Box on Nose of Do 17 Z

[Chris Goss]

Probably something very obvious but I have never seen this on the nose of a Do 17 Z before; can anyone enlighten us?

[piero]

An earlier version of Seenotausrüstung ? [Z-5 version]
HTH
Giampiero Piva

[Chris Goss]

My thoughts as well

[Clint Mitchell]

It appears to have a few other non standard sensors etc in this and the uncropped eBay photo... Seems a bit ott for simply adding flotation devices. Complete deletion and re-skinning of the starboard cockpit side windows. Different location to the standard floatations device on the starboard side. I think there's more to this strange Do17Z personally.

[Von Alles]

A weather recco plane ?

[obdl3945]

I would tend to agree with Clint and Von Alles on this one... the 'standard' position for the flotation device container on the starboard side was aft of the set of windows this housing covers. This fitment would appear to have an opening at the front which suggests to me that whatever was inside may have been a) taking a reading from the airflow outside the aircraft and b) situated over the original window area as it clearly was, may have been deliberately positioned there in order that it could be seen/accessed/manipulated more easily by a crew member.

[Clint Mitchell]

The port wing also has two sensor/pitot tubes instead of just the standard one... Clearly a lot more apparatus for checking conditions whilst in flight than standard. I did look in the Wekusta book, but found nothing similar with regard to this strange apparatus. Although in fairness this could be the first time this particular aircraft has been photographed. Looks like it may have been on the ground a while, left unattended as the majority of the skin on the ailerons and flaps is missing. Snowy conditions, not sure if that has any relevance though.

[piero]

Sorrry Clint,
but you refer to details invisible in the photo above. It's possible, please, to see the entire image?
Many thanks in advance
Giampiero Piva

[Doug Stankey]

As a former weather observer, I must opine that this installation is clearly a psychrometer housing used to measure ambient temperature and relative humidity. I searched for a confirming illustration of this housing in the book:

Vocke, Dr. Ernst. Die Wetterflieger (Zweibrücken: VDM Heinz Nickel Verlag, 2002). ISBN: 3-925480-61-7.

but there was none shown for the Do 17Z - although they do show a very large Pitot tube (thermal probe?) projecting out the front of the nose. However this looks in line with those seen applied to the He 111.

I conclude that this is a weather recon plane.

DGS

[Clint Mitchell]

Hi Piero,

It is still available as a preview on the original eBay auction here, picked up via the 04/02/2015 (Bombers) eBay trawl on the Luftwaffe Research Group here.

Thank you Doug for confirmation.