Several German aircraft makers of World War 2 were convinced of the merits inherent in joining two aircraft by way of a common center wing section. This was most famously attempted by Heinkel with their He 111 medium bomber to produce the He 111Z "Zwilling" ("Twin") and the idea found even more success in America with the post-war North American F-82 "Twin Mustang" which saw combat service in the Korean War. The Dornier Do 635 existed as another short-lived attempt by German engineers to create a new "super aircraft" from an existing design.
The Do 635 was proposed during 1944 and the idea was simple enough on paper - join two examples of the promising Do 335 heavy fighter with a common center wing section while retaining all other original aspects of the high-performance fighter. The Do 335 was a unique fighter design in the grand scope of World War 2 as it showcased a pair of engines seated in line across a well-streamlined, cylindrical airframe. One engine was installed at the nose in a traditional "puller" arrangement and the other was fitted in the aft section of the fuselage in a "pusher" arrangement (behind the pilot's position). This combination of power made the Do 335 the fastest German prop-driven aircraft of the war but delays in acquiring the necessary engines led to fewer than forty examples delivered before the end of the conflict in Europe in May of 1945.
In the Do 335 "Zwilling" design, designated as Do 635, the aircraft was to retain the services of all four engines in their respective locations about the airframes. Each engine outputted 1,777 horsepower for a combined output of 7,108 horsepower. A crew of two was natural as each airframe was designed to hold one under their respective framed canopies. The combined fuselages generated a wingspan of 90 feet but more or less retained the same overall length (45.4 feet) and height (16.4 feet) of the original heavy fighter. Gross weight was estimated to be 72,532 pounds and performance specs included a top speed of 447 miles per hour with an impressive range out to 4,722 miles.
The unique arrangement of the aircraft provided generous operational ranges as output power and fuel stores were shared across both airframes. This played well into the intended role of long-range reconnaissance platform and onboard would be 2 x Rb 50 series cameras fitted to the portside fuselage. In addition to this, five target marker bombs would be carried to designate targets of opportunity. Due to the hefty weight of the aircraft, it was proposed to fit it with 2 x Walter rocket units for Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO). Landing would be conventionally accomplished as each airframe would retain its respective tricycle undercarriage.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓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
90.1 ft (27.45 m)
Height
16.4 ft (5.00 m)
Empty Wgt
49,604 lb (22,500 kg)
MTOW
72,532 lb (32,900 kg)
Wgt Diff
+22,928 lb (+10,400 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Junkers Ju 635 production variant)
Installed:
4 x Daimler-Benz DB603E V12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines developing 1,777 horsepower each (two arranged in "puller" and two arranged in "pusher" configuration).
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Junkers Ju 635 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)
None. Assumed photographic camera equipment carried for the reconnaissance role. Up to 5 x target marker bombs held in starboard side fuselage bay.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
Do 635 - Base Project Designation
Do 635 V-1 - Assumed first prototype
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
42
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 500mph
Lo: 250mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (447mph).
Graph average of 375 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Junkers Ju 635 operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
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Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Nazi Germany (cancelled)
