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The Dornier Komet ("Comet"), Merkur ("Mercury"), Do C, Do D, and Do T were a family of aircraft manufactured in Germany during the 1920s, originally as small airliners, but which saw military use as well. The earliest aircraft in the series were basically landplane versions of the Delphin flying boat, and although the Delphin and Komet/Merkur series diverged from each other, design changes and refinements from one family were often incorporated into the other. All variants were braced high-winged single-engine monoplanes with conventional landing gear.

Komet, Merkur, and related
Dornier B-Bal "Merkur" of Ad Astra Aero S.-A.
Role	Airliner Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Dornier Flugzeugwerke
First flight	1921

Design and development

The first Komets (Do C III Komet I) utilised the same rectangular plan, 17 m (55 ft 9 in) span wing, tail, and even upper fuselage, as well as the 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa engine of the Delphin I, but replaced the lower fuselage and sponsons with a simple sheet-metal bottom that incorporated fixed tailskid undercarriage. The engine installation was also relocated from above the Delphin's nose to a conventional location in the Komet's fuselage nose. Accommodation was provided for a single pilot and four passengers.[1][2] An improved version, the Do Komet II, was first flown on 9 October 1922 and was widely exported to countries including Colombia, Spain, Switzerland, and the Soviet Union.

The Do Komet III of 1924 was a practically all-new design that shared many elements with the Delphin III. The cabin was expanded to seat another two passengers and the larger wing, with a span of 19.6 m (64 ft 4 in), was raised above the fuselage on short struts. Power was greatly increased from the Komet I, with a 340 kW (450 hp) Napier Lion engine.[3] This version was exported to Denmark and Sweden, but was also produced under licence in Japan by Kawasaki.

In 1925, the Komet III was replaced in production by the Do B Merkur I, which featured a revised fin and longer-span wings. When fitted with the BMW VI engine, it became known as the Do B Bal Merkur II, as did indeed any Komets thus re-engined. The type was widely used by Deutsche Luft Hansa, which had some 30 Merkurs operating at one time, and was also exported to Brazil, China, Colombia, Japan, and Switzerland.

The Do C and Do D were follow-on military designs, the former a trainer exported to Chile and Colombia, the latter a floatplane torpedo-bomber built for the Yugoslav Royal Navy. The designation Do T was used for a landplane ambulance version.

Variants

Do C III Komet I

First of the Komet series

Do Komet II

Do Komet III

larger, more powerful four-six passenger version.[3]

Do B Merkur I

Do B Bal Merkur II

Do C

Military version of the Komet III

• Do C-1: Two-seat fighter.
• Do C-2A: Recognition version.
• Do C-3: Recognition version.
• Do C-4: Do-10, development of C-1.

Do D

A much revised floatplane torpedo bomber version for the Royal Yugoslav Air Force

Do T

An ambulance version

Operators

Civil operators

 Colombia

• SCADTA[4]

 Germany

• Deutsche Luft Hansa[5]
• Deutsche Luft-Reederei[5]

  Switzerland

• Ad Astra Aero[6]

 Ukraine

• Ukrvozdukhput[7]

 Soviet Union

• Deruluft[4]
• Dobrolyot[4]

Military operators

 Chile

• Chilean Air Force
• Chilean Navy

 Colombia

• Colombian Air Force

 Kingdom of Yugoslavia

• Yugoslav Royal Navy

Specifications (Merkur II)

Data from European Transport Aircraft since 1910[8]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: eight passengers
• Length: 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 19.6 m (64 ft 4 in)
• Height: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) [9]
• Wing area: 62.0 m² (667 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,100 kg (4,630 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,600 kg (7,937 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI water-cooled V-12 engine, 450 kW (600 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
• Cruise speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)
• Range: 750 km (466 mi, 405 nmi) [10]
• Service ceiling: 5,200 m (17,100 ft)

Notes

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2011)

References

Bibliography

• Cooksley, Peter (September–October 1996). "Celestial Coaches: Dornier's Record Breaking Komet and Merkur". Air Enthusiast (65): 20–24. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz Editions. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
• Hooks, Mike (June 2016). "Dornier Rising". Aeroplane. Vol. 44, no. 5. pp. 48–53. ISSN 0143-7240.
• Isaic, Vladimir (March–April 1999). "Yugoslav Naval Strike: Dornier's Merkur Seaplane in the Military Role". Air Enthusiast (80): 72–75. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Ledet, Michel (April 1993). "L'aéronautique naval yugoslave des années 20 à Avril 1941" [Yugoslav Naval Aviation from the Twenties to April 1941]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (2): 2–12. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Nikolic, Djordie & Ognjevic, Akeksandar M. (2021). Dornier: The Yugoslav Saga 1926-2007. Lublin, Poland: Kagero Publishing. ISBN 978-83-66673-61-8.
• Stroud, John (1966). European Transport Aircraft since 1910. London: Putnam.
• Stroud, John (January 1984). "Wings of Peace—Part 4: Dornier Komet and Merkur". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 12, no. 1. pp. 34–39. ISSN 0143-7240.
• Tassell, Roy (May–June 1999). "Round-Out". Air Enthusiast (81): 78. ISSN 0143-5450.

Further reading

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 327.
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 892 Sheet 26.

External links

• German aircraft between 1919–1945

На других языках

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[de] Dornier Komet I und II

Die Dornier Do C III Komet I und Do P Komet II waren einmotorige Hochdecker-Verkehrsflugzeuge des am Bodensee ansässigen Flugzeugherstellers Dornier-Werke aus den 1920er-Jahren. Der Erstflug der Komet I erfolgte am 10. Februar 1921, die Komet II flog am 9. Oktober 1922 zum ersten Mal.

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- [en] Dornier Komet

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[fr] Dornier Merkur

Le Dornier Merkur, également désigné Do B, était un avion de transport monomoteur allemand.

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[it] Dornier Komet

Il Dornier Komet fu un aereo da trasporto passeggeri monomotore e monoplano ad ala alta sviluppato dall'azienda aeronautica tedesca Dornier Flugzeugwerke nei primi anni venti del XX secolo.

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[ru] Dornier Komet

Dornier Komet, Merkur, Do D, и Do T — серия самолётов, производившаяся в Германии в 1920-е годы. Изначальное назначение — пассажирские перевозки, далее также военное применение. Самолёт создан совместно с летающей лодкой Dornier Delphin и имеет с ней много общих конструктивных элементов.

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