1/48 Arado Ar 381 Parasite Fighter
In late 1944, Arado submitted their E.381 parasite miniature fighter to the RLM (German Air Ministry). The aircraft went through several different designs, each improving on the last. All versions were basically an armored tube with a small Walter 509B rocket engine providing limited power, and all versions were to glide to the ground and land on a landing skid and slowed by a deployed drag parachute. Also, all versions of the Arado Ar E.381 were to be carried beneath an Arado Ar 234C-3 4-jet bomber. The second version ( kit released by Antares Models) was very similar to the first version of the Ar E.381. The overall dimensions were enlarged slightly, but the basic layout remained the same. The front canopy was enlarged, giving the prone lying pilot better vision out of the still cramped cockpit. A slight step still remained aft of the entry hatch atop of the forward fuselage, and a single MK 108 30mm cannon (45 rounds) was still mounted here, firing over the cockpit. The tail unit was similar, with the fins being slightly smaller and rounder. Landing was accomplished by means of a built-in landing skid and the same drag parachute, and the same means of entering and exiting the second version of the E.381 (via a hatch on top of the fuselage) remained from the first version. Span: 5 m (16' 4.875") Length: 4.95 m (16' 2.785") Max. speed 900 km/hr (559 mph) |