Arado 234 Bomber 1943

Maybe because 'production' versions has a tricycle, wheeled undercarriage?

The Ar-234A was a production model, and in service. The -B had to have the fuselage made wider to accommodate wheeled gear, and was the second "production" model.
 
Not really. Only 2 "A-model" Ar 234's with trolleys saw actual service trials(as recon planes) with operational units and IIRC they were 4-engined one-of prototypes. The Ar 234B was developed as the first service model, in large part because the Luftwaffe wouldn't accept the trolly idea for a service aircraft.

Although it's really bordering on ASB to have the Ar 234 in operation in 1943, I'm not sure 100 or so planes fitted out as bombers would make that much difference. Use of cluster bombs and other area-denial weapons would render some airfields unusable to a while, but I'm not sure that many parked bombers would be destroyed. While intercepting 460-mph attackers on their inbound flights would be difficult, I presume they would have to enter dives and/or reduce speed somewhat to accurately drop their limited payloads. This would then place them at a real disadvantage when facing high-speed piston engined interceptors that would be positioned advantageously to intercept them on their return flights. While the loss of a large percentage of the attacking force might be a fair trade in a Bodenplatte-type surprise attack, I'm not sure this would be the best use of these jets in 1943. Better use them for recon in preparation for Overlord.
 
If the engines were available in 1943, which is the real issue here, I don't think it's ASB for the Arado to be in service late in 1943.

Personally I'd like the V2s used on the East Anglian airfields, but I'm the lone ranger there.
 
Personally I'd like the V2s used on the East Anglian airfields, but I'm the lone ranger there.

Then I'm Tonto. Seems like a better use of the missiles than blasting London.

Although, not to get into the "what if Wever hadn't died" argument, I can't help but note that if the Luftwaffe had several thousand heavy bombers sitting around in 1943 that actually worked, they could be quite usefully employed against RAF and USAAF bomber fields.
 
Without fundamentally altering the German production capacity and access to raw materials and oil, there is no single or multiple weapons systems that can alter the ultimate outcome of the war. Some might prolong it a bit or cause more bloodshed, but cannot alter the end result.

One could even argue that the more choices they have and more half baked, unproven new technologies to pursue, the worse it gets for them.
 
True, but what about the coolness factor? The Me262, Ar234 and V2 are undoubtedly the coolest weapons of WW2, closely followed by the Meteor Mk III with extended nacelles.
 
Top