The Arado Ar 234 Blitz holds the distinction of being the world's first operational jet bomber, powered by twin Junkers Jumo 004 turbojets. The Ar 234B-2/N "Nachtigall" (Nightingale) was a small-scale night fighter conversion of the type, fitted with FuG 218 Neptun airborne intercept radar and Flensburg or Naxos homing receivers to track RAF bombers' own radar and radio emissions. Operated in tiny numbers by specialist Luftwaffe night fighter unit NJG 11 in the closing weeks of the war, the Ar 234 Nachtigall exploited the type's jet speed to intercept RAF night bombers that had previously outrun piston-engined night fighters, representing one of the last and most technologically advanced defensive efforts of the Luftwaffe. As part of Dragon's "Golden Wings" 1/72 scale range, this kit reproduces the Ar 234's slender, high-wing jet bomber airframe together with the distinctive nose-mounted radar array and antenna fit unique to the night fighter conversion, finished with crisp surface detail and decals for accurate late-war markings. An intriguing, rarely modelled subject for collectors interested in the technological end-game of Luftwaffe aviation, and a fitting companion piece to the Do 335 in a "last-ditch Luftwaffe" 1/72 display.
