Dornier Do 217

History of Dornier Do 217

The Dornier Do 217 was a multi-role aircraft of the Luftwaffe during World War II (1939-1945). The type fulfilled a variety of roles in air service, including conventional bombers, dive bombers, fast reconnaissance platforms, and night fighters.

The twin-engine system with a crew of four appeared as a prototype in 1938 and existed in several notable production variants until the end of the war in 1945. The Do 217 proved more suitable for bomber and reconnaissance missions than heavy fighters, and performed poorly among Allied fighters of the time.

It was followed by the Do 215 light bomber/reconnaissance aircraft in the company's production plans.

The design of the Do 217 largely followed the design of earlier Dornier medium bombers. The cockpit and crew areas are located at the front of the fuselage, beneath the heavy glass, and the rear of the fuselage tapers significantly to create a "pencil-like" shape. The engine was mounted on a high-wing monoplane layout, while the tail was of a split T design.

While weapons can be customized to suit specific mission roles, typical weapons include a 7.92mm machine gun, a 13mm MG-131 machine gun and a 20mm cannon. For example, the Do 217 J-2 model carries 4 x 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns with 4 x 20mm MG FF cannons in the nose and 2 x 13mm MG 131 machine guns in the back and belly.

A standard inner and outer bomb load can reach 8,810 pounds.

The Do 217 was originally designed as a fast reconnaissance platform. The pre-production series appeared as the Do 217 A-0. The medium bomber form became the C-0 and E-0 in pre-production form. Production of the bomber began with the E-1 and E-2 in dive bomb form.

Certain changes gave rise to other variants, such as the E-5 with an extended wingspan. Turbo welcomes the Do 217H and Do 217K with a more streamlined cockpit shell. The Do 217K became the base bomber model in production, and the extended wingspan gave rise to the K-2.

The K-3 is equipped to carry and fire Fritz X remote-controlled bombs. The Do 217M contains DB 603A series inline engines. The Do 217 M-5 was used as a carrier for the Henschel Hs 293 anti-ship missiles and was equipped accordingly with appropriate guidance.

The Do 217J is a dedicated night fighter, including the J-1 and J-2 forms. The Do 217N is another night performer, based on the Do 217M bomber. This model is equipped with an upgraded 20mm cannon, as well as an additional 4 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons, which can be tilted (up, at an angle) to fire.

This variant of the N-2 model lost the defensive turret and bomb bay equipment to reduce weight and improve performance. The Do 217P became a high-altitude design with a DB603B supercharged engine and a DB605T engine, although only three pre-production examples existed before the war ended.

Do 217R is another Hs 293 carrier platform.

The production life of the Do 217 totaled 1,925 aircraft and was launched in 1941. Production peaked in 1943, with just over 500 built. Night fighter forms began to appear in usable numbers in mid-1942 and continued until 1943. The full Do 217 service ended at the end of the war in 1945.

During the conflict, the Germans deployed Do 217 in about 11 squadrons. The Italian Air Force was another wartime operator on the route, and Switzerland managed an operational example where crews were detained after being forced to land in Basel later in the war.

This model was in service until 1946.

Specification

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Production

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Performance

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Changes