Arado E.500

Arado E.500
Role	Heavy fighter
National origin	German Reich (Nazi period) Deutsches Reich
Manufacturer	Arado Flugzeugwerke
First flight	–
Introduction	–
Produced	–
Number built	Not produced

The Arado E.500 was a concept for a heavy fighter created by Arado Flugzeugwerke in 1936.

Description

Due to a relatively short fuselage and an extended twin tail boom this aircraft type could accommodate a heavy attack and defense armament. The latter consisted of two revolving turrets on the upper and lower fuselage, each equipped with two 20 mm guns. The upper turret would be manually operated by a gunner, while the second gunner, located on the fuselage underside in a trough, aimed it via a periscope installation. The third gunner operated the fixed weapons in the nose of the machine. It had a twin tail.^[1]

Arado developed a 1:1 mock-up; however, it did not find the interest of the Technical Office of the Ministry of Aviation. The project was subsequently discontinued.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: Four
• Powerplant: 2 × DB 603

Performance Armament

• Guns:
  • Two Rh-LB-202 20 mm cannons in dorsal turret
  • Two Rh-LB-202 20 mm cannons in ventral gun position controlled by periscope

^[2]

References

1. Jörg Armin Kranzhoff (1997). "Arado+E.500"&dq="Arado+E.500" Arado: History of an Aircraft Company. Schiffer Book for Collectors. pp. 105, 107. ISBN 9780764302930.
2. Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage (2009), Aircraft of the Luftwaffe, 1935–1945: An Illustrated Guide, Koblenz: McFarland, ISBN 978-0-7864-5280-4