Do 217 handling

[Trilisser]

Does anyone have other than Eric Brown's comments on the handling characteristics of the Do 217?

 

[Denniss]

Night fighter pilots disliked the high wingloading of the aircraft, it was difficult to reach alts of enemy bombers with fully loaded aircraft.

 

[Trilisser]

But what about handling as a bomber?

 

[Oreo]

A high wing loading usually translates into poor handling. What part of handling do you refer to-- control weight, response, maneuverability, stability, acceleration? There are at least two major components to handling. A-- what the aircraft is capable of doing, and B-- how easy or difficult it is to cause it to do that.

 

[davebender]

Germany classified the Do-217 as a heavy bomber. It had no business being used as a night fighter aircraft.

 

[Trilisser]

A high wing loading usually translates into poor handling.

I beg to differ! If it was so, then the P-38 would have had terrible handling. As for the Do 217, what I am looking for is overall handling, such as stalls, general take-off and landing characteristics, engine-out handling (e.g. was rudder trim adequate to zero rudder pedal loads) etc.