Sunday, December 4, 2022

The Dornier Do X was a gigantic leviathan designed by Dr. Claudius Dornier in the 1920s.

 



 The initial plans were drawn up in 1924, and after a colossal 240,000 man-hours of work, the aircraft was ready for its first flight in 1929.

When it was finished, the Dornier Do X was the largest and heaviest flying boat in the world. It was powered by 12 engines – 6 tractor engines and 6 pusher engines. Initially it was fitted with 524-horsepower Bristol Jupiter radial engines, however these left the aircraft underpowered. In 1930, and after 103 flights, the Dornier Do X was refitted with more powerful Curtiss Conqueror  inline 12 cylinder engines, each producing 610 horsepower. With these new engines the aircraft was able to achieve the minimum 500 metre (1,650 feet) altitude needed to make a transatlantic crossing.

Because of the complicated 12-engine propulsion, totaling 144 cylinders and 7,320 horsepower, the engines and throttle were not controled by the pilot, but instead by a dedicated engineer working in an engine control room located behind the navigators station and cockpit. The pilot would ask the engineer to adjust the throttles to his requirements.




13 comments:

  1. Never saw inside, what craftsmanship

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  2. Too bad the good doctor Dornier didn't team up with Howard Hughes. Who knows what would have resulted.

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  3. Watch this RC version.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GumatPdisHE

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    1. RC has come a long way since those temperamental engines of the 50's and glow plugs. Check out the 1/4 size C47 on the same page.

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  4. Glad Del Smith didn’t know about this or he’d have purchased one to park beside the Spruce Goose in McMinnville. He knew how to p*ss away money

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    1. Del Smith, founder of Evergreen International, R.I.P.

      It's funny how Evergreen turned to dust while Jack Erickson turned Erickson Air Crane into the powerhouse it was before he sold it in 2007.

      Also interesting is that Jack also has an air museum that seems to be doing quite well financially.

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  5. The "steampunk" in these pics is priceless. I remember a time before the 1970s when everything had a certain style. Cars, fashions, architecture... nowadays everything looks the same. Cookie cutter buildings, stamped-out cars that all look alike, and no one dresses for occasions anymore.

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  6. So how long did it take this contraption to cross 'the pond'?

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  7. How long to cross the pond? A long, long time. Wicked-pedia says it had a cruising speed of 110 mph and a range of 1100 miles.

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  8. Wiki article on it, it's demise was in a bombing run 1943 sitting doing nothing for years, tail is in a museum

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  9. Not exactly squeezing them in were they. I wonder what the airfare price would be in 2022 dollars.

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    1. I recall reading that its maiden flight featured a substantial number of stowaways. Probably plenty of places to hide.

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  10. The air museum in Madras is well worth a visit. I was able to fly in a Stearman a year before the plague. What a rush!..I'll never forget. David the pilot even flew us almost upside down. I have pictures to prove it.

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