proposed were 2 x radio-controlled powered turrets (dorsal and ventral) and unknown armament to be fitted at each aft portion of each tail boom to protect the aircraft's critical "six". The bomb load (estimated) would be 13,000lb.
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Specifications
Arado Flugzeugwerke - Nazi Germany Manufacturer(s)
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