Dornier Do P.254 (Do 535 / He 535)

History of Dornier Do p. 254 (Do 535 / He 535)

The Dornier Do P. 254 project existed as a short-lived outgrowth of the Do 335 "Pfeil" ("Arrow") heavy fighter project. On the Do 335, one engine is attached to the nose of the aircraft in the usual fashion (a "pull-rod" arrangement), but the rear of the fuselage also makes room for the transport of a second engine, which runs in a "push-hand". arrange. Combined engines made the Do 335 the fastest propeller-driven aircraft introduced from Germany during World War II.

However, before the end of the war in 1945, engine delays resulted in limited instances of operation, with only about 37 delivered. The aircraft program was also overshadowed by the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 high-altitude fighter.

The P. 254 (Do 535) was designed to benefit from the foundation laid by the Do 335 by retaining the nose-mounted Daimler-Benz DB603A piston engine but replacing the rear-wheel drive system with a Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 replaced Turbojet, which adds 2,866 pounds of thrust. In theory, the P. 254 would be a faster propeller-driven system than the Do 335, but it lacked the swept wings that favored high-speed flight.

With the Luftwaffe's preference for the more traditional, competitive Ta 152 high-altitude fighter, DORNIER engineers hope to add jet engines to their Do 335, which will keep this promising heavy fighter program alive for some time.

It is unclear what role the P. 254 played on the battlefield to accomplish combat missions, but it may have been similar to postwar Germany's usual push for viable fighters, interceptors and night fighters that had to withstand day and night bombing raids by the Allies. Most likely, a secondary role for high-speed bombs should be built.

Despite the adventure, no P. 254 aircraft were built to the existing Do 335 design, and the plan was ultimately not seriously considered - but before it was passed to Heinkel and redrafted as He 535 in October 1944 . [ /p]

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