By late November 1942 four prototypes were completed and tested. One of those test pilots was Lt. Werner Thierfelder who, in his final evaluation gave the Ar.440 a very positive rating and wrote that it was an excellent heavy fighter-bomber. However, considering that Luftwaffe had already the Me.410 and Ju.88 in service, they didn't order any Ar.440 even if Arado could start the production of the Ar.440 inmediately using older parts from the Ar.240.
It was powered by two 1874hp (1539hp in combat) Daimler-Benz DB-603G engine with a four-bladed propeller. It was armed just like the Ar.240 with two backward-firing 13mm MG131 machine guns in remote-controlled turrets. In the front part of the fuselage it was going to be armed with two 30mm MK108 gun placed in a pod under the cockpit. In the wings, it could have two 20mm MG151. The pod under the cockpit could be replaced with additional MG131 machine guns. Hardpoints were installed under the middle part of the fuselage in order to make it able to carry up to 1800Kg of bombs or, if needed, aerial cameras.
The maximum speed of the Ar.440 was 700km/h but with the help of the GM1 device it could achieve 750 Km/h. It self-sealing fuel cells in the wings plus a main fuel tank inside the fuselage. It could also carry up to four additional wing-mounted external fuel tanks in order to increase it's maximum range up to 2700km. It was also equipped with a radio direction finder, a shortwave radio, radar altimeter, and a "Friend or Foe" identification device.
Arado presented the Ar.440 to the 1944 emergency fighter program contest but it was won by the Dornier Do.335 "Pfeil".
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_Ar_240
2. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/ar440.html (translated)
3. http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/arado_ar-440.php
great WW2 plane!
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