The Dornier Do P.254 project existed as a short-lived outgrowth of the Do 335 "Pfeil" ("Arrow") heavy fighter program. In the Do 335, an engine was fitted to the nose of the aircraft in the usual way ("puller" arrangement) but the airframe also made room aft for carrying a second engine, driving a propeller unit at the tail in a "pusher" arrangement. The combined powerplants made the Do 335 the fastest prop-driven aircraft to come out of Germany in World War 2. However, engine delays led to limited operational examples before the end of the war in 1945 and only thirty-seven or so were delivered. The aircraft project was also eclipsed by the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 high-altitude fighter.
The P.254 (Do 535) was to benefit from the foundation laid in the Do 335 in keeping the nose-mounted Daimler-Benz DB603A piston engine at the nose but substitute the tail propulsion system for a Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine for an additional thrust output of 2,866lb. Theoretically, the P.254 would become an even faster prop-driven system than the Do 335 but it lacked swept-back wings benefitting flight at higher speeds. With the German Air Ministry favoring the more conventional, competing Ta 152 high-altitude fighter, Dornier engineers hoped the addition of a jet engine to their Do 335 would keep the promising heavy fighter program alive for a time longer.
It is unclear what over-battlefield role the P.254 would have had upon reaching operation service but it may have been in line with the usual German late-war push for viable fighters, interceptors and night-fighters needed to content with the Allied day-night bombing campaigns. There was most likely a secondary role of high-speed bombing to be built in.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
45.4 ft (13.85 m)
Width/Span
45.3 ft (13.80 m)
Height
14.9 ft (4.55 m)
Empty Wgt
16,755 lb (7,600 kg)
MTOW
22,267 lb (10,100 kg)
Wgt Diff
+5,512 lb (+2,500 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Dornier Do P.254 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Daimler-Benz DB603A 12-cylinder inverted engine developing 1,725 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller at the nose; 1 x Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine in aft fuselage developing 2,866lb of thrust.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Dornier Do P.254 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
ASSUMED (based on Do 335):
1 x 30mm MK 103 cannon firing through the propeller hub in nose.
2 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in engine cowling synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,200lb of externally-held drop stores.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
P.254 - Base Project Designation
Do 535 - Alternative project designation
He 535 - Revised designation
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Images Gallery
1 / 1
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
Nazi Germany (cancelled)
