Dornier DO 217 KII
The Dornier Do 17 was a medium-wing twin-engine monoplane made by the German Dornier-Werke GmbH in the 1930s and one of the first modern bomber aircraft under the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
It was nicknamed “The Flying Pencil” due to the slim shape of the fuselage, as opposed to the wings which apparently failed to be as aerodynamic, which contributed to never having had an absolutely outstanding performance.
Armament was scarce, both defensive and offensive, but the real problem was that this aircraft was not fast enough to escape enemy fighters despite its thin fuselage; moreover, this ended up being too narrow to house a sufficient defensive armament and adequate firing ranges.
All this led to an improved version called Do 17 Z, equipped with a larger cockpit.
The need to also have more powerful engines and other adjustments in general generated the subsequent and totally redesigned Dornier Do 217.
After the initial versions Do 217 A-0 and Do 217 C-0 of pre-series and equipped withinverted V engines DB 601B, production was concentrated on the Do 217 E version characterized by the use ofradial BMW 801A / B.
It was also used in its various versions as a night bomber, night fighter and anti-ship attack aircraft. The latter, the Do 217 K characterized by a fuselage of greater section and by the greater wingspan (20,81 m), was prepared for the use of the radio-guided bombRuhrstahl SD 1400"Fritz X", known for the sinking of thebattleship Romeof theRoyal Navy, on September 9th1943, as a consequence of the signature of thearmistice of Cassibile.