Dornier P 256

The Dornier P 256 was a turbojet night fighter proposed by Dornier for the Luftwaffe toward the end of the Second World War. It was never built.

Development
Developed from Dornier's unusual centerline thrust fighter project, the Do 335, the P 256 was to meet a Luftwaffe requirement issued 27 February 1945. It was designed to carry a crew of three (pilot, radar operator, and navigator), with pilot and radar operator together under the canopy, while the navigator was in the fuselage, an idea copied from Arado. Departing from centerline thrust, it was to have two Heinkel HeS 011 engines of 1,300 kPs (2,865 lb-fc) each, podded under the wings in the fashion of the Me 262. The low-mounted wing was unswept, and had an aspect ratio of 5.8:1.

Designed armament was four 30 mm MK 108 cannon in the nose; a field conversion kit was to retrofit two MK 108s in a Schräge Musik configuration. A fighter-bomber variant would have carried two 500 kg bombs.

Its loaded weight would have included 3750 kg of fuel, giving a wing loading of 276 kg/m2 (56.5 lb/ft2). Maximum speed was achieved at 8000 m, maximum range at 6000 m. Endurance with 4000 kg fuel was calculated as 2.6 hours.

Its electronic suite would have included FuG 24SE with ZVG 24, FuG 29, FuG 25a or c, and FuG 244 Bremen with Gnome weapon triggers.

Criticized for having poor cross-sectional area and unduly large tail surfaces, it was not adopted.

Related developments

 * Dornier Do 335
 * Dornier Do 635