ber ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 3 ; ▁up ▁until ▁that ▁time ▁other ▁manufact ur ers ▁such ▁as ▁He inkel ▁( by ▁the ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁time frame ), ▁Mess ersch mitt , ▁F ock e - W ulf ▁and ▁J unk ers ▁had ▁p ist on - eng ined ▁inter cont inental ▁bom ber ▁designs ▁under ▁various ▁stages ▁of ▁consideration ▁and ▁initial ▁prototype ▁testing ▁per ▁the ▁R LM ' s ▁request . ▁Ar ado ▁had ▁also ▁developed ▁its ▁own ▁small , ▁shorter - range ▁jet ▁bom ber , ▁the ▁Ar ▁ 2 3 4 ▁Bl itz ▁which ▁first ▁fle w ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Ar ado ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁compile ▁design ▁studies ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁range ▁jet - power ed ▁bom ber . ▁ ▁Design s ▁Several ▁different ▁E . 5 5 5 ▁design ▁configurations ▁were ▁proposed ▁and ▁considered ; ▁the ▁Ar ado ▁team ' s ▁overall ▁goal ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁an ▁aircraft ▁with ▁high ▁speed , ▁long ▁range ▁and ▁capable ▁of ▁carrying ▁a ▁four - ton ▁( 4 , 0 0 0 ▁kg ) ▁bomb ▁load . ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁striking ▁was ▁the ▁E . 5 5 5 ▁I , ▁a ▁six - jet , ▁angular ▁flying ▁wing ▁design ▁with ▁rem ot ely - oper ated ▁def ensive ▁tur rets . ▁ ▁The ▁tri jet ▁E . 5 5 5 ▁VI ▁had ▁the ▁ ▁longest ▁wings pan ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁propos als ▁at