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Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies. |
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Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Dear folks,
Marc-André was so kind to send me a link to a photographs sold via ebay some time ago. It shows the not so well known Dornier Do 335 11/15 in the woods of Oberpfaffenhofen. Although I know 3 other photographs of that plane this was new to me. source: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/downed-ww2-german-aircraft-snapshot-1864126285 I didn’t know that website so I continued the search and also found this one. source:https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...3Q1tNdianKoh7o Did someone safe these images from the original Ebay auctions? They are very small at worthpoint. The top photograph also shows the 11/15, the bottom photograph shows 240114. When the photograph was taken, 11/15 was quite incomplete. The fuel tank was removed. Spinners, propellers and the rear engine were missing. It looks like that this one never flew. Do 335 12/16 also found at Oberpfaffenhofen had nearly the same conditions. The conclusion is that the W.Nr. listings and the associated double tailnumbers that were published in the past can’t be correct! These listings say that Do 335 M15 was 240311 (tail number 11/15), and Do 335 M16 was 240312 (tail number 12/16), but Do 335 M15 was first flown in autumn 1944 and Do 335 M16 was tested at Diepensee in February 1945. Why should flyable planes end in such conditions? Why should they be unpainted? As I have written above, I think the W.Nr. listings were wrong. An original document also clearly proves that M16 was W.Nr. 230016. BTW: Does anybody have an idea who has first published the W.Nr. block starting with 240311? I couldn’t find any original document with such a W.Nr. block. Here the reason why I ask these questions. Some of you already know that I have contributed the Dornier Do 335 colour profiles for Classic publication in 2006 and 2017. 2018 I also have made a 3-side view of Do 335 M14 for Roberth Forsyth's Osprey title. Although many books about that plane were published in the past years, I decided in 2017 to start my own book project about the Do 335 because of following reasons: I wanted to show all known planes as profile, but in „my“ books wasn't the space for that wish. I wanted to see some errors from the past corrected. (for example that the Dornier Do 335 W.Nr. 240113 was a double seater and not a single seater as written in the past. I have already started a thread about that some time ago: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=50578 BTW: next to the mentioned photograph in that thread I have an additional flightbook proof that Do 335 W.Nr. 240113 was a double seater) And some gaps in history of that airplane should get stuffed, like the German tail markings of the Do 335 A-1, that later became AM 225 and crashed at Merville or photographs of not so well known planes (like the 11/15) found at Oberpfaffenhofen and other places. Here some facts about the planned book. The plan is to show all known Do 335 at least with one side view profile. Some of them will get shown as 4-side views. Captured planes will get shown in different stages. The drawings will get a detailed description to show all the differences. At the moment at least 110 drawings are planned. About 1/3 of them are finished. These drawings will get supplemented with a huge number of photographs, many of them haven't been published before. Attached is a possible layout. Photographs and colour profiles will get shown in the largest size as possible. Each plane will get at least 2 pages, but most 4 to 6 pages. I hope to get it finished before mid 2021. Without the help of many collectors around the globe, who shared their material with me, such a project wouldn’t be possible. So here again a big thank you! Although the helpfulness was enormous, there are still gaps in the history of this aircraft. So, I ask all the forum members if they would be so kind to help me to get the gaps stuffed. Does anybody knows the winners of the Ebay auctions from the beginning of the thread? I would be happy if you own and share never published photographs taken by GI’s after the war. Oberpfaffenhofen is quite well documented, although there are some gaps, but also on other places like Friedrichshafen, Löwental, Manzell or Mengen Do 335 fuselages and parts were found. Most interesting would be so see photographs of the laminar wing that was found at Reutin, or the remains of Do 335 at Rechlin. A probably unattainable wish would be to get photographs of the plane found by the Russians at Oranienburg. Best regards, Simon Last edited by Simon Schatz; 25th April 2019 at 16:29. |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Hello Simon,
I offer the following google-translated article as a possible lead. https://translate.google.com/transla...35&prev=search Another article: https://www.flugrevue.de/klassiker/k...it-der-do-335/ Best, Ed |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Thank you Ed for the articles. First one is new to me.
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Them xx/xx numbers as explained in Do 335 book list are fiction. All xx/xx were unfinised examples and do not tie up to any W.Nrs. nor M-Muster numbers, as they did not get any - were never finished. Trying analyse or say "this can not be" is pointless.
Ed |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
I tend to agree with Ed here
Those "slash" codes are a mystery and I can only see that two are sufficiently verified, 16/20 as WNr 240163 and 1/3 as 240165. With no access to any original photos, I can only assume that those who have are telling the truth. Simon I don't think any of the WNr 240301 and up has been verified yet. Possibly some/many (most?) of the "slash" coded aircraft can be found there? Pity the Yanks didn't do a better job checking what they had. Cheers Stig |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Quote:
Do I read AIR FORCE on the refueller behind 1/3 ? And american GMC truck seen under (behind) too? - Note no codes! https://airandspace.si.edu/sites/def...SI-87-3289.jpg Ed Last edited by edNorth; 27th April 2019 at 23:59. |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
No jumping to conclusions please.
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Says me you have no real idea - Best stay in Sci.Fi., eh?
This below text is (c) - copyright to me. Decoded this many years ago, around year 2004 - and fuller, completely reasearched chapter will be in my books - This was never just an Do 335 issue but Industry wide practice - For example it used by Junkers factories way back from 1936, even earlier. Saying "Serie/Zelle" had this and that and be the W.Nr. is basically not correct, and this was found (stated) on one wing, but as everybody here knows one wing did not "hold" an "right" to a W.Nr. (Serial) and it may not even have ever been on that plane, possibly only planned be - or already removed from older airframe - because parts were in practice just used when available (and often planes were worked on 24 hours a day on operational airplanes) but only rear end of fuselage did "hold" W.Nr.. This was standard, because of often there were delays, and practiced by one of them rare RLM orders from 1937. Painting this large on nose (or fin) was to aid workers put "right part" (version part) on rest of airframe. Ergo one version of "Line Number" but had much deeper roots - and played part in costs, contracting and finance papers - This was part of Commerce / Trade, Banking etc. Aircraft building was a business. The bean counters did theirs behind the schenes. Therefore it is NOT confirmed the entire "airframe 1/3" was fitted at that W.Nr., as in all likelyhood fuselage and other wing be from other other Serie/Zelle. I have photograpic evedence many Serie/Zelle parts were used on same wing. It was a practice that enabled enough parts be made and used at as fast as possible, but also as many Luftwaffe researchers know, many things went wrong, parts were delayed, destroyed and schedules slipped because air attacks ruined organized production. Each Serie had "window" of about 3-6 months "pipeline" time, and often got mixed up on assemble, despite best of intentions. Because all Do 335 production components were made under very bad conditions, only Factory Paperwork could tell how they were used, signed off be the (BA) or (BAL). If you dont have that, you are only guessig. Eggert Norddahl |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Hi Ed and Stig,
thank you for your input. Why did the Germans paint these numbers on obviously finished tail units, if they had to be painted over again after completion of the airplanes. And why the change at this markings from something that could be a system (11/15, 12/16, 13/17 (not confirmed by a photograph), 14/18, 15/19, 16/20) to these two tail markings (18/11 and 22/31) that doesn't fit in the "logic from the others. Maybe additional material will answer some questions. Yes Ed, the photograph of 1/3 was taken after surrender, while prepairing to get it airworthy again. 1/3 has the confirmed W.Nr. 240165. The Dataplate was found on the wing, as it was used for the restauration of W.Nr. 240102. 16/20 had following haintpainted numbers on the vertical tail 163 at the top, and 3 times 175 at the bottom. So why is 163 the right W.Nr. for that plane? Why not 175? But how about other flaps that had written handmarks as 159, 161, 125? Really sad that the US forces didn't made a detailed list what they have found there. I made some interesting discoveries. You will be surprised to see what was found there. |
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Re: Dornier Do 335 11/15 at Oberpfaffenhofen - My book project
Some material is still classified and declassification is ongoing. From War Prizes by Phil Butler (page 50).
Royal Aircraft Establishment Post VE-Day, 8th May 1945 9 Junkers Ju 248 (in US hands, to go to USSR) [Why? - Ed] 14 Dornier Do 335 (version with jet rear engine) Page 107 AM 223 W Nr 240112 (two-seat trainer) AM 225 W Nr unknown "It was an unpainted single-seat aircraft which had not been delivered to the Luftwaffe." Page 156 (color photo of poor quality) FE-1012 (not yet marked), Dornier 335-A Page 201 HMS Reaper Numbers 35 - Dornier Do 335, W Nr240102 Page 202 tells us there was another, unidentified Do 335 on HMS Reaper. Page 220 FE-1012/T2-1012 Dornier Do 335 A-0, W Nr 240101 Page 221 Black and white photo of poor quality of FE-1012. No markings visible. "The pilot standing by the aircraft is Flugkapitan Hans Padell." Page 266 Black and white photo of poor quality. "The Dornier Do 335V-14 (French 'No.1') at Lyon, still wearing its German code 'RP+UQ'." Page 267 No.2 Do 335V-17, W Nr 230017 "After being completed under French supervision in the Dornier facility at Mengen, and being test flown there on 2nd April, 1947, the '335 was delivered to the CEV at Bretigny on 29th May 1947." |
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