The Dornier Do 335 [i]Pfeil[/span] was a very special aircraft of unique design,

claimed to be the fastest piston-engine aircraft of the Second World War. The idea
of allocating two compounds engine-

propeller in the same axis was intended to reduce the aerodynamic resistance of the
aircraft in comparison with the conventional aircraft that had them installed in
the wings. One of the propellers

would be pulling the aircraft while the other would be pushing it. This idea,
however, did not create a new school of thinking; rather, it could be considered as
a tantrum from the jealous piston

engines towards the future technology of turbojets, which in no time would surpass
in efficiency any aeronautical application of the piston engines, no matter how
witty it were. Actually the

Dornier company had been investigating this propulsion system based in a tandem
configuration for the engines since the end of the First World War; the Dornier Do
335 would be the definitive

creation after 25 years of experience, but born in the worst moment possible. This
tandem configuration allowed to fly in normal conditions with only one engine
running, which in turn allowed for a

maximum speed of only 563 kilometers/hour, given the considerable weight of this
aircraft, which would include then the inactive engine, a true dead weight. This
was the Achilles Heel of this

aircraft, excessive weight and size that were not really justified by the excellent
prestations, that moreover could be improved by using other techniques. The truth
behind the flamboyant design

was that most part of the turbojet fighters then in development could surpass the
speed of the Dornier 335 - with the notable exception of the Gloster Meteor,
situation that would not last much

anyway -, in some cases with a notorious margin. Also some of the most advanced
designs of single-engine piston fighters introduced towards the end of the conflict
would be capable of reaching

maximum speeds not far from the 765 kilometers/hour than the Do 335 could reach;
and they could do this while carrying comparable firepower - which in the Do 335
was comparatively weak for an

aircraft of such dimensions - in a rather smaller cell.[p]

This unique design of fighter flew for the first time in the autumn 1943, starting
the test flights the pre-series models A-0 at the end of the summer 1944. To these
were united the A-1 to form a

Kommando for tests in operations in the beginning of 1945. Total production reached
only 37 exemplars. Let us see now a brief description of some of the different
versions of the Do 335:[p]
[b]Do 335 V1/14[/span]: Prototypes. Progressive changes in the fuselage and since
the V5 in the armament as well. 14 units built.[p]
[b]Do 335 A-0[/span]: Pre-series model. Fighter-bomber version. Engines DB 603A-2
1750 HP. 10 units built.[p]
[b]Do 335 A-1[/span]: Initial series model. Different engines. 11 units built.[p]
[b]Do 335 A-4[/span]: Long-range reconnaissance version, unarmed. Two cameras Rb
50/30 (18) in the bombs compartment. Engine DB 603G 1900 HP. Conversion from an A-
0, not completed.[p]
[b]Do 335 A-6, A-10[/span]: Two-seat night fighter and training versions,
respectively. Not completed (only prototypes V-10 and V-11).[p]
[b]Do 335 A-12[/span]: Two-seat training version. Engine DB 603E-1 1800 HP. 2 units
built.[p]
[b]Do 335B[/span]: Tank destroyer version. Not completed (only prototypes V-13 and
V-14).[p]
[fs]Note from the author: In the two-seater version the rear cockpit was placed in
a raised position in respect of the fore cockpit, in a configuration that reminds
combat helicopters like the Mil

Mi-24.[/span][p]
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[fs]The Do 335 shown in this wartime photo was later exposed in the National Air
and Space Museum in Washington DC. The only surviving exemplar, this aircraft was
the second pre-series exemplar of

the version A-0, denominated A-02, whose serial number is 240102 and the registry
of the factory VG+PH. This exemplar was assembled in the Dornier facilities in
Oberpfaffenhofen the 16th April 1945

and captured by the Allies the 22nd April in the same factory. Another exemplar
with registry number FE-1012 was sent as well to United States for evaluation and
its fate remains a mystery.[/span][p]
The comparison chart below shows the characteristics of the Do 335 along with other
prominent aircraft of that time, they all German with the exception of the American
P-80. In 1939 Fritz Wendel

had achieved the highest speed ever in a piston-engine aircraft; he reached 754.8
kilometers/hour aboard a Messerschmitt Me 209 V1. The Do 335 was capable of
surpassing that speed while not being

an aircraft designed for the sole purpose of beating a speed record, but a complete
war machine. However, traditional piston-engine propulsion was already giving the
maximum that it could; we can

take as reference the record set in August 1989 by a modified Grumman F8F Bearcat
known as [i]Rare Bear[/span], which reached a speed of 850.24 kilometers/hour. This
happened 45 years after the first

Do 335 had flown, and the increase in speed had been less than 90 kilometers/hour,
while in the time of the Do 335, the babbling turbojet engines were already able to
surpass such speed of 850

kilometers/hour. The Me 262, the He 162 or the P-80 were able to reach such speed,
but certainly they were not heavy fighters as the Do 335. However this one was
comparatively armed like a normal

fighter of the late wartime and it is hard to tell what exactly the Luftwaffe
needed then of such an aircraft. Due to the piston-engine typology it seems clear
that this aircraft would not age well

in the hypothetic case of a prolonged war. A few advanced piston-engine fighters

were already capable of reaching speeds above 700 kilometers/hour with only one
engine; the Ta 152H was really close

to catch the Do 335 in this regard. The Do 335 could have been a powerful adversary
during few years, until the number of turbojet fighters - for example the P-80 - in
the battlefield would grow in

intolerable numbers or other simpler and cheaper piston-engine designs of similar

performance - for example the Ta 152H - would have rendered the Do 335 as not
profitable. It is also notable that

the version of the bomber Ar 234 equipped with four BMW 003A-1 turbojet engines
could reach 875 kilometers/hour, far away from the standard version fitted with two
engines.[p]
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[b]Structure of the Do 335[/span][p]
Even if not in every of its dimensions, it seems factible to think in the Do 335 as
the most voluminous fighter, in general terms, produced during the Second World
War. The landing gear in fore

tricycle contributed to accentuate the impression of a behemoth fighter. The

fuselage was of entirely metallic construction, although the vertical fins had
wooden leading edges. Pilots were

generally enthusiastic about the characteristics of the Do 335, commenting

favorably on its general handling behavior and maneuverability, and in particular,
on its acceleration and turning circle.

The instruments and controls in the cockpit were the standard in any German
aircraft of its kind; the front panel instrumentation, with twin indicators for the
engines to the right, and the side

control consoles, had certain resemblance with the ones installed in the Me 262.
There was a primitive ejection seat and there were explosive charges ready to
detach the rear tails and propeller

from the aircraft in the event of an emergency ejection, along with the canopy. The
Do 335 had the world's first ejection seat; it was vital due to the rear propeller,
albeit this seat could cause

terrible injuries. Backwards visibility from the cockpit was deficient however, due
to the anormally thick aft fuselage that had to shelter the rear engine. The
engines were two in-line Daimler-

Benz DB 603E-1, liquid-cooled, with twelve pistons in inverted V. They were quite
powerful but not specially; there were more powerful engines in use already in
other countries. The development of

this engine had started already before 1939, but it was not ready until 1942. As a
curiosity, it may be worth saying that one of the prototypes of this engine was
intended to be installed in the

automobile Mercedes-Benz T80 created to set a speed record; it was stimated that it
could reach 750 kilometers/hour, which is hard to believe. Nonetheless, the
outbreak of the war cancelled the

attempt. There was a huge fuel tank (1280 liters) behind the pilot's cabin, or
below the operator's cabin, in the case of the two-seater version; it is improbable
that the crew would appreciate

such placement for the fuel tank. Just after this deposit was installed the rear
engine, which was connected to the rear propeller by a long transmission shaft;
there was a ventral air intake in

the aft fuselage to refrigerate this engine. To protect the rear propeller during
takeoff a ventral tail was installed symmetrically to the dorsal tail. Wings had a
certain arrow shape, but not so

notorious as in the Me 262; there were not guns installed in them, but pods in the
lower surface, allowing to mount cannon pods, bombs or fuel tanks as needed. The
wings also provided stowage space

for the master compass, the armored hydraulic fluid reservoir and compressed air
bottles. A 30-millimeter cannon shared space with the fore engine, firing through
the propeller cone, while two 15

-millimeter machine guns were installed above the engine, synchronized with the
rotation of the propeller.[p]
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[b]Specifications for Do 335A-1[/span][p]
[box]
Type: Fighter-bomber[p]
Propulsion plant: Two Daimler-Benz DB 603E-1 1800 HP[p]
Maximum speed at 6500 meters of altitude: 765 kilometers/hour[p]
Cruising speed: 450 kilometers/hour[p]
Time to reach 1000 meters of altitude: 55 seconds[p]
Normal operational range: 1400 kilometers[p]
Service ceiling: 11400 meters[p]
Weight (empty): 7260 kilograms[p]
Weight (full load): 9600 kilograms[p]
Wingspan: 13.80 meters[p]
Length: 13.85 meters[p]
Height: 5 meters[p]
Wing area: 38.50 square meters[p]
Armament: One MK 103 30-millimeter cannon firing through the propeller cone and two
MG 151 15-millimeter machine guns in the nose above the engine; up to 500 kilograms
of bombs[p]
[/div][p]