Dornier Do 215 - Variants

Variants

Do 215 V1

Dornier Do 17 Z-0 used as first prototype of Do 215 and crashed during trials.

Do 215 V2

Dornier Do 17 Z-0 (D-AIIB) equipped with Gnome-Rhône 14-cylinder radial engines and used as second prototype of Do 215.

Do 215 V3

Third prototype of Do 215, equipped with Daimler-Benz DB 601Ba inline engines.

Do 215 A-1

Designation of original 18 aircraft built for Swedish Air Force order.

Do 215 B-0

3 aircraft of A-1 version re-equipped for Luftwaffe with FuG 10 and operated for bomber/reconnaissance duties.

Do 215 B-1

Renamed remaining 15 aircraft of A-1 version operated by Luftwaffe.

Do 215 B-2

Rebuilt with sliding cover under bomb bay and equipped with three Rb 50/30 cameras in bomb bay used for reconnaissance missions.

Do 215 B-3

Two aircraft similar to B-1 sold to Soviet Union.

Do 215 B-4

Improved reconnaissance version developed from B-2 version and equipped with Rb 20/30 & Rb 50/30 cameras.

Do 215 B-5

Night fighter version called Kauz III. 20 aircraft converted from B-1 and B-4 versions with Do 17 Z-10 "Kauz II" nose equipped with IR searchlight for the Spanner infrared detection system. Do 215 B-5s were armed with four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns grouped above the IR light and two 20 mm MG FF cannons in the lower nose. The Spanner system proved to be useless and the Lichtenstein 202 B/C radar was installed on some aircraft starting from the middle of 1942.

Of the versions of the Do 215 that existed, the A-1 bomber with DB 601 engines, and the B-0 and B-1 export machines both re-equipped with FuG 10 navigation device for the Luftwaffe. The Do 215 B-5 was the first night fighter to be equipped with the FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C navigation device. These aircraft saw action from January 1941 to May 1944 with I. and IV./NJG 1 and II./NJG 2.