The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17.
known as the Fliegender Bleistift.
Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber but not meant to be capable of the longer-range missions envisioned for the larger Heinkel He 177, the Do 217’s design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940.
It entered service in early 1941 and by the beginning of 1942 was available in significant numbers.
Variants
Do 217 A-0
Pre-production series with two 1,100 PS (809 kilowatts (1,085 hp)) DB 601B inline engines, used for reconnaissance missions.
Only eight aircraft were built.
Do 217 C-0
Pre-production bomber, DB 601B engines, increased defensive armament.
Only four built.
Do 217 E-0
Pre-production bomber with deepened fuselage and powered by two 1,560 PS 1,147 kilowatts (1,538 hp) BMW 801A engines.
Do 217 E-1
Production bomber with five 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns and one 15 mm MG 151 cannon for defence.
Do 217 E-2
Bomber with dive bombing capabilities, with three 7.92 mm MG 15s, two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns, one 15 mm MG 151, and a 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb) bombload.
Do 217 E-3
Level bomber, seven 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15s and one forward-firing 20 mm MG FF cannon.
Do 217 E-4
BMW 801L engines.
Do 217 E-5
E-4 with extended wingspan, modified on production line with added Kehl radio control gear to launch Henschel Hs 293 missiles.
Do 217 G
In January 1940 Dornier produced a data sheet for a Do 217 G with BMW 801 engines with the same airframe as a Do 217 E-1, None were built.
Do 217 H
Conversion of a Do 217 E with DB 601 engines fitted with experimental turbo-superchargers.
Do 217 K
Bomber with redesigned forward fuselage with stepped windscreen eliminated, a common World War II German bomber cockpit design concept adopted just before the start of World War II initially on earlier Heinkel bombers (He 111P and 177A).
Two 1,560 PS BMW 801L radial engines.
Do 217 K-1
Standard bomber version.
Do 217 K-2
Extended wingspan with Kehl radio gear to carry Fritz X bombs on underwing racks.
Do 217 K-3
Similar to K-2, but capable of carrying both Henschel Hs 293 or Fritz X.
Do 217 M
Bomber; Do 217K with 1,750 PS 1,287 kilowatts (1,726 hp) DB 603A inline piston engines.
Do 217 M-1
Equivalent to the K-1.
Do 217 M-3
DB 603A-engined equivalent to the K-3.
Do 217 M-5
Kehl radio gear-equipped Henschel Hs 293 carrier with a single missile mounted semi-externally beneath the fuselage.
Do 217 M-11
Similar to the K-2 with extended wingspan, Kehl control gear and Fritz X bombs.
Do 217 J
Night fighter based on the Do 217 E.
Solid nose with four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns and four 20 mm MG FFs.
Do 217 J-1
Night intruder version.
Do 217 J-2
Dedicated night fighter.
Bomb bays removed.
Do 217 L
Modified version of the Do 217K with rearranged cockpit and defensive armament.
Only two built.
Do 217 N
Night fighter based on the Do 217 M.
Armament similar to Do 217 J but with improved 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons replacing the 20 mm MG FFs plus the addition of four 20 mm MG 151/20s as Schräge Musik.
Do 217 N-1
Similar to J-2.
Do 217 N-2
N-1 with defensive gun turret and bomb bay equipment removed to reduce weight.
Do 217 P
High-altitude reconnaissance aircraft with two 1,860 PS 1,368 kilowatts (1,835 hp) DB 603B supercharged by a DB 605T in the fuselage with a ceiling of 16,155 metres (53,002 ft).
Three Do 217 P-0 pre-production aircraft only.
Do 217 R
Redesignated Dornier Do 317 prototypes used as Henschel Hs 293 carriers.
Specifications
Crew
4
Length
17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Wingspan
19 m (62 ft 4 in)
Height
4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)
Wing area
57 m2 (610 sq ft)
Empty weight
9,065 kg (19,985 lb)
Empty equipped weight
10,950 kg (24,140 lb)
Max take-off weight
16,700 kg (36,817 lb)
Fuel capacity
2,960 l (780 US gal; 650 imp gal) in fuselage tank and four wing tanks
Powerplant
2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines,
1,305 kW (1,750 hp) each for take-off
1,379 kW (1,849 hp) at 2,100 m (6,900 ft)
Propellers
3-bladed VDM constant-speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
475 km/h (295 mph, 256 kn) at sea level
560 km/h (350 mph; 300 kn) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft)
Cruise speed
400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn) at optimum altitude
Range
2,180 km (1,350 mi, 1,180 nmi) with maximum internal fuel
Ferry range
2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi) with auxiliary fuel tank
Service ceiling
9,500 m (31,200 ft) without bomb load
7,370 m (24,180 ft) with maximum internal bomb load
Rate of climb
3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
Time to altitude
1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 3 minutes 18 seconds
2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 6 minutes 42 seconds
Armament
Guns
2x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) MG 81 machine gun with 500 rpg in the nose
2x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) MG 81 machine gun with 750 rpg in lateral positions
1x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun with 500 rounds in ventral step
1x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun with 500 rounds in
Bombs
Maximum bomb load 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) (2,520 kg (5,560 lb) internally).
