Dornier P 256
| Do P 256 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Night fighter |
| Manufacturer | Dornier Flugzeugwerke |
| Status | Project |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | None built |
The Dornier P 256 was a turbojet night fighter proposed by Dornier for the Luftwaffe toward the end of the Second World War.[1] It was never built.
Development
Developed from Dornier's unusual centerline thrust fighter project, the Do 335,[1] the P 256 was to meet a Luftwaffe requirement issued 27 February 1945.[1] It was designed to carry a crew of three (pilot, radar operator, and navigator), with pilot and radar operator together under the canopy, while the navigator was in the fuselage,[1] an idea copied from Arado.[1] Departing from centerline thrust, it was to have two Heinkel HeS 011 engines[1] of 1,300 kPs (2,865 lb-fc) each, podded under the wings in the fashion of the Me 262.[1] The low-mounted wing was unswept, and had an aspect ratio of 5.8:1.[1]
Designed armament was four 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannon in the nose;[1] a field conversion kit was to retrofit two MK 108s in a Schräge Musik configuration.[1] A fighter-bomber variant would have carried two 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs.[2]
Its loaded weight would have included 3,750 kg (8,270 lb) of fuel,[1] giving a wing loading of 276 kg/m2 (56.5 lb/ft2).[1] Maximum speed was achieved at 8,000 m (26,000 ft),[1] maximum range at 6,000 m (20,000 ft).[1] Endurance with 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) fuel was calculated as 2.6 hours.[1]
Its electronic suite would have included FuG 24SE with ZVG 24, FuG 29, FuG 25a or c, and FuG 244 Bremen with Gnome weapon triggers.[1]
Criticized for having poor cross-sectional area and unduly large tail surfaces, it was not adopted.[1]
Specifications (projected, per Dornier tender)
Data from Schick, Walter, and Meyer, Ingolf. Luftwaffe Secret Projects: Fighters, 1939-45, p.123. Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1997 (Eng. tr. ed.).
General characteristics
- Crew: three (pilot, radar operator, and navigator)
Performance
Armament
• Four 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannon (optional two 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannon in Schräge Musik oblique mount)
Related developments
References
- Schick, Walter, and Meyer, Ingolf. Luftwaffe Secret Projects: Fighters, 1939-45, p. 123. Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1997 (Eng. tr. ed.).
External links
