NAS PAX Arado Ar 234 information.

[Traku1]

I'm trying to find out whatever happened to the pair of Arado 234's at NAS PAX. In 1976 I looked at them and took several photos, (the ones everyone here always refers to at my flickr page). My photos will be appearing in a couple magazines in the next few months and I've been unable to find out about there fate. Around 1998 I was in the area by boat and they where nowhere to be seen. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter D Evans]

Two Ar234's at Patuxent River in 1976? Can you provide a link to the images please Traku1?

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Peter D Evans]

Perhaps you meant 1946? Two Ar234B's were indeed transferred there, these being:

• USN BuAer.121445 - Ar234B - WNr.unknown - Nickname "Jane I" and previously "Watson Whizzers No.202". Stricken on 31st December 1946 and eventually scrapped at Patuxent River
• USN BuAer.121446 - Ar234B - WNr.unknown - Nicknamed "Snafu I" and previously "Watson Whizzers No.303". Stricken on 31st December 1946 and eventually scrapped at Patuxent River

A shameless plug to a couple of forums dedicated to captured Luftwaffe types in the US can be found over on the LEMB via the links below:

USA Numbers/Watsons Whizzers/Other US designations
FE/T2 - Foreign Evaluation Numbers

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Harold Lake]

While I can't say for certain what ultimately happened to one of the Pax River Arados, I can with some certainity, relate the unlikely fate of one of the Arado's nose sections;a fate I'm sure the German designers never foresaw in their wildest dreams.

In the early 60s, an aquaintance related his excitement at removing the complete nose from one of the Navy's scrapped Arados and, after transporting it back to his upstate NY home, it was "installed" in his bathroom. There you could sit, attending to your business, while imagining you were on a special bombing mission! It seems when the home was later sold, the new owners were so impressed with the home's special bathroom fixture, they decided to kept the Arado in place.

Sorry, but I never found out if what happened next...

[Traku1]

I've uploaded some of my photos to an album at this web-site. More can be seen at www.flickr.com/keleivis I'm not sure of the page number. Sometime in the next few months my photos are slated to come out in the magazines Flight International Magazine and Aeroplane Monthly.

[Peter D Evans]

Sorry for doubting you, they are absolutely amazing images Traku1! Lets hope that the magazine coverage throws some light on their ultimate fate - unless the owner of the nose Harold makes mention of has acquired them! The new owner of the house wouldn't be Paul Allen ?

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Traku1]

The thought of the Arado nose having been detached would make sense, it's seriuosly missing when I look at the photos. I just hope it's still intact somewhere with it's owners unaware of it's significance and not having discarded it. I was 18 years old when I visited the Arado's, and as I remember, was rather disheartened when I first saw there condition. I just wish I had taken a lot more pictures. Fortunately I still have my origonal negatives which I scanned last year and cleaned up with Photoshop. I hope to establish some contact with someone at NAS PAX again so I could revisit the site. It's only a couple hours drive from home.

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

The photos from your father´s album are interesting too.

[Traku1]

Thanks, I'm still working on that.

Chris

[Traku1]

July 16, 2013. Revisited the site.