Dornier-Zeppelin D.I

D.I
Role	single-seat fighter
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Zeppelin-Lindau
Designer	Claude Dornier
First flight	4 June 1918
Status	abandoned
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte; United States Navy; United States Air Service
Number built	7
Variants	Dornier Do H Falke

The Zeppelin D.I, or Zeppelin-Lindau D.I or Zeppelin D.I (Do) (as named in German documents) was also sometimes referred postwar as the Dornier D.I or Dornier-Zeppelin D.I for the designer,^[2] was a single-seat all-metal stressed skin^[3]^[4] monocoque^[3] cantilever-wing biplane fighter^[3]^[4] developed by Claude Dornier while working for Luftschiffbau Zeppelin at their Lindau facility.^[3] It was too late to see service with the German Air Force (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War One.

Development and design

The Dornier D.I was one of several designs, including the giant Zeppelin Rs series of seaplanes (technically, the Zeppelin L Class, which was just an R.VI with floats) designed by Claude Dornier with an all-metal stressed skin^[3] monocoque structure,^[3] and it was the first fighter to feature such construction and although production was cancelled prior to the completion of any production versions it was also the first aircraft with these features to go into production. To reduce the hazards of in-flight fires it also featured an external fuel tank, that according to some sources may have been jettisonable,^[2]^[5] and thick section cantilevered wings for improved aerodynamics. The Dornier Do H Falke was largely similar, however it had an enlarged upper wing and dispensed with the lower wing.

Operational history

File:Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) D.I side.jpg

Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) D.I on trestle

Seven prototypes were built as part of the development program. It was never used operationally, due to the end of World War I. Luftstreitkräfte pilots evaluated the type in May/June 1918,^[6] and again in October 1918.^[7] Despite German ace Wilhelm Reinhard being killed on 3 July 1918,^[6] as a result of a structural failure while supposedly grounded for structural upgrades, and negative reports at that time regarding its heavy aileron control and poor climb performance at higher altitudes, after being fitted with a more powerful BMW engine that boosted the climb rate to 5000m from 25 minutes to 13 minutes,^[8] an order was placed for 50 aircraft in October or November.^[7] The airframes for this order were roughly 50% complete when the production was halted in early 1919.^[7]

One of the prototypes went to the US Navy and another to the US Army Air Service, both purchased in 1921 and delivered in 1922, for evaluation of the novel construction methods used.^[9]

Variants

Dornier D.I
Dornier Do H Falke: Postwar development evaluated by the United States.

Operators

German Empire

Luftstreitkräfte - evaluation only

United States

United States Navy - 1 example for evaluation serialed A6058^[10]
United States Air Service - 1 example for evaluation serialed AS.68546, McCook Field Project Number P.241^[11]^[12]

Survivors/Aircraft on display

None of the examples built survive.

Specifications

Data from Grey, 1970, p.580

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 6.37 m (20 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 7.8^[5] m (25 ft 7.125 in)
Height: 2.6^[5] m ( ft in)
Wing area: 18.7^[5] m² (202 ft²)
Empty weight: 725^[5] kg (1562 lb)
Gross weight: 885^[5] kg (1958 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × BMW IIIa^[5] water cooled inline 6 cylinder, 138 kW (185 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 200^[5] km/h ( mph)
Service ceiling: 8100^[5] m ( ft)

Armament

2 × fixed, forward-firing Spandau machine guns

References

Citations

↑ Grosz, 1998, p.8
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Grosz, 1998, p.12
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Grosz, 1998, p.0
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Grey, 1970, p.580
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 ^5.4 ^5.5 ^5.6 ^5.7 ^5.8 Kössler, 1985, p.78
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Grosz, 1998, p.1
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Grosz, 1998, p.10
↑ Grosz, 1998, p.9
↑ Grosz, 1998, pp.10
↑ Grosz, 1998, pp.3-4 and 8-10
↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
↑ Grosz, 1998, pp.10-13

Bibliography

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[1] Grosz, 1998, p.8

[G12-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Grosz, 1998, p.12

[G0-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Grosz, 1998, p.0

[Grey-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Grey, 1970, p.580

[K-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 ^5.4 ^5.5 ^5.6 ^5.7 ^5.8 Kössler, 1985, p.78

[G1-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Grosz, 1998, p.1

[G10-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Grosz, 1998, p.10

[8] Grosz, 1998, p.9

[9] Grosz, 1998, pp.10

[10] Grosz, 1998, pp.3-4 and 8-10

[11] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

[12] Grosz, 1998, pp.10-13

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v t e 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

v t e World War I aircraft of the Central Powers
Fighters	AEG D.I AEG Dr.I Albatros D.I Albatros D.II Albatros D.III Albatros D.V Aviatik D.I Aviatik C.VI Daimler L.6 Euler D.I Euler D.II Fokker D.I Fokker D.II Fokker D.III Fokker D.IV Fokker D.V Fokker D.VI Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VIII Fokker Dr.I Fokker E.I Fokker E.II Fokker E.III Fokker E.IV Fokker E.V Halberstadt D.II Hannover CL.II Hannover CL.III Hannover CL.IV Hannover CL.V Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Junkers D.I Kondor D.6 Kondor E.III Naglo D.II Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.XII Pfalz Dr.I Pfalz E.I Pfalz E.II Phönix D.I LFG Roland D.II LFG Roland D.VI Siemens-Schuckert D.I Siemens-Schuckert D.II Siemens-Schuckert D.III Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Siemens-Schuckert L.I Zeppelin-Lindau D.I
Bombers and ground attack	AEG DJ.I AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG J.I AEG J.II AEG R.I Friedrichshafen G.II Friedrichshafen G.III Gotha G.I Gotha G.II Gotha G.III Gotha G.IV Gotha G.V Gotha GL.VII Gotha G.IX Hannover CL.II Junkers CL.I Junkers J.I Rumpler G.I Rumpler G.II Rumpler G.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.IV Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Reconnaissance	AEG B.I AEG B.II AEG B.III AEG C.I AEG C.II AEG C.III AEG C.IV AEG C.V AEG C.VI AEG C.VII AEG C.VIII AGO C.I AGO C.II AGO C.III AGO C.IV AGO C.VII AGO C.VIII Albatros B.I Albatros B.II Albatros C.I Albatros C.III Albatros C.V Albatros C.VII Albatros C.IX Albatros C.X Albatros C.XII Aviatik B.I Aviatik B.II Aviatik C.I Aviatik C.VI DFW C.V LFG Roland C.II LVG B.I LVG C.II Rumpler C.I Rumpler C.IV Rumpler Taube
Trainers	Euler D.I
Prototypes	Albatros C.II Fokker V.1 Fokker V.2 Junkers J 1 Junkers J 2 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I

Dornier-Zeppelin D.I

Contents

Development and design

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Survivors/Aircraft on display

Specifications

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

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