Dornier Do 217

The Dornier Do 217 was a German twin‑engine medium bomber developed in the late 1930s as a successor to the Do 17. First flown in December 1939, the aircraft entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1941 and saw action on all major fronts until the war’s end. Dornier refined the original “whale‑nose” design, giving the Do 217 a stronger all‑metal airframe, a larger wingspan, and more powerful Bramo 213 or DB 605 engines that raised its maximum speed to about 560 km/h (350 mph). It could carry up to 2,000 kg of bombs, and several variants were equipped with under‑wing racks for torpedoes, rocket projectiles, or specialized payloads such as the Fritz X guided bomb. Defensive armament included up to four 13 mm MG 131 machine guns placed in dorsal, ventral, and nose positions. The Do 217 also served as a night fighter, reconnaissance platform, and electronic‑warcraft testbed, illustrating its versatility. Its ability to accommodate a range of weapons and equipment made it a key asset in Germany’s strategic bombing and anti‑shipping campaigns, and it influenced post‑war twin‑engine bomber concepts worldwide. Over 2,000 units were built, and after the conflict the Do 217’s design principles informed early Cold‑War transport and bomber projects in both Europe and the United States.

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