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Do 18

Country Germany Manufacturer Dornier Flugzeugwerke Primary Role Seaplane Maiden Flight 15 March 1935

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAfter one year of development, the Do 18A prototype flying boat took flight in 1935, piloted by personnel of the airline company Lufthansa. The final design closely resembled the appearance of the predecessor Do J Wal design, but adjustments were made to improve aerodynamic and hydrodynamic efficiency, and the use of modern engines improved fuel efficiency. Between 1935 and 1939, four additional aircraft were built for Lufthansa, which operated them across the Atlantic Ocean on many flights; one of Lufthansa's Do 18 aircraft was the Do 18F "Zyklon", which was the only Do 18 with extra-wide wingspan to allow flying even with one engine out. When the European War began in Sep 1939, 62 were in German Navy service, with 58 of them in operable condition. In 1939, they served in reconnaissance roles in the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. On 26 Sep, nine British Fleet Air Arm Skua aircraft from carrier HMS Ark Royal engaged three Do 18 flying boats, forcing one of them to make an emergency water landing; as this aircraft was later destroyed by destroyer HMS Somali, it became the first German aircraft to be destroyed by the British during the European War. In 1940, Do 18 aircraft were seen in Norwegian waters after the German invasion of Norway commenced. By mid-1941, they were considered obsolete, thus only one squadron was still serving in combat zones, and it was operating only as air-sea rescue aircraft rather than front-line reconnaissance.

ww2dbaseProduction of Do 18 flying boats lasted until Aug 1940. During the design's production life time, 170 aircraft were built; 48 of them were by Dornier and 122 of them were by Weser-Flugzeugbau.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Mar 2011

Do 18 Timeline

SPECIFICATIONS

Do 18D-1



Machinery Two Junkers 205C-4 six-cylinder diesel engines rated at 605hp each Armament 1x7.92mm MG15 bow machine gun, 1x7.92mm MG15 dorsal machine gun, 2x50kg bombs under wing Crew 4 Span 23.70 m Length 19.23 m Height 5.32 m Wing Area 98.00 m² Weight, Empty 6,680 kg Weight, Maximum 8,500 kg Speed, Maximum 250 km/h Speed, Cruising 190 km/h Service Ceiling 4,350 m Range, Normal 3,500 km

Photographs

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