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Arado E.381

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Arado Ar E.381
An Arado Ar E.381 suspended under the belly of the Ar 234 mother ship.
An Ar E.381 prototype is suspended under the belly of an Ar 234 mother ship.
Role Parasite fighter
National origin Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Manufacturer Arado
Status Cancelled
Primary user Nazi Germany Nazi Germany

The Arado Ar E.381 was a miniature fighter aircraft (German: Kleinstjäger) conceived by Arado Flugzeugwerke in December 1944 for the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. The craft was powered by the Walter HWK 109-509 rocket engine[1] after being carried aloft by its Arado Ar 234 mother ship.[2] Its intended usage was the interception of heavily armed American and British bombers after closing the firing distance to a minimum, thus increasing odds of hitting the target.[3] To enable survival of the interceptor in close pursuit, the E.381 was designed to have the narrowest frontal cross-section possible. According to Arado, the E.381 fuselage had a cross-section of 0.45 square metres (4.8 sq ft), or one-quarter of the cross-section of Messerschmitt Bf 109.[4].

The fighter's fuel capacity was sufficient for only two target runs, after which the pilot had to glide back to the ground and land on skids in unpowered flight.[1] The project continued until the end of the war, but was eventually cancelled due to the collapse of the Third Reich.[5]

Development

Near the end of World War II, the German aircraft manufacturers Arado, BMW, Gotha, Heinkel, Henschel, and Zeppelin submitted design proposals for small rocket- or jet-powered aircraft intended for pursuit or ground attack duties.[3] All these proposals exploited the Nazi concept of "gaining a tactical advantage by placing excessive stress on the man in cockpit".[3] The level of g-forces envisioned in these proposals was feasible for aircraft structures but exceeded human capabilities. The designers attempted to alleviate this constraint by placing the pilot in prone position, which increased sustainable g-force limit.[3] This also allowed a reduction in fuselage size, weight, and drag. A smaller cross-section also decreased the odds of being hit by enemy gunners, and Arado exploited this opportunity to the fullest. According to their "specific design philosophy",[3] the interceptor was designed to fly close to bomber formations and open fire from its MK 108 cannon at point-blank range.[3]

The E.381 had its beginnings in a proposal from Arado Flugzeugwerke to the Air Ministry for a parasite fighter to destroy Allied bombers. The Arado Ar E.381/I, Arado Ar E.381/II, and Arado Ar E.381/III were the three versions of the E.381. Each version was essentially an armoured tube provided with armament and a rocket engine for power. The fuel tank capacity was sufficient for two approaches to the target; the ammunition was limited to forty-five 30 mm (1.2 in) rounds.[3] After an attack the fuel was exhausted and the pilot had to glide back to the ground, deploy the drogue parachute, and land the aircraft on its primitive skid landing gear.[3] While prototypes were designed and conceived in 1944, full production of the aircraft was cancelled before any could be used on the battlefield.[6]

Variants

Arado Ar E.381/I

The first version, the Arado Ar E.381/I, had a fuselage with a circular cross-section and a small round window in the nose for pilot vision. Almost all of the fuselage was protected by a 5 mm (0.20 in) armoured shell. The pilot would lie in in a prone position in the very cramped cockpit. A removable 140 mm (5.5 in) bullet-resistant glass screen was mounted in front of the pilot. Two small bulges were located on the sides of the fuselage for the pilot's elbows. Surrounding the pilot were three C-Stoff tanks, with the T-Stoff tank in the center section between the pilot and the engine. The wings were straight, with a stepped bulge above the wings to hold the single MK 108 30 mm (1.2 in) cannon with 45[3] or 60[7] rounds. The Walter HWK 109-509B[3] rocket engine was mounted beneath the tail boom, which also carried a twin-fin empennage and the drogue chute housing.[1][3]

The landing skid was retractable, and landing required the prior braking action of a drogue chute. As the aircraft could only be entered from a hatch above the cockpit, the pilot had to enter the E.381 before it could be attached to the carrier Ar 234 and had no way to escape in case of an emergency.[8]

Arado Ar E.381/II

The second version, the Arado Ar E.381/II, was very much the same, except larger and with smaller fins.[2] The variant had a deeper and shorter 16 ft 3 in (4.95 m) fuselage and a high mid-wing layout. It was to be powered by a Walter HWK 109-509A-2 engine. The unit was rated at 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) of thrust.[1] About a quarter of the way back from the nose the fuselage deepened in the form of a hump which extended to the tail, housing a single MK 108 cannon with 45 rounds.[1]

Arado Ar E.381/III

The aircraft was again enlarged in the third version, the Arado Ar E.381/III. This version had a triangular cross-section. Instead of a gun, there were six rockets. The landing procedure was unchanged. A hatch was added on the side to provide for pilot access.[2]

Specifications

Data from Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945: An Illustrated History[7]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 pilot

Performance Armament

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Kay, Antony L.; Smith, J.R. (2002). German Aircraft of the Second World War. Putnam. p. 388. ISBN 155750010X.
  2. ^ a b c Krantzhoff, Jörg Armin (1997). Arado: History of an Aircraft Company. Schiffer. pp. 153–156. ISBN 0764302930.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Albrecht, Ulrich (2002). "Military Technology and National Socialist Ideology". In Renneberg, Monika; Walker, Mark (eds.). Science, Technology, and National Socialism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 88–125. ISBN 0521528607.
  4. ^ Bf 109 had a cross-section of 1.8 square metres (19 sq ft). See Rennenberg and Walker 2003, p. 103.
  5. ^ Green, William (1971). "Rocket Fighter". Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II, no. 20. Ballantine Books. pp. 145–146.
  6. ^ Ford, Roger (2000). Germany's Secret Weapons in World War II. MBI. p. 17. ISBN 0760308470.
  7. ^ a b Lepage, Jean-Denis (2009). Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935–1945: An Illustrated History. McFarland. pp. 257–258. ISBN 0786439378.
  8. ^ Griehl, Manfred (1998). Jet Planes of the Third Reich: The Secret Projects, Volume 1. Monogram Aviation Publications. pp. 150–155.
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