Dornier Do 435

The Dornier Do 435 was a planned combat aircraft for the Dornier-Werke . The manufacturer's project names are well documented. There are contradicting information about the official names, especially the classification in the RLM type list . Therefore, the various projects and development directions are summarized in this article.

history

The Dornier Do 335 fighter aircraft, which was already very powerful in its basic design , was examined for further possibilities for increasing its performance. After the Do P59, the basic design of the Do 335 was the Do P 231 , whose designs Do P 231/1 and Do P 231/2 then also led to the production version Do 335. At the beginning of 1943, Dornier also investigated the use of a jet engine instead of the rear piston engine in the draft Do P 231/3 (note: first flight Do 335V1 on October 26, 1943). The front engine was to remain a Daimler-Benz DB 603 .

In May 1943 the follow-up project Do P 232 was created with a similar design, the Jumo 004C was intended as a jet engine . The mixed drive promised to make use of the advantages of both types of drive - achieving long flight routes when flying with only a piston engine, high speed when the jet engine is switched on, shorter take-off distance due to the high initial power of the piston engine, weight reduction due to the lighter jet engine. As armament, two MG 151/20 were initially planned over the front engine, later an MK-103 motor cannon was added. The bomb load was 500 kg up to a maximum of 1000 kg. The air inlet for the jet engine with S-shaped inlet should be on the back of the fuselage and be closed by a springy flap during single-engine flight.

In autumn 1943, the Reich Aviation Ministry was proposed a successor model with the designation Do 435 .

Note : In some sources the Do P 232 is referred to as the Do 435. But this is contradicting itself. In contrast to the Do P 232, sketches show two side air inlets in the rear part of the trunk.

The hull was to be redesigned for the Do 435 while retaining the structure. It should be stretched and the driver's cab should be given a teardrop-shaped hood for better all-round visibility. The characteristic high fuselage back of the Do 335 was omitted. Two Jumo 222 with a total of over 4000 hp were to serve as the drive . In terms of design, the Do 435 was at an advanced stage. The conversion of the Do 335 V4 served as the model aircraft. In autumn 1944, however, the development was stopped by order of the RLM, as the performance of the Do 335 was classified as sufficient.

In the summer of 1944 the RLM requested a fast long-range reconnaissance aircraft with a range of over 7500 km. After his experience with the He 111Z, Heinkel suggested a similar solution with two combined Do 335s. Started as draft He P 1075 , the project was officially called the Dornier Do 635 . Also Junkers dealt with a similar solution as the Junkers Ju 635 was performed.

In the development of the night fighter, pure jet propulsion was investigated as the Do P 256 . As with the Messerschmitt Me 262 , two Heinkel HeS 011 were to be hung under the wings and the characteristic vertical stabilizer made way for a conventional vertical stabilizer. Four MK 108s were planned as armament , and additional rear armament was being considered.

According to some sources, there is said to have been a draft Do P 254 . This was renamed Do 535 and in October 1944 after it was handed over to the Heinkel works, it was renamed Heinkel He 535 .

Note : The great similarity to the information in the Do P 232 is plausible on the one hand, but in the literature some things have obviously been confused between Do P 232 and Do P 254. In particular, the information on the development sequence between Dornier, Heinkel and Junkers is the same as for the Do 635.

The Do 535 is said to have been designed as an all-weather fighter and fast reconnaissance aircraft. The basic design came from the Do 335 B with a second man under a small glass dome in the rear fuselage section. The rear engine DB 603 A-2 was to be replaced by a Heinkel HeS 011 jet engine. The concept of the Do 535 was very similar to the Do 335 B. In the role of a night fighter, additional tanks were to be attached to the underside of the wings, a FuG-218 radar was to be mounted on the wings, and the maximum speed was to be 822 km / h. The armament here consisted of a motor-launched, heavy 50 mm MK 112 cannon , two Mg 151/20 mm in the wing extensions , and two Mk 108 as " weird music " in the fuselage. According to other sources, the armament should consist of two Mg 151/20 over the engine, a motor cannon Mk 108 and two Mk 108 as angled armament in the central fuselage. The speed is given here as 822 km / h at 7.5 km and 865 km / h at 11.2 km.

Technical specifications

Dornier Do 435

• Span: 13.8 m
• Length: 13.2 m
• Height: 5.0 m
• Wing area: 38.5 m²
• Armament: 1 × MK 108 , 2 × MG 151/20

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Hans Redemann: Dornier Do 335 part 1–3 . Do P 232, Do P247 / 252 in issues 5/72, 7/72, 11/72, 3/73, 9/73. Flug Revue, Koblenz (1972, 1973).
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Heinz J. Nowarra : The German Air Armament 1933–1945 . Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Koblenz 1993, ISBN 3-7637-5464-4 .
3. ^ ^{A b} Walter Schick, Ingolf Meyer: Secret projects of the air force . Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01631-1 .
4. ↑ ^{a b} Andreas Parsch: designation-systems.net , accessed on June 2, 2010.
5. ↑ Bert Hartmann: luftarchiv.de accessed on June 2, 2010.
6. ↑ tanks45.tripod.com accessed June 3, 2010.