I think the idea of collecting sources of info on Do 217 is great!
Let me resume existing and available models of Dornier bombers for Il 2. We have Do 217K-1 and Do 217K-2 as AI only in stock Il 2, Do 17Z-0 and Do 147Z-2 as a flyable mod by Ranwers/SAS~Crazyflak (
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...c,21566.0.html) nowadays.
IMHO at first it would be easier to redesign these planes as flyable or compatible with stock Il 2 than build up Do 217E afresh.
This is why I personally prefer to think of Do 17 too. We can fly Poland and somehow France with maps in stock Il 2, and we can fly the Eastern front, so we have enough possibilities for using Do 17. As far as we don’t reduce our point of view only at faster or more durable types, but want have historically corresponding choice of planes, though.
Gaunt1 expressed the expectance that the gathering of data on Do 217 can move someone to start work on cockpits or new versions. From my point of view refusing of existing projects which simultaneously means to ignore the work of their designers, could be a little unhappy in this context.
But I agree that the Do 217E is fundamental, this plane covered the period between the years 1941 and 1942, before coming of Do 217K in 1943.
More, I agree that Do’s 217M-1/11 (different wing in the same way as Do 217K-1/2) were the fastest 217 (aside from reducing of range and/or bomb-load capacity on account of higher consumption of DB 603 engines) but also carrying load-outs up to 4000 kg, more than He 111 or Ju 88/188. And, what more, they had this strange touch of „ugly prettiness“, which was so attracting.