The Do 335 was developed to serve as a night fighter (two-seat version. Photo), and as a single-seat fighter-bomber, Zerstoerer (bomber destroyer), reconnaissance, and multi-purpose fighter (to perform air superiority missions @ high & low altitudes).

It was a truly formidable and innovative concept for a WW2 fighter, boasting two-high output engines powering a tractor and a pusher propeller. Its performance (single-seat) was close to the limit of what a propeller driven aircraft could achieve (1.7% faster than the Ta 152). But the few aircraft that were manufactured did not enter combat, although several allied fighters reported having seen the aircraft in flight.

The Go.9 (its concept design test bed) first flew in 1940. Dornier attempted to use it as the basis for a new fighter but the Technische Amt wanted Dornier to concentrate on bombers and the interest in the aircraft waned.

In 1942, the RLM wanted a new reconnaissance platform and Dornier submitted the Projekt 231 design. The Technische Amt was impressed and gave it the designation of Do 335 requesting it to fulfill all the above-mentioned roles. It flew for the first time on 26 Oct 1943, about a fortnight after the second Schweinfurt raid.

Given the time it takes to bring a prototype to service, it was too late. The aircraft was ready for production until late autumn 1944. By that time, the P-51s were making mincemeat of the German fighters and the Luftwaffe had lost the control of the air over Germany completely.

By late 1944, the Me 262 Jet fighter, the Ta 152 single engine propeller fighter, and the Ar 234 jet bomber and recon platform, were top-notch aircraft for daylight use. The Do 335 was somewhat superfluous during the day, but it could have been a highly successful night fighter (two-seat version) if it had entered service a year earlier to replace the aging Ju 88, Bf 110, and even the newer He-219.

The Do 335A max speed was 474 mph (single-seat) powered by two 1900hp DB 603E engines at 21300 feet. Its TO weight was 21,160 pounds armed with one 30mm cannon and two 20mm cannons.