Dornier Do 317
Do 317 | |
---|---|
Role | Heavy Bomber |
Manufacturer | Dornier Flugzeugwerke |
First flight | 8 September 1943 |
Primary user | Luftwaffe |
Number built | 6 |
Developed from | Dornier Do 217 |
The Dornier Do 317 was a planned German heavy bomber of World War II.
Design and development
In June 1940, Dornier produced plans for further development of the Do 217, which would have a pressurized cabin and more powerful engines (DB 604 or Jumo 222). Designated Do 317, it was one of the proposals submitted to the RLM for the "Bomber B" project. Two versions of the Do 317 were proposed: the simplified Do 317A powered by two DB 603A engines and featuring conventional defensive armament, and the more advanced Do 317B with the heavy 1.5 tonnes apiece, counter-rotating DB 610A/B "power system" engines, remotely aimed Fernbedienbare Drehlafette (FDL)-style gun turrets, heavier bombload, and an extended wing.
Six prototypes of the Do 317A were ordered, and the first of these, the Do 317 V1, commenced its flight test program on 8 September 1943. The Do 317 V1 was very similar in appearance to the later Do 217K and -M subtypes, with a visually re-framed slight variation of its multiple glazed-panel "stepless cockpit" fully glazed nose design that accommodated a pressurized cabin provision, and triangular tail fins. Trials with the Do 317 V1 revealed no real performance advance over the Do 217, so it was decided to complete the remaining five prototypes without cabin pressurization equipment and fit them out with FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance transmitting gear to employ them as Henschel Hs 293 missile launchers. In this form the prototypes were redesignated Do 217R. At this time, the Do 317B project was abandoned due to changing wartime conditions.
Specifications (Do 317A)
Data from Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Length: 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 20.63 m (67 ft 8 in)
- Do 317B - 26 m (85 ft)
- Height: 5.44 m (17 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 68 m2 (730 sq ft)
- Gross weight: 20,140 kg (44,401 lb)
- Do 317B (estimated) - 24,000 kg (52,911 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,300 kW (1,750 hp) each
- Do 317B - 2x Daimler-Benz DB 610A/B (twinned DB605 engines) rated at 2,171 kW (2,911 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 560 km/h (348 mph; 302 kn) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
- Do 317B (estimated) - 670 km/h (416 mph) at 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
- Cruising speed: 420 km/h (261 mph; 227 kn)
- Do 317B (estimated) - 537 km/h (334 mph)
- Stall speed: 133 km/h (83 mph; 72 kn)
- Range: 3,980 km (2,473 mi; 2,149 nmi)
- Do 317B (estimated) - 3,600 km (2,237 mi)
- Service ceiling: 9,800 m (32,152 ft)
- Do 317B (estimated) - 10,515 m (34,498 ft)
Armament
- Guns:
- Do 317A
- 3 × 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun in upper turret, rear dorsal, and rear ventral positions
- 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 81 machine gun in nose
- 1 × 15 mm (0.591 in) MG 151 cannon in nose
- Do 317B
- 4 × 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun in forward and rear dorsal turrets
- 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 81 machine gun in a nose barbette
- 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon in a tail barbette
- Do 317A
- Bombs:
- Do 317A
- Up to 4,000 kg (8,818 lb)of disposable stores
- Do 317B
- Up to 9,200 kg (20,283 lb)of disposable stores
- Do 317A
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
Notes
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dornier aircraft. |
- Griehl, M. Dornier Do 217-317-417: an Operation History. Airlife, 1991.
- Green, W. Warplanes of the Third Reich. Galahad Books, 1986.
- D. Herwig & H. Rode Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft. ISBN 1-85780-150-4
- Nowarra, Heinz J. (1993). Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 : Band 1 Flugzeugtypen AEG - Dornier. 1. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. p. 41. ISBN 3-7637-5465-2.