Dornier Do 228 LM
The Dornier Do 228 LM is special equipment for the Do 228 , a twin-engine turboprop aircraft made by the German manufacturer Dornier . Behind the abbreviation Do 228 LM is the air monitoring system consisting of two Dornier Do 228 aircraft for the detection of marine pollution, which was procured by the Federal Ministry of Transport from 1990 to curb the polluting discharge of waste oil by shipping.
Background information, task
On the basis of international laws ( MARPOL agreement), the aircraft should monitor compliance with them from the air in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany over the North and Baltic Seas. Another task was to identify the degree of pollution in the event of accidental discharges and accidents, to track it and to instruct the oil disposal vessels.
Oil pollution at sea can now be seen relatively easily and with good visibility only with the eye. Depending on the degree of pollution, these ships drag a more or less wide iridescent oil slick behind them. Likewise, oil stains created differently show up in the same way on the water.
The MARPOL agreement allows the ships a small amount of technically-related loss of oil (lubrication of the screw bearings) during the journey and the German legal system also requires clear evidence in order to be able to act in the event of violations and violations. A capability had to be created to determine the amount and type of oil with the help of sensors from the air. It was particularly important to distinguish whether the oil slick was caused by lubricating oil or the widespread and forbidden flushing of the tanker holds.
The aircraft should therefore be equipped with extensive and technologically complex sensor systems in order to be able to identify, classify and measure the layer thickness of the oil on and immediately below the surface of the water in addition to locating and measuring the extent of the oil slick. The results should be reliably recorded, documented and forwarded via data link to the authorities on the ground and on ships (waterway police) without delay, so that the perpetrators can still be identified within the water sovereignty zones. This in all weather conditions, even when it is cloudy and at night.
This extensive equipment is due, among other things, to the liberal German legal system. In the Anglo-Saxon legal system, a simple indictment is sufficient; it then places the defendant with proof of innocence. Another Do 228 aircraft are flying in countries with an Anglo-Saxon legal system with only minimal equipment for oil monitoring. Here the statements of the pilots and observers on board are sufficient to carry out the determination of the master and the ship.
The leading customer for the special equipment was the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMVBS). Four Do 228 aircraft were procured by the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) for the Naval Aviation Squadron 3 "Graf Zeppelin" (MFG 3) in Nordholz, two as liaison aircraft (added in 1996 and 1997) and two for equipping with oil monitoring sensors (added in 1991 at MFG 5 in Kiel and 1997 at MFG 3 in Nordholz). The two oil scouts belong to the Ministry of Transport and are only operated by the Bundeswehr. MFG 3 also took over the operation and maintenance / commissioning of the aircraft, provides the pilots and operators and still carries out the flights on behalf of the BMVBS and the water / coastal protection authorities.
It must be said in advance that there were already two aircraft with the oil monitoring sensors SLAR and IR / UV on the MFG 5 within the approximately 100 strong former Do 28 fleet of the Bundeswehr. Since the Do 28 fleet was withdrawn from the Navy without being replaced, the Do 228 was procured. The task also required that the tried and tested parts of the oil monitoring equipment should be largely carried over into the new aircraft. Nothing should change in the model of the company and the division of tasks / costs.
The northern German coastal states demanded adequate participation from regional industry. Furthermore, the University of Oldenburg had a laser fluorosensor for identification, classification and layer thickness measurement in development, which should also be used. The Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT) financed the development of a microwave radiometer (MWR) at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen for measuring coating thickness, which was available as a laboratory system and was to be installed in an industrialized manner by Dornier according to the order.
Ultimately, the following division of labor developed:
- Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH:
- Main contractor with delivery of the aircraft, removal of the equipment from Do 28 and scaffolding of the systems, construction manager for the air traffic approval of the Do 228 LM by the type testing center of the BW (ML). Industrialization and proof of the aviation compatibility of the microwave radiometer developed by the DLR.
- Krupp MAK Kiel:
- One central operator station (ZOP) as an evaluation and documentation system on board, on the MFG 5 and on the multi-purpose ship Mellum , which u. a. is also used as an oil spill ship.
- Optimare - a spin-off from the University of Oldenburg:
- Delivery of the laser fluorosensor for installation by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH in a second phase at the beginning of 1993 and testing in the summer of 1993.
- DLR Oberpfaffenhofen:
- Delivery of the MWR development sample for industrialization by Dornier GmbH, Electronics Product Division.
- MFG 5 Kiel:
- Support services such as operation of the aircraft during testing and proof of functionality of the special equipment.
- Special Federal Office for Combating Marine Pollution (SBÖ) in Cuxhaven:
- Support services, including the controlled laying and removal of oil spills during testing and acceptance.
Since MAK's ZOP system did not meet the requirements, Dornier, as the liable main contractor, had to develop and equip a new "Central Operator Console" (COC) system in an intermediate improvement phase.
In summary, the system should have the following capabilities:
- Detect marine pollution from the air over a wide area
- Determine the extent and identity of a pollution
- Determine the origin of a pollution
- Document measurement and observation results by recording and forwarding them via data link
- Instruct watercraft from the air
The Federal Republic of Germany has successfully invested a lot of money in combating environmental pollution with this monitoring system. Since these aircraft have existed, violations within German territorial waters have become significantly less frequent. The intensive monitoring of German waters has got around internationally. It is very effective and therefore a great success.
For Dornier-Werke it was a demanding task to carry out special equipment after equipping the AWACS aircraft and KWS Breguet Atlantic . The complexity was not inferior to the bigger ones. It was difficult to manage the very different bodies and suppliers involved from industry, authorities, university and research institutes. For Dornier it was also a first practical test after the takeover by Daimler-Benz under the umbrella of DASA and the division into several companies. From this point of view it was relatively easy to determine the paintwork of the aircraft. The civil ministries / authorities did not want the camouflage used by the military with gray on the top and white on the bottom. Since the aircraft should be recognizable as a deterrent, the color scheme was reversed pragmatically.
Sensors and equipment on board
- Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR)
- Extensive reconnaissance and localization of surface contamination, X-band radar, range up to 25 kilometers, detect oil films down to 1/1000 millimeter. Manufacturer: Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), taken from Do 28.
- IR / UV line scanner
- Measurement of the extent of contamination, in connection with the layer thickness measurement the amount can be determined, operational flight altitude 300–1000 meters (1000–3000 ft). Manufacturer: Daedalus / SSC, taken from Do 28.
- Operator station COC
- Ergonomic operator and work station, control of all functions of the special equipment and documentation / annotation and transfer of results, workstation with graphic display and data storage and processing system, hardcopy unit and video recorder. Manufacturer: Dornier with sub-suppliers, including SUN, Sony.
- Data down link
- Data transmission (video) 3 MB / s, range> 10 kilometers. Manufacturer: Seitner GmbH. Out of function since 2005.
- Video cameras and picture cameras
- Permanently installed and handheld for documentation / assessment of the situation, securing of the ship's name in low-altitude B / W and color, with night image capability (LLLTV). Manufacturer: Commercially available, including TEAC, Sony, NIKON.
- Microwave Radiometer (MWR)
- Layer thickness measurement on the surface, in connection with the expansion measurement the amount can be determined. Operating altitude 300–1000 meters (1000–3000 ft). Manufacturer: DLR / Dornier.
- Laser fluorosensor (LFS)
- Identification and classification (type) of the oil and other contaminants, as well as layer thickness measurements down to below the water surface. Operating altitude 300–1000 meters (1000–3000 ft). Manufacturer: Uni Oldenburg / Optimare
- Soil evaluation station at MFG 3
- Built on the basis of the COC on board the aircraft to preserve evidence.
- Ground evaluation station on the oil spill ship Mellum
- Built on the basis of the COC on board the aircraft, to coordinate the combat ships in the event of an emergency.
- Extensions to the standard equipment of the aircraft:
- - de-icing system
- - Weather radar
- - GPS navigation, with interface to the COC
- - Operators seat
- - two optically pure “bubble windows” with observer seats
- - Toilet
Operation of the aircraft
The aircraft are the Do 228-212 series with an increased maximum take-off weight of 6,600 kilograms.
Equipped and with a crew of three (two pilots and one operator), the flight endurance of the Do 228 LM is 5.5 hours with the usual reserve of 10 percent. It is assumed here that measurement flights take place without interruption in an altitude range of 300 to 800 meters, which is uneconomical for aircraft.
The pilots are in the air for up to 400 hours a year to carry out their assignments and are therefore among the frequent fliers in the Bundeswehr.
modernization
The aircraft used have been modernized since the end of 2010. The older of the two aircraft (57 + 01) was replaced by the new version DO 228NG (57 + 05), while the younger aircraft (57 + 04) will be retrofitted with modern avionics ( glass cockpit ) and newly developed five-blade propellers. The retrofitting took place in 2014/15 at RUAG in Oberpfaffenhofen. Compared to the previous model, the modernized aircraft should be characterized by better performance data and more efficient operation.
The Do-228 with the registration number 57 + 01 was up for auction at VEBEG in 2012 .
Flight hours
From 1991 to July 15, 2012, the Do-228 fleet accumulated 40,063 flight hours, of which 29,687 hours were used as an oil search aircraft, the remaining 10,367 hours were transport and VIP flights for the Navy.
Web links
- The Do 228 LM on the website of the German Navy
- Pollution-control.de Very informative website about the use of the aircraft
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Peter Straub: The coast guards. (No longer available online.) Y - Magazin der Bundeswehr, August 7, 2012, archived from the original on February 27, 2013 ; Retrieved August 26, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Do 228NG - Benefit from a New Generation. (PDF; 1.1 MB) (No longer available online.) RUAG Aerospace, archived from the original on December 18, 2011 ; accessed on August 26, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Call for tenders aircraft "DORNIER" Do 228 - 212. (PDF; 3.8 MB) VEBEG, August 6, 2012, archived from the original on September 7, 2012 ; Retrieved August 26, 2012 .
- ↑ German Navy Do228s Pass 40,000 Hours . In: Air International . No. 8 . Key Publishing, Stamford August 2012 (English).
