Donier DO 335 A 'Pfeil' by junge1

Photography • Military • posted on Jul 17, 2015

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Description

The unique Donier DO 335 'Pfeil' (Arrow) was among the fastest piston-engine aircraft ever built. The unconventional push-pull arrangement of its fore and aft propellers produced the power of two engines but with less drag and better maneuverability. The DO 335 first flew in September 1943. Fighter, trainer, reconnaissance and night fighter versions were planned, but the war ended before large-scale production could begin. This airplane, a DO 335 A-O, is one of 10 pre-production aircraft and the sole survivor of its type. U.S. Army forces captured it at the Donier factory at Rechlin-Oberpfaffenhofen on 22 April 1945. The U. S, Navy flight tested it at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station from 1945 to 1948. The Smithonian acquired it in 1961. In 1974 it was returned to Germany, restored by Donier, and displayed at the Deutsches Museum in Munich until 1991. General Characteristics: Crew: 1 Length: 13.85 m (45-ft 5 in) Wingspan: 13. 8 m (45-ft 1 in) Height: 4.55 m (15-ft) Empty weight: 7,400 kg (16,314 lb) Max takeoff weight: 9,600 kg (21,164 lb) Powerplant: 2 x Daimler-Benz DB 603A 12-cylinder inverted engines, 1,726 hp ea Performance: Maximum speed: 765 km/h (474 mph) Service ceiling: 11,400 m (37,400-ft) Armament: 1 x 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 103 cannon (as forward engine-mounted Motorkanone) 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cowl-mounted synchronized auto cannons Up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb load (Wikipedia and other sources) This picture was taken on 3 June 2015, Sig...