Do 335 Arrow

the push me, pull you, craft

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 417 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.

Great Image

This Do335 is the only survivor of it`s kind. The picture was taken in 1975 at the Dornier plant Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
Now the plane can be seen in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near the Washington airport.