The Dornier Do 217 was a German bomber and night fighter used by the Luftwaffe in every theater of operations of World War II. Developed from the Do 17, it had a longer range and a larger bomb load capacity than its predecessor. Although its main role was as a bomber, providing support to front line troops, it was also employed as a night fighter, night interceptor, and anti-ship attack aircraft. In this latter role, it flew sorties in the Mediterranean theater, attacking Allied convoys and warships. The first production variant of this bomber was the Do 217E-1 and the last one was the 217P-0, which was a high-altitude reconnaissance bomber. The 217R would be renamed Do 317.
Prototypes and first production version
First flown in August 1938, the first prototype of the Dornier Do 217, V1, was powered by two Daimler-Benz 601A piston engines, with each one delivering 1,075 horsepower (802 kW). Despite its similar appearance to the Do 17, it was a totally new design. The following prototypes would be equipped with Junkers Jumo 211A and BMW 139 engines. However, the V9 prototype would be fitted with more powerful engines: the BMW 801, which generated 1,538 horsepower (1,147 kW).
Before mass production began, the first aircraft into service was a batch of eight Do 217A-0 aircraft, which were modified for the reconnaissance role, serving with the Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L. Delivered to the special unit in April 1940, the aircraft undertook clandestine reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union, way ahead in preparation for the invasion of the country that would take place in 1941. Meanwhile, the V9 prototype would enter service in late 1940, as the Dornier Do 217E-1, which was the first ¨deep body¨ version that was able to carry the massive bomb load of 4,000 kg (8,818-lb), of which 2,517 kg was inside the bomb bay. Like its prototype, the V9, the 217E-1 was powered by two BMW 801 radial engines.
Night fighter variant
In 1941, Dornier proposed to develop a night intruder version of the aircraft. Having been authorized, they came out with the Do 217J-1 night fighter, whose main and obvious change was the nose. Instead of a multi-pane Plexiglas nose for the bomb aimer, this version had a solid nose in which four 20-mm MG FF cannons were mounted, and four 7.92-mm MG-17 machine guns. The Do 217J-2 was fitted with the FuG 202 or the Lichtenstein BC radar for night operations. The other variant specialized as night fighter was the Do 217N-1, which first flew on July 31, 1942; it was powered by two Daimler-Benz 603 engines. Production for this aircraft began in January 1943.
Standard bomber version
The Dornier Do 217K-1 was the most widely employed bomber variant, which was a specialized night bomber. Mass production of this aircraft began in October 1942. It was very similar to the 217E-series, with the only real changes being the new BMW 801D radial engines, each one delivering 1,700 HP. Thus it was faster and had a longer range than the 217E, and a redesign of the forward fuselage, with a new nose similar to that of the Heinkel He 177, in which its front glazed part continued up to the top of forward fuselage. For night missions, it was also fitted with the FuG 202 radar, which would be replaced by the FuG 220. The Do 217K-2 was a specialist version for the carriage of the Fritz X glide bomb.
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| The Dornier Do 217K-1 bomber in flight. It wears the badge of Luftflotte 2 on the nose. |
Technical Characteristics
The Dornier Do 217 was a two-engine, medium-sized monoplane, built with an all-metal fuselage. It was fitted with cantilever shoulder-wing, which was made with two spars in three sections. The wing trailing edge was fitted with slotted ailerons, which were set up on the outer wing section. The tail consisted of a convention straight horizontal stabilizer with twin fins. The landing gear was retractable, with the main wheels folding up into the engine nacelles.
Specifications (Do 217N-2)
Type: four-seat, night interceptor, intruder fighter, and bomber.
Length: 18.9 m (62 feet)
Wing Span: 19 m (62 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Area: 57 m2 (614 square feet)
Height: 5 m (16 feet, 5 inches)
Power Plant: two Daimler-Benz DB 603A, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled engines, each rated at 1,750 HP.
Maximum Speed: 425 km/h (264 mph)
Range: 1,755 km (1,090 miles)
Service Ceiling: 8,400 m (27,559 feet)
Crew: 4
Armament: four 20-mm MG-151 cannons in lower nose; four 7.92-mm MG-17 machine guns in fuselage nose. Bomb load (Do 217K version): 4,000 kg.
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| The Do 217E in flight. It was the first production aircraft. |
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| The Do 217P was the last version of the aircraft. |