File:Arado Ar 234 wing.jpg

The Ar234 was the world’s first operational jet-powered bomber, although in service it was used almost exclusively for reconnaissance. The type first flew in June 1943 and entered Luftwaffe service in the Autumn of 1944, with the name Blitz translating as ‘Lightning’. 214 were built and the type remained in service until the last days of the war in Europe. In April 1945, an Ar234 became the last Luftwaffe aircraft to fly over the UK during WW2. This is the only surviving example and is a standard bomber variant. It was being operated by II./KG76 when it was captured by British forces at Stavanger, Norway, during May 1945. After being test flown as ‘Watson Whizzer 505’ until July 1945, it was shipped to the United States aboard HMS Reaper and allocated the Foreign Evaluation identity FE-1010, later changed to T2-1010. It flew for 20 hours while being evaluated at Freeman Field, Indiana, and Wright Field, Ohio, before being allocated for museum use and stored at Park Ridge, Illinois, during 1946. It was moved to Silver Hill, Maryland, in 1955 and was officially transferred to the Smithsonian Institute during 1960, with restoration taking place between 1984 and 1989. Seen on display in the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center as part of the National Air and Space Museum. Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia