Arado E.381

The Arado E.381 ( micro hunter ) was a planned German parasitic fighter which was developed by the Arado Flugzeugwerke during the Second World War in December 1944.

The Arado E.381 should be carried aloft by a jet-propelled Arado Ar 234, start from this " mother plane " with a rocket engine, and enemy bombers of the allies - mainly British and American - attack. The development was canceled due to lack of funds and official support.

There were three proposed variants, each of which had fuel tanks for only two target attacks. Thereafter, should the pilot, gliding without engine power, landing on skids. To prevent possible fire to survive by the challenged bombers and persecutions by enemy fighters, the E.381 was designed with the smallest possible frontal cross section. This included that the pilot would have been forced to lie in a prone position. The cross section of E.381 was only 0.45 square meters, which was approximately a quarter of the cross section of a Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Versions

Specifications

Ar E.381 / I

Parasite aircraft Walter HWK 109-509 MK 108 cannon Arado W 2 Arado Ar 79 Arado Ar 64 Arado Ar 65 Arado Ar 66 Arado Ar 67 Arado Ar 68 Arado Ar 69 Arado Ar 76 Arado Ar 77 Arado Ar 80 Arado Ar 81 Arado Ar 95 Arado Ar 195 Arado Ar 196 Arado Ar 197 Arado Ar 198 Arado Ar 199 Arado Ar 231 Arado Ar 232 Arado Ar 240 Arado Ar 240#Variants Arado E.340
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