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]

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

Design and development

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Do K3

Do K1

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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

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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

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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)

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Dornier Do K3 3-view drawing from NACA aircraft Circular No.155

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

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Notes
  1. ^ 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

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  • Zuerl, Walter (1941). Deutsche Flugzeug Konstrukteure. München, Germany: Curt Pechstein Verlag.
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