Germany's Delta-Wing Jet Bomber: Arado E.555

In this video, we discuss the Arado E.555, a proposed long-range jet bomber that was later integrated into the Amerikabomber project. We discuss the manufacturer, Arado, their lesser role early in the war, and their innovative designs later in the war. We also discuss the numerous proposed variants of the E.555 and why none of them, including the original model, amounted to more than anything but schematic drawings.

[theonlymadmac]

Sorry but it’s pronounced „Arado“ in Germany with an R. (German speaker) (although it is a Spanish name meaning „plow“)

[bearzilla]

For any airplane use the term span instead of wide

[MartinCHorowitz]

The Arado Ar 234 Jet Bomber, used as a reconnaissance plane was a real issue for the allies, they had no easy way to stop it from taking pictures of the D-Day build up, An extensive dummy force and disinformation campaign was required to counteract the jet. As a Bomber only small target were suitable due to the limited number of sorties that could be carried out

[bertschi]

The diagram at 11:05 you show is a list of specifications of the variants 1 through 11:

Variants 1-3 experiment with engine configurations ("Verschiedene Triebwerksgliederung")
Variants 4-6 experiment with wing angles ("Verschiedene Flügelstreckung")
I'm struggling with variant 7 but something to do with weapons ("Waffen...")
Variant 8a and 8b experiment with elevators and rudders on two tailbooms ("Mit Leitwerk an 2 Trägern")
Variant 9 and 10 seem to do something similar too, metr here probably meaning "metrisch" ("... metr. Leitwerken")
Variant 11 changes the main fuselage ("Rumpfflug...ung")

1st row is engines "Triebwerk"
2nd row i'm guessing is takeoff weight in metric tonnes "...Start"
3rd is fuel capacity in metric tonnes "Kraftstoffgewicht"
4th is fuel to weight percentage "Kraftstoffanteil"
5th is the wing area in square meters "Fläche"
6th is the wingspan in meters "Spannweite"
7th, 8th and 9th i don't understand, probably control surface areas in square meters
10th and 11th i have no clue on but they are listed in percentages
12th sounds like maximum altitude in cruise in km "Endhöhe im Reiseflug"
13th looks to me cruising speed in km/h "V->Reise"
14th is cruising speed in Mach "V->Reise/V->Schall"
15th is flight distance/range in km "Flugstrecke"

The last line explains Mach at 11km of altitude "V->Schall = 1080km/h in E = 11km"
I hoped this helped you out a bit (:

[ravenclaw]

I've built the Revell 1/72 scale kit a couple of times (many years ago and in various camo colours) and have two more left. I know it didn't take to the skies, but it's my favourite "what if" aircraft.

[Pantograph_]

No idea how you get an “h” sound from an r.

[FliesFLL]

This is where they got the idea for the fake airplane in "Raiders Of The Lost Ark".

In that video, you can see the chains driving the wheels, which actually move the airplane....

[rerd]

Arado Ar 232 "Tausendfüßler" is actually the grandpa of all modern combat transport aircraft like the C119 Boxcar, C123 Provider & C130 Herkules. So they were quite innovative.

[jongoffinet]

Just wanted to say, I really enjoy your content. I think you should have many more subscribers—good stuff👍🏻

[cyberfutur]

This may just be the most Kerbal Space program looking plane of the whole war. All 14, or 11, or 10 :)

Also since Arado isn't a German word, but just part of the name of a company that doesn't exist anymore. I guess you have seen the pronunciation of the Spanish word instead (wich may or may not be the source of the name, you never know with German company names). Also I'm not sure if the Spanish word would be pronounced that way, but if shown to a German, me for example, and given that the next word in the name is Flugzeugwerke, I'd pronounce it Arado, not Ahado.

But although this time it was a swing and a miss, I appreciate the effort. Can't get them all right and your pronunciation of German stuff is way better then most youtube airplane people.

[aurigo_tech]

Please give all units in metric as well. 60 feet something means nothing for most people. And as others have mentioned, Arado is not pronounced Ahado. But besides that nice to see this very rare design explored in some detail.

[Steven-pj]

The close similarity to Richard Branson's sub-orbital tourist rocket is very obvious.

[Steven-pj]

Surely the details of engine numbers and fuel carried would affect the range and speed, and would have been the drivers of the innovations? It is all very well ridding the design of a heavy and thirsty jet engine, but the lowered thrust and the lack of engines of high reliability would have made any of these craft unlikely, for reasons of engine life, if nothing else. They were not known for their longevity, as much as for their thrust. (which came at the expense of the superior layout) but lacked the needed alloys for reliability and longevity.

[mustang]

oh boy battalion wars really hit home with memory lane. Battalion wars 2 on the wii was great fun

[williamzk]

On the surface one wonders why these get called "Amerika Bombers" because they lacked the required range possibly because this is the best the E.555 proposals could come up with. However I believe all were specified with in flight refueling capability. The distance from Berlin to New York 3, 967.53 miles (6, 385.12 km). The distance from Brest France to New York is 3, 354 miles (5, 397 km). Twice this distance would be needed plus about 14% to allow dog leg courses and some penetration plus 10% reserves. That means 12800km from BERLIN NY or 10, 800km from BREST-NY. The E.555-6 could fly 7500km and the E.555-11 8000km.
The only way would be in flight refueling which could extend range about 33.3% if a buddy aircraft refuels 1/3rd of the way and 66% if rendevous refueling on the way back.
Manfred Griehls "Luftwaffe over Amerika" shows the Luftwaffe conducted very succesful in flight refueing testing in 1943 in Hookups between Ju 252 and Ju 290 aircraft.
-The Germans did have a practical design the Messerschmitt Me 264. The prototypes with 1350hp Jumo 211F engines barely had the range (essentially lightly armed, with few bombs and inadequate reserves) but as more power became available BMW 801D (1800hp) and the Daimler Benz DB 603L or H with 2400hp the aircraft could lift greater fuel load and get the range needed. These powerfull engines in the 2250hp-2400hp range were becoming available in end 1944 (Jumo 213E, DB603L)
-There was a 6 engines version (Me 264/6m or Me 364) with plugs to estend the fuselage and longer span wings that was also designed and could have done the mission on weaker Jumo 211J engines or on the DB603H made up to 17000km in the recon version and 15000 in the bomber version. It was a viable design. There as a Heinkel Jet bomber and the Horton Ho XVIII that might have done the mission, certainly with in flght refueling which was specified.

[Steven-pj]

Some very interesting crescent wing designs were used, later taken on by the British in their V-Bomber program.

[MrArcher]

Well if the 'R' in Arado is silent, then please refer to Junkers as Junkehs.

[Mr.McWatson]

555 is one of the coolest proposed bombers of all time, in my opinion anyway.

[gort]

It wasn't a late arrival; it was a non-arrival. At least the "sparsely numbered" allied jet fighters actually existed, while this plane never did. It was not even an experimental design. Simple design studies should not be accorded recognition equivalent to actual prototype and developmental aircraft, let alone aircraft actually in production.

[ChristsRighteousnessever]

Someone should build it now, the version with the 6 engines. Just looks cool. You could maybe place engines recessed into upper fuselage like the B2.