The Flying Boat of the Century: The Remarkable Journey of the Dornier Do X

The Do X, designed by German engineer Claude Dornier and manufactured by the company Dornier, was the world’s largest flying boat when it was introduced in 1929. The aircraft was a monoplane with a fuselage made entirely of duralumin and wings made of steel-reinforced duralumin covered with linen and coated with aluminum paint. It had a length of 40 meters and a wingspan of 48 meters.

Initially powered by 12 Bristol Jupiter engines, the Do X could barely reach its altitude of 425 meters. The engines were controlled by a flight engineer who adjusted power using voice commands similar to those used on ships. In 1930, the aircraft was re-equipped with a Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engine that gave it the ability to reach an altitude of 500 meters and cross the Atlantic Ocean.

The Do X had luxurious space for passengers that approached the standards of transatlantic ships. It had three decks: the main deck contained a smoking room, dining room, seating for 66 passengers that could be converted into beds for night flights, a kitchen, toilet, and cargo compartment. The cockpit, navigation room, engine control room, and radio room were located on the upper deck while the lower deck contained fuel tanks and nine watertight compartments only seven of which kept the flying boat completely afloat.

On July 12, 1929, the Do X completed its first test flight with a crew of fourteen people. During its seventy-first test flight on October 21st