Dornier Do K
| Dornier Do K | |
|---|---|
| |
| Do K3 | |
| Role | Airliner |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Dornier |
| Designer | Claude Dornier |
| First flight | 7 May 1929 (Do K1) |
| Number built | 3 |
The Dornier Do K was a German commercial passenger and freight monoplane, designed by Claude Dornier and built by Dornier Flugzeugwerke.[1] Only three prototypes of different designs were built and the type was not a commercial success.[1]
Design and development
Do K1
The first Dornier Do K was the K1 which first flew on 7 May 1929.[1] The K1 was a conventionally-braced high-wing monoplane, powered by a single nose-mounted 510 hp (380 kW) licence-built Bristol Jupiter VI radial engine, and had a conventional landing gear with a tailskid.[1] The square-section fuselage had an enclosed cockpit for two with a cabin behind for freight or eight passengers.[1] Test flights showed that performance was poor and the aircraft was redesigned.[1]
Do K2
The Do K2 flew in December 1929 with similar wings and fuselage but had a changed landing gear and four 240 hp (179 kW) Gnome-Rhone Titan radial engines.[1] The four engines were strut mounted on each side of the fuselage in tandem pairs, one in tractor configuration and the other as a pusher.[1] Although the aircraft had an increase in available power, the performance was little improved on the K1.[1]
Do K3
The K3 was a complete rethink of the design. The braced wing was replaced with a cantilever wing of larger span.[1] The fuselage was changed to oval and stretched for two extra passengers and the tailskid was replaced with a tailwheel and the main units were enclosed in fairings.[1] The four engines were in the same tandem arrangement as the K2, but located lower on the fuselage and changed to 305 hp (227 kW) Walter Castor radial engines.[1] The performance was greatly improved but still provoked little interest and no others were built.[1]
Specifications (Do K3)
Data from [1] The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Capacity: ten
- Length: 16.65 m (54 ft 7.5 in)
- Wingspan: 25 m (82 ft 0.25 in)
- Height: 4.55 m (14 ft 11.25 in)
- Wing area: 89 m2 (958.02 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 4,265 kg (9,403 lb)
- Gross weight: 6,200 kg (13,669 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × Walter Castor radial piston engine , 227 kW (305 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 230 km/h (143 mph, 124 kn)
- Range: 800 km (497 mi, 432 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Orbis 1985, p. 1494
- Bibliography
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
Further reading
- Zuerl, Walter (1941). Deutsche Flugzeug Konstrukteure. München, Germany: Curt Pechstein Verlag.
External links
- "Do-K Shows Speed In Test Flights", May 1932, Popular Mechanics