Dornier Thursday 14
| Dornier Thursday 14 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Trial flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
August 5, 1936 |
| Commissioning: |
- |
| Production time: |
1932-1936 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
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The Dornier Do 14 was an experimental flying boat from Dornier-Werke .
development
The aircraft was developed from 1931 as a test aircraft for new propulsion systems. The structure was similar to that of the Do 12 . As a special feature, two BMW VIs , each with 690 hp, were installed in tandem in the hull boat. The two motors acted via a transmission between them and a long-distance shaft on a propeller with a diameter of 5.0 m, which was located on a brace on the center section of the wing. With the gearbox, optimized engine speeds for take-off and flight could be achieved, as controllable pitch propellers were not yet available. In addition, separate couplings made it possible to fly with just one engine. As a further innovation, the fuel was stored in the "Dornier stubs", which resulted in a better center of gravity on the water and increased fire safety.
Although construction officially began on October 15, 1932, the final acceptance could only be carried out on August 4, 1936. The reasons were lengthy test runs triggered by the complicated structure of the propulsion system and problems with the surface cooling installed on the underside of the wing and on the boat hull. The first flight took place a day later. The subsequent testing was impaired by further drive problems, which could only be resolved with the installation of a two-stage gearbox between the remote drive shaft and the motors. The tests with the Do 14, approved as D-AGON , continued until June 1937. Since the drive arrangement had become obsolete with the introduction of controllable pitch propellers, the engines were then removed and the flying boat stored in the Dornier branch in Altenrhein . In April 1939 the decision was made to scrap it.
Only one test specimen was built.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 4th |
| span | 25.0 m |
| length | 18.0 m |
| height | 7.35 m |
| Wing area | 89.0 m² |
| Empty mass | 6,120 kg |
| Payload | 5,280 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 11,400 kg (calculated) |
| drive | two water-cooled twelve-cylinder - four cycle - V-engines BMW VI 6.0 U each with 690 hp (507 kW) |
| Top speed | 227 km / h near the ground |
| Range | 5,100 km (calculated) |
literature
- Günter Frost, Karl Kössler, Volker Koos: Dornier. From the beginning until 1945 . Heel, Königswinter 2010, ISBN 978-3-86852-049-1 .
- Heinz J. Nowarra : The German Air Armament 1933-1945. Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1993, ISBN 3-7637-5464-4 .