Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17Z of the Luftwaffe.
Type	Bomber
Manufacturer	Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Maiden flight	23 November 1934[1]
Introduced	1937
Retired	1945, Luftwaffe
Primary users	WWII Luftwaffe Finnish Air Force
Number built	1,994
Variants	Dornier Do 215

The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift ("flying pencil"), was a light bomber produced by Dornier. It was used in the first three years of World War II by the Luftwaffe, before being sent to secondary roles and other nations. A small run of an updated version known as the Do 215 was also produced for export, but ended up in Luftwaffe service. The successor of the Do 17 was the Dornier Do 217. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 436 pixelsFull resolution (805 × 439 pixel, file size: 65 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph published in: The flying Pencil, Heinz J. Nowarra,Schiffer Military History - Vol 25, 1990, ISBN 0-88740-236-4. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Dornier logo. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1937: Events March March 5 - Imperial Airways opens a new flying boat base at Hythe, Hampshire. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1945: // Events January January 1 - the Luftwaffe begins targeting Allied airfields in Europe as Operation Bodenplatte February February 13-15 - Allied bombers attack Dresden with incendiary weapons, destroying most of the city and killing some 50,000 people. ... The German Luftwaffe was one of the most powerful, doctrinally advanced, and battle-experienced air forces in the world when World War II started in Europe in September 1939. ... The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil) by its pilots, was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used for a short time by the Luftwaffe. ... A light bomber is a military bomber aircraft which, when compared to other bombers, is relatively small and fast; such aircraft will probably not carry more than one ton of ordnance. ... Dornier logo. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil) by its pilots, was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used for a short time by the Luftwaffe. ... The Dornier Do 217 was a World War II medium bomber designed from scratch as a replacement for the venerable Dornier Do 17. ...

Design and development

One entirely new class of design was the Schnellbomber, a light bomber so fast that it would simply outrun defending fighters. In 1932 the Ordnance Department (Heereswaffenamt) issued development for the construction of a "freight aircraft for German State Railways", and a "high speed mail plane for Lufthansa"^[1]. Initially using the designation Do 17 the factory at Friedrichshafen began the design on 1 August 1932^[1]. A Schnellbomber (German, literally fast bomber) was a specialized high-speed bomber aircraft. ... A light bomber is a military bomber aircraft which, when compared to other bombers, is relatively small and fast; such aircraft will probably not carry more than one ton of ordnance. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... Waffenamt (WaA) was the German Army Weapons Agency. ... The Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR, literally German Imperial Railway) was the name of the German national railway created from the railways of the individual states of the German Empire following the end of World War I. It was founded in 1920 as the Deutsche Reichseisenbahnen when the Weimar Republic (formally Deutsches... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However, the once the Nazis had taken power, Herman Göring became National Commissar for aviation with former Lufthansa employee Erhard Milch as his deputy. In March 1933 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Air Ministry) was established. The Air Ministry was in charge of development and production of aircraft, and soon afterwards the test site at Rechlin became its testing ground. The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... Hermann Göring. ... Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ISIN: DE0008232125) (pronounced ) is the largest airline in Germany, and the second-largest in Europe (behind Air France-KLM, but before British Airways). ... Erhard Milch (March 30, 1892 – January 25, 1972) was a German field marshal of Jewish ancestry who oversaw the development of the Luftwaffe as part of the re-armament of Germany following World War I. // Milch was born in Wilhelmshaven to a Jewish father and Christian mother. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Rechlin is a small village in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. ...

The Reichsluftfahrtministerium designated the new aircraft Do 17. On 17 March 1933, just three months after taking office, Erhard Milch gave the go-ahead for the building of prototypes. At the end of 1933, orders were made by for a 'high speed aircraft with double tail', and for a 'freight aircraft with special equipment', in other words, a bomber. The original design sported a single tail, but in tests it proved to be marginally stable and a new twin-tail version was introduced, which also had the side effect of improving the field of fire for the rear gunner.

In April 1934 the Dornier works at Manzell began project 'definition'. During this month the defensive armament was designed and the bomb release mechanism details ironed out. Military production began on 20 May 1934 and on the 23 November 1934 the the Do 17 V-1, powered by two BMW VI7.3 motors took off on its first flight. The tests were positive and more prototypes like the V8 emerged as the forerunner of long-distance reconnaissance, and the V9 which was tested as a high speed airliner^[2]. Later the Do 17E-1, F-1 and F-2 prototypes appeared. The E-1 was initially powered by two Daimler Benz 600 engines, but were later equiped with Bramo 323 powerplants^[2]. The modifications proved worthwhile. At the 1937 international airshow in Switzerland, the Dornier Do 17 MV 1 proved a leader in its class. It was faster than Allied fighters. It along with the Bf 109, won many prizes demonstrating the prowess of German aviation designs^[2]. Look up mechanism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... First logo of Mercedes-Benz from 1926 merger of the companies founded separately by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, becoming Daimler-Benz AG Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and engines which was founded in 1926. ... The Bramo 323 Fafnir was a 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine of the World War II era. ... (Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium designation, though some late_war aircraft actually carried the Me 109 designation stamped onto their aircraft type plates. ...

It is claimed, unlike the Heinkel He 111 series, whose military use was planned from the start, that the Do 17 was contracted solely as a fast passenger/mail plane to compete with the Heinkel He 70 monoplane, as the Dornier had more internal space ^[3]. After impressive performances it was surprisingly rejected by Lufthansa as the cramped cockpit space was uncomfortable. Also, the operating costs also were too high for a mail plane. The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Heinkel He 70 Blitz was designed in the early 1930s to serve as a fast mailplane for Deutsche Lufthansa. ... Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ISIN: DE0008232125) (pronounced ) is the largest airline in Germany, and the second-largest in Europe (behind Air France-KLM, but before British Airways). ...

The purpose for which the Dornier was first designed is uncertain, as many reliable sources disagree. But if the Heinkel He 111 design was acknowledged as a 'wolf in sheeps clothing' and undoubtedly the Luftwaffe was preparing for war, it seems more likely that the Do 17 was a bomber from conception.

The three prototypes remained unused in the Dornier factory in Lowental for almost six months, until, quite by chance Flight Captain Untucht of Lufthansa came across them. After receiving permission to fly one of the machines he proceded to put it through an almost stunt-flying circuit. After landing he said that "the machine is as nimble as a fighter, give it more lateral stability and we'll have a high speed bomber!"^[4].

Operational history

Bomber

The Do 17s baptism of fire came during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) in which it outpaced enemy fighters and performed well. The Spanish nicknamed the Dornier the Bacalaos, (Cod Fish). It has been suggested that Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War be merged into this article or section. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ...

Dornier Do 17E-1 of the Condor Legion.

It proved faster than most enemy fighters. In early 1937 mass production began on the Do 17E and Do 17F series. The Do 17F-1 was to replace the Heinkel He 70 as a high-flying fast reconnaissance aircraft, while the Do 17E-1s were to replace the Condor Legions ageing Heinkel He 111Bs^[5]. However more modern Soviet-supplied Republican aircraft were capable of intercepting the E and F variants, which prompted the Dornier to upgrade its defensive armament, and its powerplants to air-cooled radial engines, (as the DB 600 was now to be used in fighters). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hermann Göring delivering an honour (likely to be the Spanienkreuz, Spanish Cross) to a member of the Legion Condor (April 1939) The Condor Legion was a unit of Nazi Germanys air force which was sent as volunteers to support the right wing Nationalists (i. ... Anthem El Himno de Riego Capital Madrid Language(s) Spanish Government Republic President¹  - 1931 Niceto Alcalá-Zamora  - 1937-1939 Juan Negrín Legislature Congress of Deputies Historical era Interwar period  - Monarchy abolished April 14, 1931  - Spanish Civil War 1936-1939  - Surrender to Franco April 1, 1939 Currency Spanish peseta ¹ Formal...

During the first phase of the war, the Do 17 , along with the He 111, formed the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Kampfgruppen (See Luftwaffe Organization). From 1939 - 1940 three of the Luftwaffe's bomber groups, KG 2, 3 and 76 operated the Dornier^[6]. The German Luftwaffe of World War 2 had a distinct pattern of organization. ...

On 1 September 1939, 533 Dorniers and 705 Heinkels were combat ready^[7]. During the Polish campaign, the Do 17Z version could use its 265 mph (427 km/h) maximum speed to stay away from most enemy fighters, and its light armament was effective, but when it faced British fighters during the Battle of Britain, it was shown that the introduction of fast, well-armed monoplane fighters had changed the balance between bombers and fighter in favour of the latter. Since the Fafnir engine was a low-altitude engine, the Luftwaffe employed the Do 17 units for a number of terrain-following mass raids in an attempt to evade fighter opposition. Its reliability and robustness afforded it great popularity in the Luftwaffe^[8]. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from:[1] Poland New Zealand Canada Czechoslovakia Belgium Australia South Africa France Ireland United States Jamaica Palestine Rhodesia Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength 754 single-seat fighters 149 two-seat fighters 560 bombers 500 coastal 1,963 total...

Dornier Do 17Z-2 over France, Summer 1940.

The Dornier had performed well in the opening campaigns but the Battle of Britain was to be the last major battle for the '17 series. For the first time the Luftwaffe encountered well organised resistance, that consisted of modern fighter aircraft. The Dornier was manouverable in comparison to the Heinkel and was ideal for low level attacks. This advantage became moot on 7 September 1940 when the Luftwaffe switched to the bombing of London (known as the Blitz). Losses mounted but on the 15 September 1940 the three Dornier equipped Kampfgruppen suffered heavily, losing twenty shot down and thirteen damaged^[9]. The battle continued into October as the Luftwaffe concentrated on night attacks which were carried out by units mainly equipped with the Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 88 as they had bigger bomb loads. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 382 pixelsFull resolution (802 × 383 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph published in: The flying Pencil, Heinz J. Nowarra,Schiffer Military History - Vol 25, 1990, ISBN 0-88740-236-4. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 382 pixelsFull resolution (802 × 383 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph published in: The flying Pencil, Heinz J. Nowarra,Schiffer Military History - Vol 25, 1990, ISBN 0-88740-236-4. ... Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from:[1] Poland New Zealand Canada Czechoslovakia Belgium Australia South Africa France Ireland United States Jamaica Palestine Rhodesia Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength 754 single-seat fighters 149 two-seat fighters 560 bombers 500 coastal 1,963 total... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Look up Blitz in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ...

With the introduction of the Junkers Ju 88, the Do 17's days were numbered, and production ended in 1940. Even with the end of production the Dornier was to see action in notable numbers after the Battle of Britain during the Balkan Campaign. Combatants Germany Italy Bulgaria Albania Greece United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Yugoslavia Commanders Maximilian von Weichs Giovanni Messe Alexander Papagos Henry Maitland Wilson The Balkans Campaign was the Italian and German invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II. It began with Italys annexation of Albania in April...

Initially Yugoslavia had been pro-German, and looked set to join the Axis Powers but a military coup had toppled the Government which declared itself neutral. Infuriated Adolf Hitler ordered the conquest of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslavs had ordered twenty Do 17 Ka-2 at the end of 1940. This machines differed from the German Dorniers as they were powered by French Gnome-Rhone 14 engines^[10]. In 1940 the Yugoslavs license built fifty of these variants but most were destroyed in the campaign^[10]. The Luftwaffe had comitted Luftflotte 4 to the invasions. Included inits strength were KG 2 and KG 3 the only Kampfgruppes ,in a force of seven, equipped with the Do 17^[11]. Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, Југославија in Cyrillic; English: Land of the South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

After the successful conclusion of the Balkans campaign the Luftwaffe prepared for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. By this time the Kampfgruppes had effectively converted to the Ju 88 and the part played by the Do 17 was minimal. Just two reconnaissance Staffel, and three Kampfgruppen 'employed' the Dornier^[12]. As 1941 wore on the Dornier was fazed-out. Surviving planes were used as test beds for new technologies while many others were handed off to allied nations over the next two years. It was also the template for the much larger and totally new, yet similar-looking, Dornier Do 217. Combatants Germany, Romania, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Fedor von Bock Gerd von Rundstedt Günther von Kluge Heinz Guderian Ernst Busch Georg von Küchler Wilhelm List Erich von Manstein Ion Antonescu C.G.E. Mannerheim Giovanni Messe Italo Gariboldi Mikl... The Dornier Do 217 was a World War II medium bomber designed from scratch as a replacement for the venerable Dornier Do 17. ...

The last of the "Flying Pencils" served with the Luftwaffe until late 1944. However the Do 17 continued to see action in other former German-Allied Air Forces. Seven Do 17s serving with Finnish Air Force survived the end of hostilities and continued to serve until they were scrapped in 1947^[13]. The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ...

The Dornier was, and continues to be, overshadowed by the Luftwaffe's other bomber types, namely the He 111 and the Ju 88.

Nightfighter

The Z-10 served for two years in the night fighter role, where they were used in Josef Kammhuber's defensive system known as the Kammhuber Line. Each fighter was assigned a single "cell", with three strips of such cells running from Denmark to the middle of France. Within each cell a direction center on the ground tracked both the Kauz and a single target, guiding them until the target was visible in night glasses or the Spanner detector. Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896–January 1, 1986) was the first General of the Night Fighters in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He is credited with setting up the first truly successful night fighter defense system, the so-called Kammhuber Line, but a detailed knowledge of the system provided... The Kammhuber Line was the name given to the German night air defense system established in July 1940 by Colonel Josef Kammhuber. ...

All surviving Z-10 were removed from frontline duty in Summer 1942, they were either used as spare parts or transferred to nightfighter schools.

Royal Yugoslav Air Force

Do 17K from the 3rd bomber regiment of Royal Yugoslav Air Force, April 1941

At the beginning of the April war, Royal Yugoslav Air Force was armed with some 60 Dornier Do 17Ks. The only air force unit that was armed with this type was 3 vazduhoplovni puk (3rd bomber regiment) composed out of two bomber groups; 63rd bomber group stationed at the airport Petrovac near Skopje and 64th bomber group stationed at the airport Milesevo near Pristina. During hostilities, the aircraft factory in Kraljevo managed to produce three more aircraft of this type. Two were delivered to RYAF on 10 April and one was delivered on 12 April 1941. The Luftwaffe destroyed 26 of these Yugoslav Dorniers in the initial assault. Total Yugoslav losses stood at four destroyed in aerial combat and 45 destroyed on the ground^[14]. Between 14th and 15th of April, seven remaining Do 17K flew to Niksic airport and took part in the evacuation of King Petar II and members of the Yugoslav government to Greece. During this operation, Yugoslav gold reserves were also airlifted to Greece by seven Do 17s^[15]. After completing their task, five Do 17K were destroyed when Italian planes attacked the Greek Paramitia airport. Only two Do 17Ks escaped destruction and later joined the RAF in Egypt. During this time it is also recorded that two Dorniers escaped to the Soviet Union^[16]. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 171 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 342 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Do 17K from the 3rd bomber regiment of Royal Yugoslav Air Force, April 1941. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 171 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 342 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Do 17K from the 3rd bomber regiment of Royal Yugoslav Air Force, April 1941. ... “April War” redirects here. ... The Yugoslav Royal Air Force or Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo (JKRV) in Serbo-Croatian was formed upon the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that year later renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia existed from 1918 to Royal Yugoslavias capitulation in the Second World War in 1941. ... A town in Montenegro (federation of Serbia and Montenegro) 55 km west from Podgorica ... The church of St. ... MileÅ¡evo can refer to: MileÅ¡evo (village), a village in Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia. ... Prishtinë/Prishtina (Albanian indefinite/definite form) or Priština (Приштина) (Serbian) is the capital city of Kosovo, a landlocked province of Serbia located at 42°65′ N 21°17′ E. It is estimated that the current population of Prishtina is... Kraljevo in 1930 Kraljevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Краљево,  ) is a city and municipality located in Serbia at , built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Serbian Morava; and in the midst of an upland valley, between the Kotlenik Mountains, in the north, and the Stolovi Mountains, in... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Peter II (6 September 1923 - 3 November 1970) was the last King of Yugoslavia. ... RAF is an three letter acronym for: Royal Air Force -- the Air Force of the United Kingdom (see also Air Ministry) Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion) -- a German terror organisation Rigas Autobusu Fabrika -- a factory making buses in Riga, Latvia Rapid Action Force in India Računarski Fakultet RAF...

Variants

Dornier Do 17E of the Luftwaffe

Dornier Do 17F of the Luftwaffe

Dornier Do 17Z of the Finnish Air Force

Do 17E and F

The prototypes were powered by Daimler-Benz DB 600 engines, but these were constantly in short supply. Production started instead with the BMW VI inline engine, creating the Do 17 E-1 bomber and Do 17 F-1 reconnaissance versions. The bombload of the E-1 was 500 kg, and it was armed with two defensive MG 15 machine guns, one in a position on the cabin roof and one a small hatch in the floor with a restricted field of fire.

Do 17K

After seeing the Do 17 MV at the Zürich air races in 1937, the Yugoslavian Air Force bought licence rights for production at Drzavna Fabrika Aviona. They equipped it with the considerably better Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines and added a Hispano 20 mm cannon and three 7.92 mm Browning machine guns.

Do 17L and M

The Do 17 L-0 and Do 17 M-0 were developed in parallel as replacements for the earlier E and Fs, the L being the reconnaissance version. Both were designed around the more powerful DB 600A engines, delivering about 1,000 hp (750 kW). Two L and one M versions were built as prototypes, both with another MG 15 in the nose.

The feasibility of the Schnellbomber was demonstrated at the International Military Aircraft Competition at Zürich in 1937, where the Do 17M prototype finished ahead of all the fighters in the competition.

The supply of the DB 600 remained extremely limited as production was soon switched over to the fuel-injected DB 601, which was reserved for the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110. Production versions of the basic Do 17M model airframe were thus fitted with the new Bramo 323A-1 Fafnir of 900 hp (670 kW), which gave reasonable performance and raised the bombload to 1,000 kg. The resulting Do 17 M-1 was produced in small numbers and operated until the first year of the war, when they were withdrawn and sent to training units.

Do 17P

The L version would not be able to enter production with the DB 600, and the Bramo engine was rather thirsty and left the M models with too short a range for use in the reconnaissance role. BMW 132N radials of 865 hp (645 kW) were selected instead, which had lower fuel consumption for better range. This Do 17 P-1 was produced in some numbers, but why this version was not called the L-1 is a mystery. Another two prototypes with DB 600 engines were produced as the Do 17 R-0, but did not enter production.

Do 17S and U

When fast monoplane fighters began catching up with the speed of the Do 17, a completely new pod-like cockpit was designed for the plane to give the crew more room and better visibility. The roof was extended upward over the line of the fuselage, sloping down to meet it just in front of the wing. The dorsal gun was moved to the rear of the pod where it had a considerably better field of fire. Likewise, the floor was dropped under the fuselage and the ventral gun moved to the back of the pod, allowing it to fire directly to the rear. The changes in the roof and floor made the whole front of the plane much larger.

Three prototypes with the DB 600 inverted-V engines were constructed as the Do 17 S-0 reconnaissance version, but it did not go into production. An additional fifteen Do 17 U-1 pathfinder models were built, similar to the S but adding an additional crewman (taking the total to five) to operate the extra radio equipment. The U models were to fly in ahead of other bombers on night missions, using the radio equipment to locate the target and drop flares on it. They were personally requested by KG 100 as experimental models for this role.

Do 17Z

Wide-scale production finally settled on the definitive Do 17Z models. At first a batch of Z-0s were built with the Fafnir for testing, the DB 600 again proving to be too hard to come by. These were quickly replaced with the Z-1 model, which added another gun for the bombardier, but the additional weight of the nose and guns meant the bombload was reduced to 500 kg.

This was addressed in the major production model, the Do 17 Z-2. The Z-2 mounted the new 323P version of the Fafnir with 1,000 hp (750 kW), which was specifically tuned to the performance needs of the Do 17 by decreasing supercharger power at lower altitudes and thus improving low-level performance. The increase in takeoff power allowed the bombload to be increased back to 1,000 kg. On the downside the new engines were also quite "thirsty" at low altitudes, and the combat range with a 1,000 kg bombload was a very short 205 miles (330 km). The armament was further upgraded by adding an additional pair of guns firing out of the sides of the upper part of the pod, but as the three guns were all fired by a single gunner, only one of them could be fired at a time.

Modifications of the basic Z-2 model included the Z-3 and Z-6, the reconnaissance version, the Z-4 dual-control trainer, and the Z-5 which included floatation cells in the fuselage and engine nacelles in case it was forced down on water. Some 537 Z-2s were produced before the lines shut down in July 1940.

Do 17 Z-7/Z-10 Kauz I/II

After bomber production ended in 1940, the Z model was modified with a "solid" nose from the Ju 88C, fitted with one 20 mm MG FF cannon and three 7.92 mm MG 17s, to be used as night fighters. Three prototypes were converted from existing Z-series airframes to the Do 17 Z-7 Kauz I (screech-owl) configuration. Later the design was further modified to the Do 17 Z-10 Kauz II, the solid nose now containing an IR searchlight for the Spanner infrared detection system. The Z-10 was armed with four 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns grouped above the IR light and two 20 mm MG FF in the lower nose. Only ten of these Kauz II designs were converted from existing Z-series airframes. The Spanner system proved to be essentially useless and many Z-10 were left without detection system. At least one Z-10, coded CD+PV, was used as a flying testbed to help developing the Lichtenstein radar system in late 1941/1942.

Do 215

Main article: Dornier Do 215

The Do 215 was developed as an export version of the Do 17Z series, was used as bomber, reconnaissance and night fighter aircraft.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 507 pixel Image in higher resolution (1500 × 951 pixel, file size: 272 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I received the picture from my friend via MSN Messenger. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 507 pixel Image in higher resolution (1500 × 951 pixel, file size: 272 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I received the picture from my friend via MSN Messenger. ... The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... The Daimler-Benz DB 600 was a German aircraft engine built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 110, Heinkel He 111 among others. ... The BMW VI was a water-cooled V-12 aircraft engine built in Germany in the 1920s. ... An inline engine is an internal-combustion engine with cylinders aligned in one or several rows. ... The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most recognizable and famous bombers of World War II. A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... The MG 15 was a 7. ... View of the inner city with the four main churches visible, and the Albis in the backdrop Zürich (German: , Zürich German: Züri , French: , in English generally Zurich, Italian: ) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, Југославија in Cyrillic; English: Land of the South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... The 14N was a 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine designed and manufactured by Gnome-Rhône. ... Radial engine of a biplane. ... The Hispano Suiza 20 mm cannon was one of the most widely used aircraft weapons of the 20th century, used by British, American, French, and many other military services. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... View of the inner city with the four main churches visible, and the Albis in the backdrop Zürich (German: , Zürich German: Züri , French: , in English generally Zurich, Italian: ) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and... German Airfield, France, 1941 propaganda photo of the Luftwaffe, Bf 109 fighters on the tarmac The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (called an M.E. One-Ten by American pilots) was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer - German for Destroyer) in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber (JagdBomber-Jabo) and night fighter operations... The Bramo 323 Fafnir was a 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine of the World War II era. ... The BMW 132 was a nine-cylinder radial aircraft engine produced by BMW starting in 1933. ... A supercharger (also known as a blower) is an air compressor used to force more air (and hence more oxygen) into the combustion chamber(s) of an internal combustion engine than can be achieved at ambient atmospheric pressure (natural aspiration). ... The MG FF was a drum-fed 20 mm aircraft cannon developed in 1936 by Oerlikon and license-produced in Germany. ... The MG 17 was a 7. ... A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night, or in other times of bad visibility. ... Image of two girls in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false-color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... The MG 17 was a 7. ... Lichtenstein radar was a German airborn radar in use during World War II. Early Lichtenstein BC units were not deployed until 1942, and as they operated on the 2 m wavelength they required large antennas. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil) by its pilots, was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used for a short time by the Luftwaffe. ...

Survivors

Today none of the Dornier twin-engined bomber variants survive.

Operators

•  Bulgaria: 10 aircraft received in 1940
• Croatia
•  Finland
•  Germany
•  Romania: 10 aircraft received in 1942
• Spanish State
•  Turkey 2 aircraft received in 1942
• Kingdom of Yugoslavia

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Specifications (Do 17 Z-2)

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 (pilot, bomb aimer/gunner, two gunners)
• Length: 15.80 m (51 ft 10 in.)
• Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in.)
• Height: 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in.)
• Wing area: 55 m² (590 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,209 kg (11,480 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 8,850 kg (19,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× BMW Bramo 323P Fafnir 9-cylinder radial engines, 750 kW (1,000 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 427 km/h (231 knots, 265 mph)
• Range: 1,160 km (626 nm, 721 mi) combat (half load)
• Service ceiling: 8,200 m (27,000 ft)

Armament

• Guns: 6× 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15; lower nose gun occasionally replaced with 20 mm (0.787 in) MG FF cannon

For an explanation of the units and abbreviations in this list, please see Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Units key. The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... The Bramo 323 Fafnir was a 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine of the World War II era. ... The radial engine is an internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... The MG 15 was a 7. ... The MG FF was a drum-fed 20 mm aircraft cannon developed in 1936 by Oerlikon and license-produced in Germany. ... M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ...

References

• Dressel, Joachim and Griehl, Manfred. Bombers of the Luftwaffe. London: DAG Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-85409-140-9.
• Goss, Chris. Dornier 17: In Focus. Surrey, UK: Red Kite Books, 2005. ISBN 0-9546201-4-3.
• Nowarra, Heinz J.The Flying Pencil. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-88740-236-4.

External links

• Dornier 17 Research site
• [1] - Dornier Do 17 page -Aircraft of the Luftwaffe

Related content

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Dornier Do 17

Related development

• Dornier Do 215
• Dornier Do 217
• Dornier Do 317

Comparable aircraft

• Bristol Blenheim
• De Havilland Mosquito
• Tupolev SB

Designation sequence

• Wn 15 - Wn 16 - Do 16 - Do 17 - Do 18 - Do 19 - Do 20

Related lists

• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of Germany

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil) by its pilots, was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used for a short time by the Luftwaffe. ... The Dornier Do 217 was a World War II medium bomber designed from scratch as a replacement for the venerable Dornier Do 17. ... The Dornier Do 317 was a planned German World War II heavy bomber. ... The Bristol Type 142M Blenheim was a high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of World War II, built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. ... The de Havilland Mosquito[1] was a British combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the Second World War. ... The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name SB (Скоростной бомбардировщик - Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik - high speed bomber), and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934. ... The Dornier Do J was a twin-engine German flying boat of the 1920s designed by Dornier Flugzeugwerke. ... Categories: Stub | German airliners 1930-1939 | German patrol aircraft 1930-1939 | Seaplanes and flying boats | World War II German patrol aircraft ... The Dornier Do 19 was a German four-engined heavy bomber that first flew on October 28, 1936. ... // 1914-1918 France Breguet 14 Germany Albatros C.III Rumpler Taube Gotha G AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG N.I AEG R.I Italy Caproni Ca. ... This list of military aircraft of Germany includes prototype, pre-production, and operational types. ...