Do 335 A-1

This page is about the German strike aircraft Do 335 A-1. For other versions, see Do 335 (Family).

Do 335 A-1

Me 410 B-1

Do 335 A-0

Do 335 A-1

Me 410 B-1

Do 335 A-0

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.3	5.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:26 000

Purchase:76 000

Description

The Do 335 A-1 is a rank III German strike aircraft with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB), 4.3 (RB), and 5.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March".

Contrary to popular belief the Do 335 is not a super prop. The initial design was a "Schnellbomber" (fast bomber), but with the start of the emergency fighter program, most bomber contracts were shelved to increase fighter production. At Dornier, the idea arose to reconfigure the current bomber design into a heavy fighter to exploit the failure of Focke Wulf's Ta 154.

Consequently, flight agility is mediocre, lending itself in feeling to Dornier's previous heavy fighters: Do 17 Z-7 and Do 217 N-1. Both of which were coincidentally bombers by birth too. The exception to this trait is the fantastic roll-rate, accomplished by boosted ailerons as seen on the Ta 152 H-1.

The Do 335 is a difficult plane to fly. It has good armament, however, lacks anything else of substance. Sub-par flat climb rate, bad turning, and handling, as well as the lack of armor and a propensity to catch fire make this aircraft a very difficult grind. Pilots should utilize the air spawn, then climb as high as possible and go after bombers. Once available, the air belts are devastating against bombers; however, as the plane lacks armor and catches fire quickly, tailing should be avoided. It is also possible to Boom & Zoom with, however, the plane tends to veer off target in prolonged dives.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 7 000 m755 km/h

Turn time26 s

Max altitude11 400 m

EngineDaimler-Benz DB-603A

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight10 t

Being originally designed as a fast bomber, it is not surprising that the Do 335 A-1 features excellent top speed and rolling characteristics. While the plane has mediocre flight characteristic in a level flight, in a shallow dive, the plane can quickly gain its speed and momentum. This can be exploited by zoom-climbing using the energy gained in a dive, then do a shallow dive to regain its energy again, rinse and repeat.

However, the Do 335 A-1 suffers from common weaknesses of converted light bombers, that being it has overall poor handling. The plane tends to oversteer, especially in a dive or at high speed, while also being too sluggish to keep up with fighters or even some light/medium bombers in horizontal manoeuvres. This restricted the plane's usage against enemy aircraft to only boom-and-zoom tactics.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	727	709	11400	27.3	28.3	9.5	9.5	464
Upgraded	784	755		24.8	26.0	16.9	12.9

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
945	285	N/A	386	280	~9	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 380	< 340	< 400	> 440

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
7,070 m	2,880 hp	3,880 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural945 km/h

Gear285 km/h

• 8 mm Steel - Plate behind the pilot seat

Survivability characteristic of the Do 335 A-1 were mixed. The airframe is extremely tough and are more than capable of taking hits from several autocannons, yet its pilot and internal modules were prone to taking damage. The fuel tanks were especially vulnerable, as it will easily catches fire and difficult to extinguish. Thus rendering the airframe durability moot.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB818 → 1 123

RB1 527 → 2 098

SB3 164 → 4 347

Total cost of modifications25 000

45 200

Talisman cost1 100

Crew training22 000

Experts76 000

Aces500

Research Aces320 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

60 / 110 / 390 %

142 / 142 / 142 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 170 Radiator Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 170 Airframe Research: 1 400 Cost: 2 500 140 Compressor Research: 1 400 Cost: 2 500 140 Wings repair Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 210 Engine Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 210 Cover Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 900 160 Engine injection Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 900 160	EFS Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 900 160	mg15115_belt_pack Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 170 mk103_belt_pack Research: 1 400 Cost: 2 500 140 SC 250 Research: 1 400 Cost: 2 500 140 mg15115_new_gun Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 210 mk103_new_gun Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 900 160 SC 500 Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 900 160

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 130 mm MK 103 cannon

Ammunition70 rounds

Fire rate450 shots/min

Weapon 22 x 15 mm MG 151 cannon

Ammunition400 rounds

Fire rate700 shots/min

The Do 335 A-1 is armed with:

• 1 x 30 mm MK 103 cannon, nose-mounted (70 rpg)
• 2 x 15 mm MG 151 cannons, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 12 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb

Setup 21 x 500 kg SC500K bomb

Setup 32 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb
1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb

The Do 335 A-1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (500 kg total)
• 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb (500 kg total)
• 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb + 2 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (1,000 kg total)

Usage in battles

Boom & Zoom: While it does not have the capability to turn, accelerate or climb (sustained) quickly as might an energy fighting aircraft, it can be used to make quick, swooping attacks on enemy bombers, and in a limited capacity, fighters. Advantaged by its swift dive acceleration, Boom & Zoom is a viable tactic; however, it should be noted that prolonged engagements with enemy aircraft should be avoided, as energy fighters will quickly deplete its momentum, and turn-fighting aircraft will easily outmanoeuvre this lumbering aircraft. Instead, diving on a target with a lower energy state (it is permissible to engage some slower aircraft in level flight as the 335 can reach speeds well in excess of 450 km/h within seconds of levelling the aircraft out of a climb) and then simply running away and zoom climbing out of range if the target is not killed on the first run is a significant advantage for Do 335 pilots who wish to return home alive. It may take several runs to kill a target, even with the heavy armament possessed by this aircraft, however momentum conservation is a key advantage of the 335, and multiple swooping attack runs disallow slow, "walking" adjustment of fire by bomber turrets, and can deny a turn-fighter an opportunity to attack, and potentially significantly drain them of energy. Targets in a higher energy state (More altitude and/or speed) should not be engaged unless you can ensure that once you have followed through with the attack run, you will be moving fast enough to avoid retaliation by the target.

Made a problematic aircraft to master by its poor manoeuvrability, both anti-bomber operations and ground strafing are a challenging task in this aircraft; however, it does have bomb capacity for 1,000 kg of ordnance and considering its speed, it is moderately capable in the role of a medium or strategic bomber aircraft. Subsequently, the ability to disrupt soft (20 mm) and hard (30 mm) ground targets far away from the initial fighter onslaught does provide some redemption for its poor anti-aircraft capabilities.

The Do 335's design flaws make it particularly inept at chasing other planes. It is nigh-impossible to try to aim while performing a dive since the nose dances around in all directions and provides no stability to the aiming reticle. Indeed, aiming at the enemy while climbing is prone to the same inaccuracy. Trying to roll the wings to enter a quick dive, e.g. to escape an approaching enemy, is more akin to turning a ship than a heavy fighter. During ground attacks, its inability to aim properly makes more of a "spray and pray" than an accurate firing platform. The most useful approach would be to dive on bombers and attempt to hit with the 30 mm cannon at a distance.

Counter-Tactics

The Do 335 is fast in a dive but flies like a brick. Out-turning it is easy in almost all aircraft it will face. Due to the centre-mounted cannons, it is best to avoid head-ons.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Combined	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent top speed at very high altitudes
• Great dive top speed and acceleration, good at zoom climbing
• Great roll rate
• Very tough airframe
• Powerful 30 mm and 15 mm autocannons were mounted at centerline, providing good accuracy head-ons
• Internal bomb bay for second payload drop

Cons:

• Bad flatline acceleration and sub-par climb rate compared to other twin-engine fighters
• Sub-par top speed at sea level
• Tends to over-steer with mouse control on rudders and elevators, resulting in worse manoeuvrability overall as you either will have to turn more gently in order to avoid over-steering, or wait for the instructor to compensate
• Steering in a dive results in very poor accuracy
• Alignment of the engines along the centre axis makes it extremely easy for either one or both to get damaged when attacked by enemy fighters and potentially set on fire
• Hard to take off and land due to its dual engine configuration
• Heavily reliant on it's 30 mm Mk 103 with limited ammo to do the damage dealing as the 15 mm MG 151's won't be able to suffice considering the aircraft's handling

History

The Dornier Do 335, also known as the "Pfeil" ("Arrow" in German), was a heavy fighter aircraft developed by the Dornier company during World War II. It was Nazi Germany's fastest piston-engined aircraft at the time. Dornier completed as many as 48 Do 335s, and another nine were under construction when the war ended. The original plan issued by the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) called for Dornier to build 310 Do 335s by late 1945, but delays in engine deliveries meant that only a handful of Do 335s were delivered before the war ended.

The Do 335 saw limited combat action due to the war's end. However, its first recorded combat encounter was against French pilot Pierre Clostermann in April 1945. French ace Clostermann intercepted a Do 335 during this encounter. Its performance and unique design made it a formidable adversary, especially in boom-and-zoom attacks, making quick, swooping attacks on enemy bombers. However, the Do 335 faced challenges in manoeuvrability and handling, which affected its combat effectiveness, and its scarcity and late entry into combat hindered its overall impact.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Do 335 A-1 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #319 - Metal Beasts section at 00:27 discusses the Do 335 A-1.

Most unusual aircraft discusses the Do 335 A-1 at 5:02 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance
• Dornier Do 335 A-0 Pfeil (Arrow) | National Air and Space Museum (si.edu)
• Dornier Do 335 Pfeil - The Piston Powerhouse - PlaneHistoria

Dornier Aircraft Corporation (Dornier Flugzeugwerke)
Fighters	Do 17 Z-7
	Do 217 J-1 · Do 217 J-2 · Do 217 N-1 · Do 217 N-2
	Do 335 A-0 · Do 335 A-1 · Do 335 B-2
Bombers	Do 17 E-1 · Do 17 Z-2
	Do 217 E-2 · Do 217 E-4 · Do 217 K-1 · Do 217 M-1
Jet Aircraft	Alpha Jet A**
Helicopters	◄UH-1D*
	*Licensed
	**Jointly manufactured with Dassault Aviation