Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow)

History

The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (or "Arrow") is one of the more interesting examples of twin-prop heavy fighter jets that emerged during World War II (1939-1945). Developed towards the end of the conflict, the aircraft guaranteed exceptional performance thanks to its unique inline twin-engine arrangement - one engine mounted in the nose in the usual fashion (as a "tie rod"), the second in a compartment On the rear of the fuselage (as a "push" attachment). This allows the streamlined, rounded airframe to benefit from the power output of two engines without the drag inherent in wartime designs such as the American Lockheed P-38 Lightning and de Havilland DH. UK 98 mosquitoes.

The Do 335 was designed (and patented) by Dr. Claudius Dornier as early as 1937. A low-wing plane form was chosen, with a straight-wing main aircraft attachment. The twin-engine in-line arrangement was designed to eliminate thrust design flaws found in comparable single-engine fighter jets.

The aircraft was piloted by a single person, sitting under a glass canopy, with limited rearward visibility due to the heavier fuselage, longer nose arrangement and raised fuselage spine. A fairly modern retractable tricycle undercarriage was reinforced to take the weight of the twin engines and airframe. The landing gear arrangement also ensures that the aircraft sits fairly high when stationary, but this is done to compensate for the spacing of the large diameter propeller systems - mainly the rear propeller systems when the aircraft is pitched back during takeoff. The powerplants in the game are 2 x Daimler-Benz DB603 liquid-cooled 12-cylinder inverted inline engines. The tail is covered by a cruciform tail assembly mounted in front of the propeller behind the engine.

Standard armament includes 1 x 30mm MG 103 cannon and 2 x 15mm MG 151 cannons, and optional externally loaded gun pods, bombs or drop tanks can be fitted as required.

During the test run, the Do 335 recorded speeds in excess of 470 mph, with both engines running, while reaching speeds of 350 mph powered by only one engine. It climbs at about 1,750 feet per minute.

The Do 335 project was led by the 1939 Goppingen Go 9 research aircraft, which was later tested and accepted as the Do P. 231 high-speed bomber. Although development was nearing its final stages, the entire project failed until it was later relaunched as a high-speed interceptor, when such a platform was needed to serve the beleaguered Luftwaffe under constant Allied bomber attack. By the end of 1943 there were no fewer than 14 initial Do 335 prototypes, followed by 10 pre-production Do 335A-0 aircraft in 1944.

The D0 335A-1 marked the ensuing appearance of 11 production-quality aircraft, but never saw action due to the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. More specifically, the effort came to an end with the arrival of U.S. Army troops at the Oberpfaffenhofen plant at Do 335. April.

The United States took delivery of two surviving Do 335s at the end of the war and conducted extensive review and testing.

While this aircraft has never experienced major combat action, it has some interesting design elements and solutions. The rear-mounted engine made the pilot's exit process more difficult due to the twin-engine arrangement.

For the ejection of the Do 335 aircraft, the process was modified to eject the empennage and rear propeller via controlled charges located at the rear of the fuselage. This would give the pilot the confidence to roll off the plane with a parachute in tow, without worrying about any protrusions that could jeopardize his escape from the downed fighter.

Several additional variants were planned for the Do 335 airframe, including a two-seat Do 335A-2 trainer, but only two of these designs were completed. Other proposed models include a two-seater night fighter (Do 435), a long-range reconnaissance model (Do 635), and a fighter model powered by a turbojet rather than a piston engine (Do 535).

Had the Do 335 flown in the required numbers, it would have proved to be a fairly strong opponent (the delay in receiving the Daimler-Benz engines severely damaged the program). The twin-engine layout provided a top speed that far surpassed even the famous North American P-51 Mustang. Combining this quality with the concentrated firepower of a large-caliber gun, the Do 335 has little to hold back except for the age of the jet fighter itself.

For the only statement that the Allies encountered an airborne Do 335 during the war, the French-controlled Hawker Tempest aircraft could not even reach the effective range to fire on the fleeing Do 335 - his achievement.

In fact, the Do 335 was considered the fastest German propeller aircraft of the entire war.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Performance

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Changes