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Luftwaffe Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Page 1 |
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Listed over the coming pages are the different types of aircraft used by the Luftwaffe for Photographic Reconnaissance. I may have missed some types or variants out, if you feel I should have included a particularly one, please let me know and I will add it in my next update. I will list them in manufacturer order. |
| Arado 196, 234, 240, 440 | |
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Arado
Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance aircraft put in to production
in 1936. The next year it was selected as the winner of a design contest and
became the standard aircraft of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy). With the
loss of the German surface fleet, the Ar 196s were added to coastal
squadrons, and used to fly reconnaissance missions and hunt for submarines.
They continued in service
well into late 1944. |
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![]() An early Ar 234 on take-off ![]() Ar 234B ![]() Ar 234C |
The
Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) was the world's first
operational jet powered bomber. However, it was used almost entirely
in the reconnaissance role. At first the
Ar 234A series was designed without
landing gear, it took-off my means of a large trolley which it would
jettison, then on landing, skids would extend beneath the fuselage and under
each engine. |
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The Arado Ar 240 was a
twin-engine aircraft designed to be a fast heavy fighter that could also be
used in the reconnaissance, dive-bombing and attack roles. The first
prototype Ar 240V1 took to the air in May 1940,
followed by the second prototype V2 in July of that year. In 1943
Ar 240V3 was used for reconnaissance trials and
undertook a number of flights over England. Prototype versions
V5 & V6 were designed as true
reconnaissance variants, being renamed Ar 240A-0
and Ar 240A-1. On March 25, 1942 Ar 240A-0
was transferred to Aufklärungsgruppe Oberbefehlshaberder Luftwaffe.
Generally there were a number of issues with the design which hampered
further development of the aircraft. So by the end of 1942 production had
been halted. However, there are reports that one aircraft was still flying
reconnaissance missions over England in 1944. |
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Designed by Dr. Richard Vogt,
the Blohm und Voss BV 141
was to be a tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The unorthodox design
featured an asymmetric layout, the engine mounted on the port-side tail-boom
and the cockpit mounted to the starboard. The first prototype
Ha 141 flow in
early 1938, with a further two prototypes taking to the air later that
year. |
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Dornier Do 17
due to the design of its thin fuselage
it was given the nick-name the "Flying Pencil". First taking to the skies in
late 1934, the Do 17 was designed to be a
commercial aircraft, mainly to be used as fast mail-plane. The first
reconnaissance variant was the Do 17F-1, a
number of these were sent to Spain as part of the Légion Condor in
the early part of 1937. |
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The Do
215 was a redesigned Do17Z, this came about to cover a proposed
export of the aircraft. Eighteen aircraft were ordered for the Swedish
Airforce, however, this was stopped. The completed aircraft were
transferred to the Luftwaffe and given the variant number
Do 215B-0 & B-1, fitted with reconnaissance
equipment, also they carrying a standard bomb load. The next reconnaissance
variant was the B-4, an improved version of the B-2 , it was equipped
with Rb 20/30 & Rb 50/30 cameras. The Do 215 left front-line service by the
middle of 1942. |
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There are some that say that
the Do
217 was just an upgraded version of the Do 215, actually
it was much larger and totally different design. The Do 217 V1, the first prototype,
first flew mid 1938. The first
version to enter service was Do 217A-0, this
was the reconnaissance variant, only eight were produced and were delivered
to Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L. in the spring of 1940. They were used to
fly clandestine reconnaissance missions over Russia prior to the German
invasion. |
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