Dornier Do 31
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| Dornier Do 31 | |
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| Dornier Do31 during trials | |
| Type | transport |
| Manufacturer | Dornier |
| Maiden flight | 10 February 1967 |
| Number built | 2 |
The Dornier Do31 was a German VTOL transport aircraft by Dornier.
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[edit] Development
Initial designs incorporated a Rolls Royce Pegasus vectored-thrust turbofan in each of the two inboard nacelles and four RB162 lift engines in each of the outer nacelles. It was planned to dispense with the outer nozzles and their engines when larger RB153 turbofans (of around 5,000 lbf or so thrust) became available. By mounting the engines in pods, the fuselage could provide a capacious hold with a rear loading ramp.
The first prototype (E1) first flew on 10 February 1967 with just the two Pegasus engines. The second prototype (E2) flew in July 1967 with all ten engines. The first hovering flight was on 22 November 1967. Full forward and backward transitions were made in December 1967.
The aircraft established several world records during its ferry flight to the 1969 Paris Air Show. It was the first, and so far the only, vertical take-off jet transport to be built. The project was cancelled in April 1970. One of the factors was the large drag and weight of the engine pods which reduced the useful payload and range compared to conventional transport aircraft.
[edit] Specification
- Payload: 3.5 tonnes approx
- Maximum weight: 24,000 kg
- Wingspan: 19.7 m
- Length: 20.53 m
- Cruising speed: 700 km/h
- Range: 1,800 km (with maximum payload)
- Powerplant:
- Two Pegasus 5-2: each with 7,031 kgf (68.95 kN) thrust
- Eight RB162-4D: each with 1,996 kgf (19.57 kN) thrust
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- Armstrong Whitworth AW.681 - planned VSTOL transport with 4 Pegasus enginesTemplate:Aero-1960s-spec
