Dornier Delphin
The Dornier Delphin (en: Dolphin) was a 1920s German single-engine commercial flying boat built by Dornier Flugzeugwerke. As well as commercial users, single examples were acquired by the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy for evaluation.
| Delphin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Delphin III in 1928 | |
| Role | Commercial flying boat |
| Manufacturer | Dornier Flugzeugwerke |
| First flight | 1920 |
Development
The Delphin I was developed in 1920. It was an all-metal single-engine high-wing monoplane flying boat. It had an enclosed cabin for four-passengers with the wing mounted above, and the nacelle-mounted engine above that. It was powered by a 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa inline engine. The pilot had an open cockpit on the upper surface of the hull behind the engine, which gave him a limited view forward. It first flew on the 24 November 1920. Dornier first tested the design concept and spontoons in place of wingtip floats, with a small three-seater named the Dornier Libelle.[1]
An improved version, the Delphin II, first flew on 15 February 1924, and was powered by either a 186 kW (250 hp) BMW engine or a 194 kW (260 hp) Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine. The enclosed cabin now had room for two crew and five passengers.
Following the success of the Delphin II, a larger version, the Delphin III was developed from 1927. It was powered by a 447 kW (600 hp) BMW VI engine and had a separate flight deck for the two-man crew and a cabin for ten passengers.
A Delphin I was acquired by the United States Navy, and a Delphin III by the Royal Navy, both of whom were interested in evaluating the metal construction.
Variants
- Delphin I
- Four-passenger version with open cockpit, powered by a 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa inline engine
- Delphin II
- Five-passenger version, powered by either a 186 kW (250 hp) BMW engine or a 194 kW (260 hp) Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine.
Dornier CS II Delphin photo from L'Aéronautique September 1921 - Delphin III
- Ten-passenger version, powered by 447 kW (600 hp) BMW VI engine
Dornier Do L Delphin III photo from Le Document aéronautique September,1928
Specifications (Delphin III)
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Capacity: ten passengers
- Length: 14.35 m (47 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 19.60 m (64 ft 3.75 in)
- Height: 4.05 m (13 ft 3.5 in)
- Wing area: 62 m2 (667.38 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,900 kg (6,393 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,900 kg (8,598 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI inline piston engine , 447 kW (600 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 km/h (112 mph, 97 kn)
- Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,765 ft)
References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing
- "The Dornier Cs. II Commercial Flying Boat", Flight, April 21, 1921
- "The Dornier Dragon Fly Flying Boat" FLIGHT, October 20, 1921