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Dornier Do X

Microsoft / Oliver Moser

AIRCRAFTVINTAGEHISTORICDORNIERDOX

4.7/5 (111)


The Dornier Do X features a historic livery.

The Do X is a 12-engine, high-wing flying boat produced by German aircraft manufacturer Dornier. The hydroplane, which took its maiden flight on July 12, 1929, was the largest aircraft in the world when it was produced as measured by width, length, and weight. It is also one of only a small number of flying machines in history to be powered by ten or more engines. By most all accounts, the Do X is the aircraft with the largest number of piston engines ever created.

Dornier manufactured a total of three of the design during a production run that lasted from 1929 to 1932. The airframe operated from 1929 to 1937. The massive flugschiff (flying ship) required a crew of between 10 and 14, and could typically accommodate up to 100 passengers. During one flight, a Do X carried 169 people, including passengers and crew, a world record that stood for more than two decades.

Claudius Dornier first conceived of the Do X in 1924, a period in the history of flight when aviation technology was accelerating at a blistering pace and designers strove to create ever larger, faster, and higher-endurance craft. Engineering began on the Do X in 1925, and four years later, the world’s largest aircraft emerged for all to see, a pinnacle of German manufacturing. It consists of a hull with three internal decks and an overall length of 131 feet, 5 inches, a high main wing with a span of 156 feet, 10 inches, and sponsons mounted on the lower hull that serve to stabilize the Do X in water and act as secondary wings once aloft. The lower deck of the hull stores thousands of gallons of fuel. The middle deck comprises seating for up to 100 people, a lounge with a bar, a dining room, bathrooms, and storage. The upper deck houses the crew of up to 14 and all control systems for operating the aircraft, including the cockpit, engine control room, and radio facilities.

The Do X is powered by twelve 610-horsepower Curtiss V-1570 engines; each V-12 powerplant turns a 4-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. The engines are arranged in six pairs, each pair a tractor-pusher configuration in a nacelle that is mounted above the main wing by a series of braces. The Do X has a range of 1,100 miles (which can be extended with more fuel, housed in both the hull and the wings), cruises at 110 miles per hour, and has a top speed of 150 mph. The hydroplane typically flies at 1,600 feet above the water, but when empty of passengers can attain an altitude of 10,500 feet above sea level.

The Dornier Do X is a historically iconic aircraft that performs remarkably well for its size; it is able to confidently lift into the sky and cross oceans due to its more than 7,200 combined horsepower. Flying it takes a delicate touch, with an outlook to “keep in front of the aircraft” at all times due to its size and the large distances required to maneuver.

Specifications


CRUISE SPEED175 km/h (94 Knots)
MAX ALTITUDE3.200 Meter (10.499 ft)
RANGE1.700 km - 2.300 km (918 nm - 1242 nm)
LENGTH40,00 m (131,23 ft)
WINGSPAN48,00 m (157,48 ft)
EMPTY WEIGHT28.250 kg (62280,59 lbs)
MAX WEIGHT52.000 kg (114640,38 lbs)
ENGINE12 x Curtis Conqueror each 660 PS (485 kW/651 hp)
FUEL CAPACITY24.000 Liter (6.300 Gallons/5.450 lbs)

VERSION 0.1.12 RELEASED DECEMBER 28, 2023

VERSION 0.1.1 RELEASED JULY 13, 2023

First package delievered for testing!

VERSION 0.1.2 RELEASED DECEMBER 24, 2023

KNOWN ISSUES: Tugboat animation not perfect. Still looking for a solution to decouple the animation from the aircraft pitch.

VERSION 0.1.3 RELEASED JULY 31, 2023

VERSION 0.1.4 RELEASED AUGUST 4, 2023

VERSION 0.1.5 RELEASED AUGUST 6, 2023

VERSION 0.1.6 RELEASED AUGUST 14, 2023

VERSION 0.1.7 RELEASED AUGUST 16, 2023

VERSION 0.1.8 RELEASED AUGUST 18, 2023

VERSION 0.1.9 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

VERSION 0.1.10 RELEASED OCTOBER 6, 2023

VERSION 0.1.11 RELEASED OCTOBER 14, 2023