WYDAWNICTWO 39 WW2 GERMAN
LUFTWAFFE DORNIER Do215 �FLYING PENCIL� BOMBER KG NJG NIGHTFIGHTER
SOFTBOUND BOOK. TEXT
IS MOSTLY IN POLISH WITH ENGLISH PHOTO CAPTIONS
INCLUDES SCALE DRAWINGS & COLOR PROFILES
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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Dornier Do 215 was a light bomber, aerial
reconnaissance aircraft and later a night fighter, produced by Dornier
originally for export, but in the event most served in the Luftwaffe. Like its
predecessor, the Dornier Do 17, it inherited the title "The Flying
Pencil" because of its slim fuselage. The successor of the Do 215 was the
Do 217.
The Do 17 fast bomber elicited renewed interest from
foreign air forces (after the initial Do 17K series production). In July 1937,
Dornier therefore prepared a pre-series Do 17 Z-0 as a demonstrator for export
customers. It was given the civil registration D-AAIV. While this aircraft was
essentially identical to the production Do 17Z, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium
assigned the designation Do 215 to the export version. However, in spite of the
Do 215 being designated as an export version, many Do 215s were used by the
Luftwaffe.
The first prototype, Do 215 V1, retained the nine-cylinder
Bramo 323 Fafnir radial engine of the Do 17Z. It crashed during testing. The
second prototype, Do 215 V2, was equipped with the Gnome-Rh�ne 14-NO radial
engine. It safely completed testing, but did not attract export orders because
it did not offer a notable performance increase over the Do 17Z. The third
prototype, Do 215 V3, used a 1,175 PS (1,159 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 601 Ba inline
engine. In 1937, Dornier had used the earlier Daimler-Benz DB 600 powerplants
in the Do 17L and Do 17M subtypes. The Do 215 V3, which first flew in the
spring of 1939, demonstrated a noticeable improvement in flight performance
compared to the earlier prototypes.
Series production of the Do 215 A-1 began in 1939. The
order, intended for the Swedish Air Force, was stopped in August 1939, due to
the political situation. The 18 extant aircraft were embargoed and pressed into
Luftwaffe service upon the outbreak of World War II.
Some modifications were made and the resulting aircraft
were redesignated as Do 215 B-0 through Do 215 B-5. This was the standard
production version. According to official figures, 105 Do 215s were produced
between 1939 and 1941 by Dornier in its factory at Oberpfaffenhofen.
The Luftwaffe initially operated the Do 215 as a bomber
and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft equipped with Rb 20/30 and Rb 50/30
cameras were used for long-range reconnaissance missions, primarily at the
Ob.d.L (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe). Later aircraft operated as night fighters.
The last of the Do 215s were retired in late 1944.
Do 215 V1
Dornier Do 17 Z-0 used as first prototype of Do 215 and
crashed during trials.
Do 215 V2
Dornier Do 17 Z-0 (D-AIIB) equipped with Gnome-Rh�ne
14-cylinder radial engines and used as second prototype of Do 215.
Do 215 V3
Third prototype of Do 215, equipped with Daimler-Benz DB
601Ba inline engines.
Do 215 A-1
Designation of original 18 aircraft built for Swedish Air
Force order.
Do 215 B-0
Three aircraft of A-1 version re-equipped for Luftwaffe
with FuG 10 and operated for bomber/reconnaissance duties.
Do 215 B-1
Renamed remaining 15 aircraft of A-1 version operated by
Luftwaffe.
Do 215 B-2
Rebuilt with sliding cover under bomb bay and equipped
with three Rb 50/30 cameras in bomb bay used for reconnaissance missions.
Do 215 B-3
Two aircraft similar to B-1 sold to Soviet Union.
Do 215 B-4
Improved reconnaissance version developed from B-2
version and equipped with Rb 20/30 & Rb 50/30 cameras.
Do 215 B-5
Night fighter version called Kauz III. 20 aircraft
converted from B-1 and B-4 versions with Do 17 Z-10 "Kauz II"
nose-equipped with IR searchlight for the Spanner infrared detection system. Do
215 B-5s were armed with four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns grouped
above the IR light and two 20 mm MG FF cannon in the lower nose. The Spanner
system proved to be useless and the Lichtenstein 202 B/C radar was installed on
some aircraft starting from the middle of 1942.
Of the versions of the Do 215 that existed, the A-1
bomber with DB 601 engines, and the B-0 and B-1 export machines were both
re-equipped with FuG 10 navigation devices for the Luftwaffe. The Do 215 B-5
was the first night fighter to be equipped with the FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C
navigation device. These aircraft saw action from January 1941 to May 1944 with
I. and IV./NJG 1 and II./NJG 2
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