This is my version of the Dornier Do-335 A1 Pfeil ("Arrow") for the Fw 190D Slot in European Air War. It represents a winter camo skin of EK335, January 1945.

The winter skin is by me, the wireframe is by Sir Charles Gunst. Thanks Charles, you are a legend!

Charles' original readme:

"This Dornier Do-335 A1 replaces the Fw 190D in EAW, and is intended for use with ECA (Enemy Coast Ahead) Control Panel . The Pfeil takes the place of the Fw190D, using ECA Control Panel v3.4 or later.

To install, just unzip the *.TPC and *.3DZ files in this zip file into your EAW directory (the one with EAW.EXE in it). To un-install, simply remove them from your EAW directory.

This is a major reconstruction job on an EAW 3D shape, to create the Do-335 heavy multi-role fighter for use in EAW. A large project like this would not have been possible without those indispensable EAW utilities, Paulo's 3DZMAP.EXE, and Alessandro's 3DZ Studio and Converter. 

The Do-335 started life as the Fw 190D shape. There are a few small rendering problems with the 3D shape ("disappearing" panels, or panels that "appear" even though they are "behind" another one,  when viewed from some angles) and some distortions in the skin, but I think it looks pretty right.  The 3D shape is scaled up from the Fw190D, so the gun flash points will not be correct using ECA Control Panel v3.5 or earlier. 

The only real difficulty with this aircraft is that EAW does not allow for twin-engined planes in single-engined slots, so the "Start Engine" key SHIFT-[ operates both props. The "Start Engine 2" key SHIFT-] has no effect."

About the Dornier Do335:

Prior to and throughout World War II German ingenuity created one outstanding aircraft after another for the German Luftwaffe.  The Dornier Do-335 "Arrow" or Pheil as the Germans called it was no exception and was arguably the best piston aircraft of the time.  The man behind it was Claude Dornier who took out a patent on his first push-pull design in 1937. 

Early in 1942 the German Army was doing well and the politicians felt no need for such a radical airplane.  By 1943 however, the tide was turning against the German Army and the order was finally given to build the Arrow. In just nine months the first prototype was built. The first flight was in Autumn of 1943. The flight testing phase went very well.  The plane flew and handled better than expected.  There were no structural problems at all, and only one crash occurred due to an overheated engine which caught fire. The first production version, the A-1 was delivered in November 1944.   Luckily too few and too late to help the Third Reich. The Arrows armament included two fuselage mounted 20mm cannons, two wing mounted 15mm cannons, and if that weren't enough a 30mm engine mounted cannon. If production had been expedited from the start this heavily armed plane would have played serious havoc with the Allied bombing missions. 

A total of ninety aircraft were rolled out including prototypes, test planes, and trainers. Due to critical delays in materials  a mere total of thirty-eight production Do-355's were delivered to the Luftwaffe. 

The Arrow had a number of unusual distinctions.  It was the only military aircraft of the time to have a push-pull powerplant/airframe. It was one of the few aircraft of WWII to have an ejection seat. It was the only aircraft that had explosive bolts in the rear fuselage designed to separate the tail section in order to facilitate a successful bail-out if necessary. It was also the fastest piston powered aircraft, with a maximum speed of 474 mph at an altitude of 26,000 feet. Nothing in the Allied inventory could catch it. The ingenious German engineers who designed it envisioned it being a deadly figher, capable of shooting down invading B-17's with ease. Fortunetly (for the Allies), Hitler himself, demanded that the Arrow be redesigned for a bombing role which stalled the program for almost two years. This prevented the Arrow from reaching it full potential as early as 1944. 


Richard "Gramps" Kaminski
18 August 2002
Endeavour2000@hotmail.com


