Dornier Do 26

Do 26
Dornier Do 26A "Seefalke", 1938
Role	Transport and reconnaissance flying boat
Manufacturer	Dornier Flugzeugwerke
First flight	21 May 1938
Introduction	1939
Retired	1945
Primary users	Deutsche Lufthansa Luftwaffe
Number built	6

The Dornier Do 26 was an all-metal gull winged flying boat produced before and during World War II by Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany.

It was operated by a crew of four and was intended to carry a payload of 500 kg (1,100 lb) or four passengers on the Lisbon to New York route.

Design and development

The elegant Do 26, sometimes referred to as the "most beautiful flying-boat ever built",^[1] was of all-metal construction. The hull had a central keel and a defined step; the wings were of gull wing configuration, the outer sections being equipped with fully retractable narrow stabilising wing-floats, instead of Dornier's famous "water-wing" sponsons extending from the lower hull for lateral stabilization.

Its four engines, Junkers Jumo 205C diesels, were mounted in tractor/pusher pairs in tandem nacelles located at the joint between the dihedral and horizontal wing sections. The rear (pusher) engines could be swung upwards through 10° during take-off and landing, to prevent contact between the three-blade airscrew and water spray created by the forward propellers.

The tail unit was of conventional design, comprising a horizontal tailplane and a single, vertical fin with rudder.

Operational history

Pre-war

In 1937, Deutsche Lufthansa ordered three Do 26 aircraft, which were designed to be launched by catapult from special supply ships, for transatlantic air mail purposes. The first, Do 26 A D-AGNT V1 Seeadler ("Sea eagle"), was piloted on its maiden flight by Flight Captain Erich Gundermann on 21 May 1938; D-AWDS V2 Seefalke ("Sea Falcon"), followed on 23 November 1938, piloted by Flight Captain Egon Fath. Both were completed and handed over to Deutsche Lufthansa before the outbreak of World War II. Due to opposition from the United States, the German airline was unable to operate these aircraft on the intended transatlantic route; instead, in 1939 they were used to carry air mail between Bathurst and Natal in South Africa. The third aircraft, Do 26 B D-ASRA Seemöwe ("Seagull") was completed shortly before the start of World War II.

One notable Do 26 civilian mission was carried out by V2 Seefalke, when on 14 February 1939 the veteran Lufthansa pilot Flight Captain Siegfried Graf Schack von Wittenau embarked on a mercy flight to Chile, taking 580 kg (1,279 lb) of medical supplies for earthquake victims in Chile. The 10,700 km (6,600 mi) flight lasted 36 hours.^[1]

World War II

All three Deutsche Lufthansa aircraft were impressed into military service in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, as P5+AH, P5+BH and P5+CH respectively.^[2]

Three other Do 26 aircraft (V4 - V6) were built as Do 26 C for the Luftwaffe with the more powerful 648 kW (880 hp) Junkers Jumo 205D engines; the original three aircraft were similarly converted for military service. Armament consisted of one 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and three 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns.

Norwegian Campaign

The Do 26s saw service in April and May 1940 in the Norwegian Campaign, transporting supplies, troops and wounded to and from the isolated German forces fighting at Narvik under the command of General Eduard Dietl. During this campaign three of them were lost:

On 8 May 1940, V2 (ex Seefalke)^[3] was shot down by three Blackburn Skuas of 803 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, operating from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal^[4] while carrying 18 Gebirgsjägers to the Narvik front.^[3] After a running fight V2 crash-landed in Efjorden in Ballangen. Siegfried Graf Schack von Wittenau, the crew and 18 soldiers, were captured in bloody fighting with Norwegian forces.^[3] One of the Skuas, flown by future Fleet Air Arm fighter ace Sub-Lieutenant Philip Noel Charlton,^[5] was hit by return fire from V2 and made an emergency landing at Tovik near Harstad.^[3]

Then, on 28 May 1940, both V1 (ex Seeadler) and V3 (ex Seemöwe) were set ablaze with gunfire and sunk at their moorings at Sildvik in Rombaksfjord near Narvik,^[6] when discovered and attacked by three Hawker Hurricanes of No. 46 Squadron RAF led by the New Zealander Flight Lieutenant (later Group Captain) P.G. "Pat" Jameson,^[6] DSO, DFC and bar^[7] shortly after landing.^[6] Three mountain guns destined for the German forces fighting in the mountains east of Narvik were lost with the destruction of V1 and V3,^[8] whilst one gun was recovered from one of the aircraft before it was lost.^[6]

Later World War II service

V5 was lost on 16 November 1940, killing its crew, after being launched at night from the catapult ship Friesenland^[9] in Brest, France. The fate of V4 and V6, which in 1944 were still assigned to the Test Unit (German: Erprobungsstelle) in Travemünde, is unclear.^[10]

Variants

Do 26A

Two prototypes, named V1 (D-AGNT Seeadler) and V2 (D-AWDS Seefalke).

Do 26B

Third prototype, named V3 (D-ASRA Seemöwe).

Do 26C

Military variant for Luftwaffe, powered by Junkers Jumo 205D engines and armed with one 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and three 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns. Three aircraft built. V1, V2 and V3 were rebuilt to similar standard.

Operators

 Germany

• Deutsche Lufthansa operated two Do 26A and one Do 26B between 1938 and 1939. Later all three were handed over to the Luftwaffe.
• Luftwaffe operated all six built aircraft.
  • Erprobungsstelle Travemünde
  • KGr.z.b.V. 108 (operated in Trans-Ozean Staffel/KGr.z.b.V. 108)^[11]
  • Küstenfliegergruppe 406 (operated in Sonderstaffel/Ku.Fl.Gr.406)^[12]

Survivors

The wrecks of V1 Seeadler and V3 Seemöwe were located in Norwegian waters off Narvik after the war. Seemöwe has been removed but the fuselage and wings of Seeadler remain in situ (and are an attraction for divers). Some components from Seeadler, including the cockpit instrument panel and a propeller, are on display at the Narvik War Museum; another propeller can be seen at the flying club in Bodø, Norway.^[13]

Specifications - civilian Do 26A

General characteristics

• Crew: Four
• Payload: 500 kg (1,102 lb)
• Length: 24.5 m (80 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 30 m (98 ft 5 in)
• Height: 6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 120 m² (1,291.67 ft²)
• Empty weight: 10,200 kg (22,487 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 20,000 kg (44,093 lb)
• Powerplant: Four × Junkers Jumo 205C Diesel, 447 kW (600 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 335 km/h (208 mph)
• Cruise speed: 310 km/h (193 mph)
• Range: 9,000 km (5,592 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,100 ft)

Specifications - Do 26V6

Data from Luftwaffe Resource Center

General characteristics

• Crew: Four
• Payload: 500 kg or 12 fully equipped troops (1,102 lb)
• Length: 24.6 m (80 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 30 m (98 ft 5 in)
• Height: 6.85 m (22 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 120 m² (1,291.67 ft²)
• Empty weight: 11,300 kg (24,912 lb)
• Loaded weight: 22,500 kg (49,601 lb)
• Powerplant: 4 × Junkers Jumo 205D Diesel, 656 kW (880 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 324 km/h (175 kn, 201 mph)
• Range: 7,100 km (3,834 nmi, 4,412 mi)

Armament

1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in a bow turret, 3 × aft-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns

See also

Related lists

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of seaplanes and flying boats

References

Notes

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dornier Do 26.

• Hafsten, Bjørn; Ulf Larsstuvold; Bjørn Olsen; Sten Stenersen (1991). Flyalarm – luftkrigen over Norge 1939–1945 (in Norwegian) (1st ed.). Oslo: Sem og Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-058-3. 
• Thomas, Andrew (2007). Royal Navy Aces of World War 2. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-178-6. 
• Vaagland, Per Olav (2003). En infanteribataljon i strid – BN II/IR 15 i slaget om Narvik 1940 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. ISBN 82-91218-32-3. 

Dornier and Zeppelin-Lindau aircraft Zeppelin-Lindau 1914-1919 Rs.I Rs.II Rs.III Rs.IV C.I C.II CS.I CL.II D.I V1 Dornier designations 1919-1933 Do A Do B Do C Do D Do E Do F Do G Do H Do J Do K Do L Do N Do O Do P Do Q Do R Do S Do T Do U Do V Do X Do Y Delphin Komet Libelle Merkur Spatz Wal RLM designations 1933-1945 Do 10 Do 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Do 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Do 25 Do 26 Do 29 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Do 317 Do 318 Do 335 Do 417 Do 435 Do 635 P.59 P.85 P.174 P.184 P.192 P.231 P.232 P.238 P.247 P.252 P.254 P.256 P.273 P.1075 Dornier designations post-1945 Do 24 Do 25 Do 27 Do 28 Do 29 Do 31 Do 32 Do 34 Do 128 Do 132 Do 228 Do 231 328 328JET 428 528 728JET 928JET Aerodyne Alpha Jet Projekt 621 Seastar S-Ray 007 See also Claudius Dornier and Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen

Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations 1 to 100 B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 Ju 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100 101 to 200 Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200 201 to 300 Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 (1943) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300 301- Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E.340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E.555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635

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