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Germany's Dornier Do 17 "Flying Pencil" medium bomber^1,2

Dornier Do 17 V-1 prototype, medium bomber:

Dornier Do 17 dropping bombs, medium bomber:

Design

The Dornier Do 17 was initially designed to be a mail and passenger transport for Luft Hansa.² However, it was rejected as the cabin wasn't large enough.²

Captain Untucht, a former Dornier employee, suggested to the Luftwaffe that it would make a good bomber.²

The initial prototype of the Dornier Do 17 had a single fin and rudder and was rather slim.¹ Initially it was abandoned as it was cramped.¹ It was redesigned with a twin fin and rudders and was evaluated as a high speed bomber.¹

Faults in Spanish Civil War

It was shown by battle experience that the Do 17 had inadequate defensive armament.² This resulted in the redesigned of the cockpit area which allowed for more machines guns.² The nose became fully glazed and was named "Beetle Eye."²

Prototype

The first three prototypes had a single fin and were powered by two BMW VI engines (660 HP).² The first time they flew was in 1934.² After these all Do 17s had twin fins and rudders.²

In 1935 new prototypes with BMW and Hispano-Suiza engines were flown.² These would try out having a glazed nose, defensive armament, and a bomb bay.²

Production

Initially the Do 17E-1 bomber and Do 17F-1 photo reconnaissance plane were ordered.²

• Do 17S: 3²
• Do 17U: 15²
• Do 17Z: 535²
• Do 215: 112²
• Total: 1,200²

Variants

• Do 17V-1: Prototype.¹
• Do 17E: Bomber.^1,2 Initial production model.¹
• Do 17E-1: Bomber.² Entered service in 1937.²
• Do 17F: Reconaissance.^1,2 Initial production model.¹
• Do 17F-1: Reconnaissance.² Entered service in 1938.²
• Do 17L: Pathfinder.²
• Do 17K: Was based on the Do 17M.² Had Gnome-Rhône 14 (980 HP) engines.² Sold to Yugoslavia.²
• Do 17M: Bomber.^1,2 Used during 1939-1940.¹ Bramo radial engines (900 HP).¹
• Do 17P: Reconaissance.^1,2 Used during 1939-1940.¹ BMW 132N radial engines (865 HP).¹
• Do 17R: Engine test beds.²
• Do 17S: Service trial aircraft.² Had new glazed nose.² First flown in 1938.² Had Daimler-Benz DB600 V12 engines.²
• Do 17U: Pathfinder version.²
• Do 17Z: Bomber.¹
• Do 17Z-0: Preproduction.² Built in 1938.²
• Do 17Z-1: Bomber.¹ 1,102 lb / 500 kg bombs.¹ Four 7.92 mm MGs.¹
• Do 17Z-2: Bomber.^1,2 2,205 lb / 1,000 kg bombs.¹ Eight 7.92 mm MGs.¹ Bramo engines (1,000 HP).¹
• Do 17Z-3: Photo reconaissance.^1,2
• Do 17Z-4: Trainer with dual controls.^1,2
• Do 17Z-5: Maritime reconnaissance.²
• Do 17Z-6: Night fighter.^1,2 Had a nose cone from the Junkers Ju 88.²
• Do 17Z-10 Kauz (Screech Owl): Night fighter.¹ Two 20 mm and four 7.92 mm MG.¹
• Do 215: Export version of Do 17Z.² Had Daimler-Benz DB601 engines.² Ordered by Sweden and Yugoslavia.²

Usage

Croatia, Germany, Spain, and Yugoslavia (70) used the Dornier Do 17.²

Germany, Hungary (4), and Soviet Union (2) used the Do 215.²

Spanish Civil War

The Dornier Do 17E and Do 17F saw action in the Spanish Civil War starting in 1937.^1,2

World War II

At the start of World War II there were 370 Do 17s in service.² 212 of these were Do 17Zs.²

By the end of 1942 most Do 17s had been withdrawn from frontline service.²

	Dornier Do 17E2	Dornier Do 17E-12	Dornier Do 17M2	Dornier Do 17M-12	Dornier Do 17Z2	Dornier Do 17Z-21	Dornier Do 215B2	Dornier Do 215B-12
Type	Medium bomber2	Medium bomber2	Medium bomber2	Medium bomber2	Medium bomber2	Medium bomber1
Crew	3 - 42		3 - 42		4 - 52	41
Engine (Type)	2: BMW VI 7.32		2: Bramo Fafnir 323A-12			2: Bramo 323P piston1 2: Bramo Fafnir 323P2	2: Daimler-Benz DB601A2
Cylinders	V 122		Radial 92			Radial1,2 92	Inverted V 122
Cooling
HP	750 each2		900 each2			1,000 each1,2	1,100 each2
Propeller blades	3 each2		3 each2			3 each1,2	3 each2
Fuel capacity
Dimensions
Span			59'2 18 m2		59' 0.5"2 18 m2	59' 5/8"1 18 m1
Length			52' 9.75"2 16.09 m2		51' 9"2 15.79 m2	52' 9.75"1 16.1 m1
Height			14' 11"2 4.55 m2		14' 11.5"2 4.56 m2	14' 11.25"1 4.55 m1
Wing area						592.01 ft2 1 55 m2 1
Weight
Empty		9,920 lb2 4,500 kg2				11,486 lb1, 13,145 lb2 5,210 kg1, 5,962 kg2		12,740 lb2 5,780 kg2
Loaded						18,937 lb1,2 8,590 kg1,2
Maximum load		15,520 lb2 7,040 kg2		17,637 lb2 8,000 kg2		19,841 lb2 9,000 kg2		20,282 lb2 9,200 kg2
Performance
Speed at sea level				214 mph2 344 kph2
Speed @ 13,120' / 4,000 m				255 mph2 410 kph2
Speed @ 13,125' / 4,000 m						255 mph1 410 kph1
Speed @ 16,400' / 5,000 m						263 mph2 423 kph2		292 mph2 470 kph2
Cruising speed				218 mph2 351 kph2		186 mph2 300 kph2
Climb
Service ceiling				22,965'2 7,000 m2		26,740'2, 26,900'1 8,150 m2, 8,200 m1		29,530'2 9,000'2
Range				845 miles2 1,360 km2		845 miles1 1,360 km1		1,520 miles2 2,446 km2
Range with 1,100 lb / 500 kg bomb load						720 miles2 1,158 km2		932 miles2 1,500 km2
Range with maximum bomb load				310 miles2 500 km2		205 miles2 330 km2
Armament	2: 7.9 mm MG2		4: 7.9 mm MG2			6: 7.9 mm MG2 8: 7.92 MG 151
Bombs	1,650 lb2 748 kg2		2,205 lb2 1,000 kg2			2,205 lb1,2 1,000 kg1,2

Sources:

1. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
2. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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