IL2

Dornier Do-217 NJG 02

Photo 02: This view of another Do-217 night fighter in overall black night fighter fmish provides a good indication of the size of the aircraft. In the air it was heavy and unwieldy and not particularly popular with its pilots.

Dornier Do-217 NJG4 01-02

Photo’s 01-02: Unidentified Do-217N-2 crews with their aircraft showing (Photo 01) the aerials for the FuG 202 Lichtenstein mounted in the nose, the standard armament of four 20 mm MG 151 cannon and four 7.9 mm MG 17 machine guns and (Photo 02) the flame dampers fitted over the exhausts of an aircraft which is believed to have belonged to NJG4. Note that these aircraft again appear to be finished blue-grey 76 overall.

Dornier Do-217N NJG101 01

Photo 01: This unusual configuration of six vertically mounted MG 151 cannon instaJlation was first proposed by Stabs Ingenieur Poppendiek, an engineer at the E-Stelle at Werneuchen. Here it is seen installed in a Do-217 of the night fighter training Geschwader NJG101. However, this conversion was not adopted in large numbers and night fighter pilots preferred the usual twin-cannon armament which became the standard configuration.

Dornier Do-217N NJG (GG+YG) 01

Photo 01: A Do-217 night fighter finished in a high demarcation scheme of 76 undersurfaces with 75 over all uppersurfaces. Although a significant improvement on the earlier overall black scheme, the uppersurfaces were sometimes considered too dark to be effective.

Dornier Do-217N NJG $Günther Radusch 01

Photo 01: The only known photograph of the Do-217 which Major Günther Radusch used in his trail. With the exception of the undersurface wingtips, which appear to be yellow, and the masking of the glazed areas of the canopy and gondola, the aircraft was completely resprayed overall in a very light tone, possibly RLM 76 or a specially mixed very pale grey. As may be seen, all markings, the propeller spinners and propeller blades, the fiont engine detail and even the radar aerials and gun barrels were included. Note also the large dent in the nose which was obviously present before the aircraft was repainted.

Dornier Do-217 NJG 01

Dornier Do-217 NJG (__+DN) 01

Photo 01: Two further examples of the continued use of darker night fighter colours may be seen on these Do 217s where the uppersurfaces and fuselage sides have been darkened, one with mottling (Dornier Do-217N NJG (__+DN) 01) and the other with a solid application of a single colour, presumably 75.