Germany's Dornier Do 217 heavy bomber^1,2

Dornier Do 217, heavy bomber:
Germany's Dornier Do 217 heavy bomber

Design

The Dornier Do 217 was a larger and faster version of the Dornier Do 17.¹

A requirement for the Do 217 was that it should be able to act as a dive bomber and some had large air brakes in the tail.² This requirement was eventually withdrawn.²

Do 217K and Do 217M

In early 1942 the Do 217K and Do 217M were being developed and produced at the same time.² The were basically the same except for the engines.² The nose was enlarged and glazed.²

Do 217J and Do 217N

Night fighters that were converted on the production line.² They had a stepped windscreen and solid noses containing the primary armament.²

Prototype

The Do 217V1 prototype first flew in August 1938.^1,2 The prototype had problems with directional stability and controls that were sluggish.² It crashed after having only flown a few flights.²

Production

Prototypes: 15²
Do 217A: 8²
Do 217C: 5²
Do 217E-0, Do 217E-1, Do 217E-2: ~200²
Do 217E-3: 100²
Do 217E-4: ~500²
Do 217J: 157²
Do 217K, Do 217M: ~520²
Do 217N: 207²
Do 217P: 6²
Do 217R: 5²
Total: 1,730^1,2

Variants

Do 217V1: Prototype.¹ Two Daimler-Benz DB 601A inline engines (1,075 HP/1,100 HP²).¹
Do 217V9: First flew in early 1940.² Was powered by two BMW 801 engines.² Fuselage was deeper.²
Do 217A-0: Had larger tail surfaces.¹ Joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 as a reconnaissance aircraft.¹ Used in over flights of Soviet Union before the out break of war in Russia.¹
Do 217E-1: Anti shipping and bomber.² Production model.¹ Two BMW 801MA radials (1,550 HP).¹ Crew of 4 or 5.¹ Bomb load of 4,409 lb / 2,000 kg.¹ Entered service in late 1940.²
Do 217E-2: Bomber.² Added dorsal turret with 13 mm gun.^1,2
Do 217E-3: Added additional armor.^1,2 Increased armament.²
Do 217E-4: Had balloon cable cutters on the leading edge of the wings.²
Do 217E-5: Carried two Henschel HS 293 anti ship missiles.¹ Converted from earlier models in 1943.²
Do 217J: Night fighter.¹ Based on the Do 217E airframe.² Had FuG 202 radar.¹ The nose carried two 20 mm and four 7.92 mm guns.¹ Joined the Luftwaffe in 1942.^1,2
Do 217J-1: Night fighter.² Kept bomb bay which could carry an intruder missile.² Relegated to training.²
Do 217J-2: Night fighter.² Used FuG Lichenstein radar.²
Do 217K: Powered by two BMW 801D engines (1,700 HP).¹ Could carry HS 293 or Fritz X missiles.¹
Do 217K-1: Night bomber.²
Do 217K-2: Longer wings to carry two Fritz X radio controlled missiles.²
Do 217K-3: Longer wings to carry two Fritz X or two Hs 293 radio controlled missiles.²
Do 217M: Used two Daimler-Benz DB 603A engines (1,750 HP).¹
Do 217M-5: Prototype for carrying missiles.²
Do 217M-11: Prototype for carrying missiles.²
Do 217N: Night fighter.¹ Based on the Do 217M airframe.² Two Daimler-Benz DB 603A engines.¹ In the nose were four 20 mm, four 7.92 mm, and two 20 mm (upward firing Schäge Musik) guns.¹
Do 217N-2: Night fighter.² Upgraded radar.² Removed from service in early 1944.²
Do 217P: High altitude bomber.² Pressurized cabin.² In the fuselage was a Daimler-Benz DB605 (1,475 HP) engine that was used to supercharge the two main engines.² Could reach 50,000' / 15,240 m altitude.²
Do 217R: Designation for five Do 317 prototypes.² These were converted to missile carriers.²

Usage

The Dornier Do 217 was operated by Italy (Do 217J) and Germany.²

Raids on Britain

The Do 217E was used in the Baedecker raids on British cities in 1942.²

France

The Do 217E-1s were stationed in France with the II./KG 40 in March 1941.¹

Anti Shipping

In 1943 Do 217K-2 armed with Fritz X missiles struck several Allied ships operating in the Mediterranean.² The cruiser HMS Spartan, destroyer HMS Janus, and Italian battleship Roma were sunk by the missiles.²

	Dornier Do 217E²	Dornier Do 217E-2²	Dornier Do 217K²	Dornier Do 217K-2²	Dornier Do 217K-3²	Dornier Do 217M²	Dornier Do 217M-1^1,2
Type	Medium / heavy bomber²	Medium / heavy bomber²	Medium / heavy bomber²			Medium / heavy bomber²	Heavy bomber¹ Medium / heavy bomber²
Crew	4²	4²	4²			4²	4^1,2
Engine (Type)		2: BMW 801ML²	2: BMW 810D²			2: Daimler-Benz DB603A²	2: Daimler-Benz DB 603A piston¹
Cylinders		Radial 14²	Radial 14²			Inverted V 12²	Inline¹
Cooling
HP		1,580 each²	1,700 each²			1,750 each²	1,750 each¹
Propeller blades		3 each²	3 each²			3 each²	3 each
Fuel capacity
Dimensions
Span	62' 4"² 19 m²		62' 4"² 19 m²	81' 4"² 24.8 m²	81' 4"² 24.8 m²		62' 4"¹ 19 m¹
Length	59' 8.5"² 18.2 m²		55' 9.25"² 17 m²				58' 4.5"¹ 17.79 m¹
Height	16' 4"² 4.98 m²		16' 4"² 4.98 m²				16' 6"¹ 5.03 m¹
Wing area							613.54 ft² ¹ 57 m² ¹
Weight
Empty		19,522 lb² 8,855 kg²					19,845 lb¹, 19,985 lb² 9,000 kg¹, 9,065 kg²
Loaded		33,070 lb² 15,000 kg²
Maximum load		36,299 lb² 16,465 kg²					36,817 lb^1,2 16,700 kg^1,2
Performance
Speed at sea level		273 mph² 439 kph²					294 mph² 473 kph²
Speed @ 17,060' / 5,200 m		320 mph² 515 kph²
Speed @ 18,700' / 5,700 m							348 mph^1,2 560 kph^1,2
Cruising speed		245 mph² 394 kph²					248 mph² 399 kph²
Climb							688'/minute¹, 690'/minute² 210 m/minute^1,2
Climb - full load		710'/minute² 216 m/minute²
Service ceiling		24,600'² 7,500 m²					24,170'², 31,170'¹ 7,367 m², 9,500 m¹
Range		1,430 miles² 2,300 km²					1,335 miles¹, 1,335 - 1,550 miles² 2,150 km¹, 2,148 km - 2,495 km²
Maximum range		1,740 miles² 2,800 km²
Armament		2: 13 mm MG² 3: 7.9 mm MG²					2: 13 mm MG^1,2 4: 7.9 mm MG² 6: 7.92 mm¹
Nose		1: 15 mm²
Bombs - internal							5,511 lb¹ 2,500 kg¹
Bombs - total		8,818 lb² 4,000 kg²					8,818 lb^1,2 4,000 kg^1,2
Under wing				2: FX 1400 Fritz X missiles²	2: FX 1400 or Hs 293 missiles²

Sources:

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

Dornier Do 217 Links
Do 217 Main page Do 217 Night Fighters

Dornier Do 217 Links

Germany's Dornier Do 217 heavy bomber1,2