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I vote for Do-317B.
DB606 coupled engines were proven in He-119 so Do-217 bomber could have been designed this way from the beginning, entering mass production during 1941 as a replacement for obsolescent Do-17. Use of Dornier production faculties means this aircraft should not disrupt production at Heinkel (i.e. He-111) and Junkers (i.e. Ju-52, Ju-87, Ju-88).
Prior to 1944 I doubt this schnellbomber could be intercepted and it has excellent range/payload. What's not to like?
4800 extra fighters (assuming there was enough material from the He177 including 4 db601/5 engines) starting in 1942 would have been pretty useful. I think it was easier to train the fighter pilots than the He-177 crews too, plus the fuel saved from these gas guzzlers would have been probably enough to top off these fighters.Forget the bombers and concentrate on fighters. The problem wasn't being able to attack other countries. It was defending yours against other bombers.
IMO that was a mistake. Late 1930s Junkers was on the way to becoming the only Germany company which built bombers and transport aircraft. That's not good for German aircraft industry. Capitalism requires commercial competition.
There's another issue also.
24 cylinder DB604 and Jumo 222 engines were created from scratch for Bomber B program. Why fund these expensive and technically risky engine programs when DB606 engine was proven and production ready? All RLM needed to do was increase Daimler-Benz V12 engine production.
Forget the bombers and concentrate on fighters. The problem wasn't being able to attack other countries. It was defending yours against other bombers.
But IMO it's all just arranging deck-chairs on the Titanic..........
The He177 is one of several examples of wasted effort, it surprises me that, given the usual German (sorry for the national stereotyping) talent for organisation they were so often so bad at it back then.
Too late to make a difference or get into production, as it came after 1944. AFAIK there wasn't one even completed historically.
Heavy bombers became something of a fad during 1930s. Rather like dreadnought battleships during the decade prior to WWI. A world power had to have them, or so the heavy bomber barons preached.
1914 Germany would have been further ahead if money spent on battleships had instead been spent on additional army corps. 1939 Germany would have been further ahead if money spent on heavy bomber programs had instead been spent on more dive bombers and fighter aircraft. It takes good national leadership to purchase what you need rather then purchase the latest weapon fad.
Not so sure about that. Heavy bombers and their engines are expensive to develop. I'd hazard a guess these programs add up to more then RM 100 million spent by the end of 1939. Enough money to tool up a Fw-187 assembly plant, double DB601 engine production at Genshagen and start building the Falke.
Ural Bomber funded 1934 to 1937.
Bomber A funded 1936 onward.
V24 engine funded 1937 onward.
Do-217 funded 1938 onward.
Bomber B funded July 1939 onward.