Dornier Do 335 Arrow (Pfeil)
Type: German fighter-bomber, long-range fighter, heavy fighter, zerstorer (destroyer), night fighter, reconaissance plane.
History: Dornier took out a patent in 1937 for an aircraft powered by two engines, one behind the other, in the fuselage, driving tractor and pusher propellers.
In 1939-40 Schempp-Hirth built the Go 9 research aircraft to test the concept of a rear propeller driven by an extension shaft and in 1941 work began on the Do 231 fighter-bomber.
This was replaced by the Dornier 335 Pfeil (means arrow -> aow) and by first flight Dornier had orders for 14 prototypes, ten preproduction A-0s, 11 production A-1s and three dual-control trainer A-10 and A-12 with stepped tandem cockpits.
The Dornier 335 Arrow V3 prototype in October 1943.
At high speed the Dornier 335 Arrow was prone to unpleasant porpoising and snaking, but production continued on the A-1 fighter-bomber, the A-4 reconnaissance plane and the A-6 night fighter with FuG 220 radar, operated by a rear-seat observer.
Though heavy, the Do335 was strong and
very fast and was notable in having the first production type of ejection seat (for obvious reasons).
The Dornier Do335 Arrow prototype V9, completed to full production standard and tested at Rechlin in May 1944.
By end of WW2 about 90 aircraft had been rolled out, more than 60 flown and about 20 delivered to combat units.
Work was also well advanced on a number of versions of the Do 335B heavy fighter, with added 30mm MK108 cannon in the wings (some having two-stage engines and long-span wings), the Do 435 with various very powerful engines, and the twinned Do 635 with two Do 335 fuselages linked by a new parallel centre-section. The Do 635, which was being designed and produced by Junkers as the Ju 8-635, would have weighed 72,000 lb as a reconnaissance aircraft and flown 4,050 miles cruising at 398mph.
A Dornier Do335 Arrow from EKdo335, the trial unit.
Users: Germany (Luftwaffe). |
The only Dornier Do335 Arrow in existence is this completely rebuilt exhibit. It was restored by Dornier at Oberpfaffenhofen in 1970.
Dornier Do 335 A-1 Pfeil (Arrow) |
| Type |
fighter-bomber |
| Power plant |
Two 1,900 hp Daimler-Benz DB 603G 12-cylinder inverted-vee liquid-cooled engines, in push/pull arrangement.
|
| Accommodation |
1 |
| Wing span |
45 ft 4 in |
| Length overall |
45 ft 6 in |
| Height overall |
16 ft 4 in |
| Wing area (A-0) |
414.41 sq/ft |
| Weight empty |
16,314 lb |
| Weight maximum loaded |
25,800 lb |
| Max. wing loading (A-0) |
50.59 lb/sq ft |
| Max. power loading (A-0) |
5.99 lb/hp |
| Maximum speed |
477 mph
(455 mph at 23,295 ft for A-0) |
| Cruising speed |
413 mph
(393 mph at 18,700 ft for A-0) |
| Initial climb |
4,600 ft/min |
| Time to 26.245 ft |
14.5 min |
| Service ceiling |
37,400 ft
(31,170 ft for A-0) |
| Range |
1,280 miles
(2,330 miles with drop tank)
|
| Armament |
One 30mm MK103 [420 rpm, velocity 2,820 ft/sec] cannon firing through front propeller hub, two 15mm MG151/15 [700 rpm, velocity 3,131 ft/sec] machine-guns above nose.
|
one 1,100 lb bomb or two 550 lb bombs internally. |
| First flight (Do335 V1) |
autumn 1943 |
Production delivery |
late November 1944 |
| Final delivery |
May 1945 |
| Total production figure (all) |
Total: 90 |
3d model Dornier Do335 Arrow
|
