Dornier Do 18

The Dornier Do 18 was a German maritime patrol and air/sea rescue flying boat. It was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II, flying sorties off the coast of Norway and Denmark on the North Sea, and along the coastal areas of the Baltic and Mediterranean Sea. The Do 18a prototype made its maiden flight on March 15, 1935, serving with the civil airliner Lufthansa along with the Do 18c prototype, under the civilian designation Do 18E.

The first version to be used by the Luftwaffe, as a maritime patrol flying boat, was the Dornier Do 18D. Deliveries to the Luftwaffe began in 1936, from Dornier's own Friedrichshafen factory. This variant was fitted with twin water rudders and controllable radiator flaps and it was powered by two Junkers Jumo 205C diesel engines, each delivering 600 horsepower. These machines were mounted in tandem, sharing the same shaft. By 1944, all four military variants (Do 18D, 18G, 18H, 18N( had been replaced by the more powerful and reliable Blohm und Voss BV 138 flying boat. A total of 170 flying boats were made.

Below, the Do 18D variant in flight over the North Sea.

Technical Description

The Dornier Do 18 was a four-seat, two-engine monoplane, with a fuselage adapted to take off and land from water. It was fitted with braced, straight high-wing. The engines were set up in tandem just above the wing, at the center of aircraft. Its two-step hull consisted of seven compartments, all of which were water-tight. Compartmentalized sponsons (known as Stümmel) provided lateral stability on the water, also contributing to lift in the air when taking off.

The Dornier Do 18 featured an enclosed cockpit, which housed pilot and co-pilot side by side, and radio operator and navigator immediately aft. A compartment over the rear step provided space of a defensive machine gun, with another open gun position in the nose.

Specifications (Do 18G version)

Type: maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and rescue flying boat.

Length: 19.38 m (63 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Span: 23.70 m (77 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 98 m2 (1,055 sq. feet)

Height: 5.32 m (17 feet, 5 inches)

Power Plant: two Junkers Jumo 205D, 6-cylinder, piston engines, each rated at 880 HP.

Maximum Speed: 267 km/h (166 mph)

Range: 3,500 km (2,175 miles)

Armament: one 13mm MG-131 machine gun, and one 20mm MG-151 cannon. Racks for two 50-kg bombs.

Below, the Dornier Do 18 flying a sortie over the Mediterranean Sea in 1942.

The German flying boat at a Luftwaffe military base on the coast of Norway.