Dornier Libelle

Libelle
The Dornier Libelle II in the Deutsches Museum München
General information
Type	Flying boat
Manufacturer	Dornier
Designer	Claude Dornier
Number built	2x Do A + 5x Libelle I + 3x Libelle II
History
First flight	16 August 1921

Dornier Libelle in 1928

The Dornier Libelle (en:"Dragonfly I"), also designated Do A, was a German open-cockpit, all-metal, parasol wing, monoplane flying boat aircraft, with partly fabric-covered wings. There was three versions of the seaplane version; the prototype, first version, and improved version (the Libelle 2). A landplane version, built without sponsons and fitted with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage was produced as the Dornier Spatz. ^[1]

Variants

Do A

Two prototypes of the Libelle ^[2]

Libelle I

The standard production model, five built, fitted with Siemens-Halske Sh 4 engines and two built with 59.7 kW (80 hp) Siemens-Halske Sh 5 engines. ^[2]

Libelle II

The improved Libelle II was powered by Siemens-Halske Sh 5 or 75 kW (101 hp) Siemens-Halske Sh 11 engines. Other engines fitted to Libelle II aircraft include the Bristol Lucifer and the ADC Cirrus. Three built. ^[2]

Accidents

A Dornier Libelle crashed into the sea off Milford beach in Auckland, New Zealand on 12 December 1929, killing both crewmen. ^[3]

Survivor

A Libelle II VQ-FAB, manufacturers number 117 built in 1925, which operated in Fiji, is displayed in the Deutsches Museum in the centre of Munich. ^[4]

Specifications (Libelle I)

Dornier Libelle 3-view drawing from Les Ailes March 9,1922

Data from ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: two passengers
• Length: 7.18 m (23 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
• Height: 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 14 m² (150 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 420 kg (926 lb)
• Gross weight: 640 kg (1,411 lb)
• Fuel capacity: fuel 42 kg (93 lb)fuel + oil 10 kg (22 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 4 5-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 45 kW (60 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
• Cruise speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
• Range: 300 km (190 mi, 160 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 1,600 m (5,200 ft)

References

1. "Dornier Spatz". Germany. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
2. "Do A Libelle". Germany: histaviation.com. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
3. Tragedy at Milford
4. Ogden, 2006. p. 202

• "Do A Libelle". Germany: histaviation.com. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
• Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Prospero Books. p. 347. ISBN   1-85605-375-X.{{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• Ogden, Bob (2006). Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   0-85130-375-7.

External links

• "Dornier Spatz". Germany. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
• Dornier “Libelle" at http://www.jadu.de/luftfahrt
• "Libelle" at www.histaviation.com Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine