Miloch
October 1st 19, 04:28 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_18
The Dornier Do 18 was a development of the Do 16 flying boat. It was developed
for the Luftwaffe, but Lufthansa received five aircraft and used these for tests
between the Azores and the North American continent in 1936 and on their mail
route over the South Atlantic from 1937 to 1939.
On 27–29 March 1938, a "Do 18 W" established a seaplane record, flying non-stop
a straight distance of 8,391 km (5,214 mi) from Start Point, Devon to Caravelas
in Brazil.
In 1934, the Dornier Flugzeugwerke started development of a new twin-engine
flying boat to replace the Dornier Do J "Wal" (Whale) in both military and civil
roles. The resultant design, Do 18 retained the layout of the Wal, with a metal
hull fitted with distinctive stabilising sponsons, and powered by two engines
above the wing in a push-pull layout, but was aerodynamically and
hydrodynamically more efficient. It was planned to be powered by two of the new
Junkers Jumo 205 Diesel engines. Although heavy, these promised to give much
lower fuel consumption than conventional petrol engines of similar power.
The first prototype, the Do 18a, registration D-AHIS (and named Monsun by
Lufthansa) flew on 15 March 1935, powered by two of the earlier 410 kW (550 hp)
Junkers Jumo 5c Diesels as the planned Jumo 205s were not yet available. It was
lost on 2 November 1935 over the Baltic Sea during high-speed tests. Three
further prototypes followed, two (the Do 18d and Do 18b) being prototype
military aircraft, and the Do 18c (later redesignated Do 18 V3), a civil
prototype.
The Do 18c was delivered to Lufthansa as a Do 18E civil transport (D-ABYM
Aeolus), quickly followed by a further two aircraft, (D-AANE Zyklon and D-ARUN
Zephir) with a final Do 18E (D-AROZ Pampero) being built in 1938.
A further civil Do 18 was the Do 18F, a modified aircraft with longer wingspan
and higher weights built for extended-range flights. The sole Do 18F, D-ANHR,
first flew on 11 June 1937. It was later modified with 656 kW (880 hp) BMW 132N
radial engines to test a possible upgrade for the Luftwaffe's aircraft, flying
in this form on 21 November 1939 as the Do 18L. It suffered cooling problems,
however, and further development of the radial powered Do 18 was abandoned.
Role
Flying boat
Manufacturer
Dornier
First flight
15 March 1935
Primary users
Luftwaffe
Lufthansa
Number built
170
Civil service
In 1936, Lufthansa started a series of endurance trials, culminating on 10–11
September when Zephir, flown by Flugkapitän Blankenburg with Lufthansa Director
Freiherr von Gablenz as passenger, was launched by catapult from the seaplane
tender Schwabenland at Horta, Azores, flying the 4,460 km (2,270 mi) to New York
City in 22 hours 12 minutes. Also on 11 September, Aeolus flew from Horta to
Hamilton, Bermuda in 18 hours 15 minutes, continuing to New York the next day.
For the main leg of the North Atlantic the aircraft needed the help of the
catapult on Schwabenland. On 22 September Aeolus returned to Horta in 17:50 h
(3850 km). Zephir was catapulted on 28 September at Hamilton. Further flights to
New York followed on 5–6 and 6–7 October and the return flights this time, 17
and 18 October from Sydney, Nova Scotia. The flying boats did not wait for their
tender and went on to Lisbon and Travemünde.
In April 1937, D-ARUN Zephir and D-ABYM Aeolus started service on the South
Atlantic mail route from Bathurst, now Banjul, Gambia to Natal, Brazil (3040
km). Catapult ships were based in Bathurst and Fernando de Noronha to allow the
aircraft to cross the Atlantic carrying a full load of mail.
Military use
In Luftwaffe service, it was obsolete by the outbreak of World War II, but, as
the only military flying boat, 62 (58 serviceable) in five squadrons were in use
mainly on North Sea reconnaissance missions. In 1940 some squadrons changed
their base to Norway. The vulnerable and underpowered flying boat was soon
relegated to training and the air/sea rescue role. In the middle of 1941, only
one squadron was still operational on Do 18. The Blohm & Voss BV 138 had
superseded the Dornier.
A Do 18 was the first German aircraft to be shot down by British aircraft during
the war, when one of a formation of three was caught over the North Sea by nine
Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skua fighter-bombers of 803 Naval Air Squadron flying
from HMS Ark Royal on 26 September 1939. The flying boat was able to make an
emergency landing but was sunk by the destroyer HMS Somali.
Specifications (Do 18D-1)
General characteristics
Crew: 4
Length: 19.23 m (63 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
Height: 5.32 m (17 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 98 m2 (1,050 sq ft) including sponsons
Empty weight: 6,680 kg (14,727 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 8,500 kg (18,739 lb) (normal)
10,000 kg (22,000 lb) (catapult)Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 205C-4 6-cylinder
opposed-piston diesel engines, 451 kW (605 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed: 190 km/h (120 mph, 100 kn) (max. endurance)
Range: 3,500 km (2,200 mi, 1,900 nmi)
Service ceiling: 4,350 m (14,270 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 7 minutes 30 seconds
Armament
Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine guns, one in each of bow and dorsal
positions
Bombs: 2× 50 kg (110 lb) or 2x 100 kg (220 lb) bombs under starboard wing
*
The Dornier Do 18 was a development of the Do 16 flying boat. It was developed
for the Luftwaffe, but Lufthansa received five aircraft and used these for tests
between the Azores and the North American continent in 1936 and on their mail
route over the South Atlantic from 1937 to 1939.
On 27–29 March 1938, a "Do 18 W" established a seaplane record, flying non-stop
a straight distance of 8,391 km (5,214 mi) from Start Point, Devon to Caravelas
in Brazil.
In 1934, the Dornier Flugzeugwerke started development of a new twin-engine
flying boat to replace the Dornier Do J "Wal" (Whale) in both military and civil
roles. The resultant design, Do 18 retained the layout of the Wal, with a metal
hull fitted with distinctive stabilising sponsons, and powered by two engines
above the wing in a push-pull layout, but was aerodynamically and
hydrodynamically more efficient. It was planned to be powered by two of the new
Junkers Jumo 205 Diesel engines. Although heavy, these promised to give much
lower fuel consumption than conventional petrol engines of similar power.
The first prototype, the Do 18a, registration D-AHIS (and named Monsun by
Lufthansa) flew on 15 March 1935, powered by two of the earlier 410 kW (550 hp)
Junkers Jumo 5c Diesels as the planned Jumo 205s were not yet available. It was
lost on 2 November 1935 over the Baltic Sea during high-speed tests. Three
further prototypes followed, two (the Do 18d and Do 18b) being prototype
military aircraft, and the Do 18c (later redesignated Do 18 V3), a civil
prototype.
The Do 18c was delivered to Lufthansa as a Do 18E civil transport (D-ABYM
Aeolus), quickly followed by a further two aircraft, (D-AANE Zyklon and D-ARUN
Zephir) with a final Do 18E (D-AROZ Pampero) being built in 1938.
A further civil Do 18 was the Do 18F, a modified aircraft with longer wingspan
and higher weights built for extended-range flights. The sole Do 18F, D-ANHR,
first flew on 11 June 1937. It was later modified with 656 kW (880 hp) BMW 132N
radial engines to test a possible upgrade for the Luftwaffe's aircraft, flying
in this form on 21 November 1939 as the Do 18L. It suffered cooling problems,
however, and further development of the radial powered Do 18 was abandoned.
Role
Flying boat
Manufacturer
Dornier
First flight
15 March 1935
Primary users
Luftwaffe
Lufthansa
Number built
170
Civil service
In 1936, Lufthansa started a series of endurance trials, culminating on 10–11
September when Zephir, flown by Flugkapitän Blankenburg with Lufthansa Director
Freiherr von Gablenz as passenger, was launched by catapult from the seaplane
tender Schwabenland at Horta, Azores, flying the 4,460 km (2,270 mi) to New York
City in 22 hours 12 minutes. Also on 11 September, Aeolus flew from Horta to
Hamilton, Bermuda in 18 hours 15 minutes, continuing to New York the next day.
For the main leg of the North Atlantic the aircraft needed the help of the
catapult on Schwabenland. On 22 September Aeolus returned to Horta in 17:50 h
(3850 km). Zephir was catapulted on 28 September at Hamilton. Further flights to
New York followed on 5–6 and 6–7 October and the return flights this time, 17
and 18 October from Sydney, Nova Scotia. The flying boats did not wait for their
tender and went on to Lisbon and Travemünde.
In April 1937, D-ARUN Zephir and D-ABYM Aeolus started service on the South
Atlantic mail route from Bathurst, now Banjul, Gambia to Natal, Brazil (3040
km). Catapult ships were based in Bathurst and Fernando de Noronha to allow the
aircraft to cross the Atlantic carrying a full load of mail.
Military use
In Luftwaffe service, it was obsolete by the outbreak of World War II, but, as
the only military flying boat, 62 (58 serviceable) in five squadrons were in use
mainly on North Sea reconnaissance missions. In 1940 some squadrons changed
their base to Norway. The vulnerable and underpowered flying boat was soon
relegated to training and the air/sea rescue role. In the middle of 1941, only
one squadron was still operational on Do 18. The Blohm & Voss BV 138 had
superseded the Dornier.
A Do 18 was the first German aircraft to be shot down by British aircraft during
the war, when one of a formation of three was caught over the North Sea by nine
Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skua fighter-bombers of 803 Naval Air Squadron flying
from HMS Ark Royal on 26 September 1939. The flying boat was able to make an
emergency landing but was sunk by the destroyer HMS Somali.
Specifications (Do 18D-1)
General characteristics
Crew: 4
Length: 19.23 m (63 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
Height: 5.32 m (17 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 98 m2 (1,050 sq ft) including sponsons
Empty weight: 6,680 kg (14,727 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 8,500 kg (18,739 lb) (normal)
10,000 kg (22,000 lb) (catapult)Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 205C-4 6-cylinder
opposed-piston diesel engines, 451 kW (605 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed: 190 km/h (120 mph, 100 kn) (max. endurance)
Range: 3,500 km (2,200 mi, 1,900 nmi)
Service ceiling: 4,350 m (14,270 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 7 minutes 30 seconds
Armament
Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine guns, one in each of bow and dorsal
positions
Bombs: 2× 50 kg (110 lb) or 2x 100 kg (220 lb) bombs under starboard wing
*