The Arado Ar.E.340 was a project for a twin-engined dive and tactical bomber designed by Arado at the request of the Reich Air Ministry back in 1939 to compete in the bomber B programme.
As the Reich Air Ministry (RLM) wanted to replace both Junkers Ju.88 and Dornier Do.217 by 1943, four manufacturers submitted plans for new bombers.
It was an atypical design with the engines positioned in a twin-boom arrangement connected only through wing assembly, in order to give the crew a nice visibility. The four crew members would be in the central fuselage in a fully glazed and pressurized cockpit. The expected engines were either two Jumo 222, two Daimler-Benz DB 604 or two BMW 802 large piston engines. Both the engines and the landing gear were mounted to the load-bearing wing centre section. The tail was really unique where the tailplane didn't connect both booms but it was cantilevered outwards in order to give the rear gunner an excellent field of view.
It was going to be equipped with two rear firing MG.151 that were fired remotely from the central cockpit and two more turrets situated behind the cockpit aimed through periscopes with one MG.131 machine guns.
It was expected to carry a payload of 5900kg (13000lb) so the troublesome but powerful Junkers Jumo 222 engine were the preferred ones, however as the engines proved to be too problematic and were cancelled, the whole bomber B programme was cancelled and this one remained only in paper.
Sources:
1. http://www.luft46.com/arado/are340.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_E.340
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