http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1628
147. In August 1943, it was, in theory, a good idea to replace the two Junkers Jumo 109-004 B-0 turbojets on the Arado Ar 234 with four BMW 109-003 A-0s. While the BMWs had yet to produce their promised 800 kg. of thrust compared to the 900 kg. of the Jumo, the BMW weighed only 623 kg. compared to 745 kg. of the Junkers. That meant that an Ar 234 airframe could just accommodate the weight of four 003s, giving a total thrust of 3200 kg. for an engine weight of 2492 kg. compared to a thrust of 1800 kg. for a weight of 1490 kg. of two Jumos. "Preliminary performance figures for the project looked promising, including a maximum speed of 860 km./h (534 mph) at 4000 m. (13,000 ft.) and a range of 1,470 km. at 12,000 m. (39,370 ft.)," Smith & Creek,
Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022), p. 150. This would make it faster than the Me 262 but it would need reliable engines, a pressurized cockpit and a new tricycle undercarriage to carry the weight of engines and cockpit. There was also a drawback. The BMW 003 was designed to run on B4 87-octane aviation fuel.
Two configurations using Ar 234
Anton airframes were designed by Arado to test the four engine concept. The V6 (W.Nr. 130006; "GK+IW") would have two individual, separated nacelles under each wing, while the V8 (W.Nr. 130008; "GK+IY") would have paired nacelles. The V8, seen here under construction, was the first of the two to fly on 2 February 1944.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1629
148. This screenshot shows that the V6 and V8, like the other
Antons, used tubular jacks to lift the aircraft so that the take-off trolley could be placed beneath it.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1630
149, Arado's test pilot,
Flugkapitän Johan-Ubbo Janssen, immediately encountered problems. For the V8, the most serious concerns were the Henschel-built, unreliable fuel pumps that emptied fuel tanks at uneven rates causing great shifts in the centre of gravity, (Pawlas, p. 85) and the fact that the 003s regularly flamed out and could not yet be restarted in the air.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1631
150. The final flight for the V8 was on 6 May 1944. Persistant problems with fuel pumps, throttles, landing flaps,hydraulics and skids made this aircraft too dangerous to fly. Janssen aborted this final flight, (Pawlas, p. 120)