Dornier Do 335 Pfeil Full Illustrated by German Army Center Military History

Author:German Army Center Military History [Unknown]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-03-03T05:00:00+00:00

Fig No 29 Esquematic Do 335 Pfeil

On 16 October 1944 Herr Gemballa of the RLM and Major Erwin Fischer, commander of the Luftwaffe’s FAG 5 which, it will be remembered, had been flying U-boat co-operation sorties with the Ju 290 since its formation in June 1943, presented their requirements to representatives from Dormer, Heinkel, and Junkers for a strategic reconnaissance aircraft with a range of 8.000 km. It was decided that the majority of the aircraft should be used for fuel, although one fuselage was to be used to house 300 kg of marker flares. The hope was that production of the first conversion should begin in January 1945, with one aircraft being delivered in that month, three each in February, March and April and four in May.

Several meetings followed with Dornier being asked, on 25 October, to produce a mockup of the fuselage as soon as possible. This was delivered on 1 November. Dornier were also to dispatch a standard Do 335 airframe to Junkers at Dessau the next day for detailed examination. Continuous work on the project revealed misgivings that, with the current fuel load, the range of 8,000 km and endurance of 8 hours could not be achieved. It was therefore decided that the depth of the wing centre section should be increased again, this time to 7.5 m. Doubts were expressed by Herr Thorn that the larger diameter Ju 352 B-l wheels proposed for the Do 335 Z, would be satisfactory. It was hoped that a mockup of one of the fuselages would be ready by 1 November.

At this time it was decided to hand over the complete Do 335 Z/He P 1075 project to Junkers under the Junkers designation Entwurfsbaubeschreibung (design construction description) Ew 3670. A purchase order (SS 5103) was then issued for four prototypes of the Ju 635 as it was to be redesignated (the VI to V4) and six pre-production (A-0) aircraft. It was further suggested that total production should reach twenty aircraft. By this time it was hoped that the aircraft would achieve a range of 7,400 km (4,600 miles) and a maximum speed of 680 km/h (422 mph). Between 3 and 18 November the port cockpit was enlarged and fitted with a second seat for the navigator/radio operator who sat with his back to the first pilot. A new canopy was to be provided, bearing some resemblance to that fitted to the Ju 388 J. The starboard fuselage was very similar to’ that of the standard Do 335, carrying the second pilot with a fourth crew member projected. The navigator and second pilot would have astronomical navigation equipment, and enough oxygen was to be carried for eight hours of flying time. For boarding only one folding ladder, projecting over the aircraft’s centre section, was provided. Undercarriage legs from the Ju 352 B

retracted backwards into each fuselage, the mainwheels having special mudguards to prevent debris being thrown into the rear radiators. A third wheel, modified from a standard Ju 352 B-1 and weighing 420 kg (926 Ibs), could be mounted below the wing centre section, this being jettisoned following takeoff to land by parachute. The standard Do 335 nosewheel was provided. To boost power for takeoff, two 2.200 kg (4.850 Ibs) static thrust jettisonable rockets with recovery parachutes, would have been mounted beneath the aircraft.

Most of the fuel for the four engines was contained within the wings, comprising two tanks of 1.915 litres and two of 1.250 litres (275 Imp.gals.) in the centre section, with two 540 litre (119 Imp.gals.) and two 310 litre (68 Imp.gals.) tanks in the outer panels. Each fuselage contained one 1.665 litre (366 Imp.gals.) and one 540 litre tank (670 Imp.gals.) plus another of 915 litres (201 Imp.gals.) in the port fuselage and one of 485 litres (107

Imp.gals.) in the starboard. This totalled no less than 13,840 litres (3.044 Imp.gals.) of fuel. In addition to this two 175 litre (38 Imp.gals.) MW 50 tanks were mounted in the wings and a 1.000 litre (220 Imp.gal.) drop tank could also be carried under each wing.

No armament was to be carried but the port bomb bay was to contain two Rb 50/30

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