Dornier Seastar

The Dornier Seastar ( Claudius Dornier Seastar ) is a twin-engine amphibious aircraft manufacturer Dornier Seawings AG of Germany.

Development

In the early 1980s, Professor Claudius Dornier Jr. developed a multipurpose amphibious aircraft that can be used without special equipment of grass slopes and water - snow and ice from. The first flight of the test model VT -01 (also known as PT 01) was held on 17 August 1984. To save time and costs during flight testing, this machine was fitted with the metal wings of the Do 27.

Claudius Dornier was the eldest son of Claude Dornier and felt even after retirement as Chief Executive Officer of Dornier -Werke GmbH to the legacy of his father in late 1981 - to build Seaplanes - much obliged. First, the project was developed within the Dornier works at his expense. 1985 - after the takeover of Dornier works by Daimler Benz - he founded his own company, those who continued the project Claudius Dornier Seastar GmbH & Co KG.

The Type Certificate was issued in October 1990 by the Federal Aviation Authority and in June 1991 by the U.S. DoT (FAA ). At this time there were two firm purchase orders, five options and 72 purchase orders. However, the Federal Ministry of Economics presented in the necessary funding so that the program was established by Conrado Dornier, son of Claudius Dornier, who had it Dornier Composite Aircraft GmbH taken over in 1986 after the death of his father in his company & Co KG, in Germany on ice. To save the created technology base, Conrado Dornier Dornier Seastar founded in 1991 GmbH & Co. KG, which went up in the Dornier Seawings AG 2001. With the aim of realizing the Seastar program the only surviving Seastar is kept airworthy today. Meanwhile, this Vorserienflugzeug received a single piece of Approval, which also allows the IFR flight operations. It can occasionally be visited on sightseeing flights. The end of 2008 it was announced that the Dornier Seaplane Company is planning a newly established manufacturing a modernized version, based in Miami. As a production site at Saint -Jean -sur -Richelieu was announced in the Canadian province of Quebec City in May 2010. So far, nine closed sales for the 6 million -US-dollar aircraft were called.

Technical design

Proven principles of earlier Dornier flying boats and modern technology are combined in the Seastar:

  • The hull is mostly made of fiber-reinforced plastic. To obtain a corrosion by seawater very resistant cell, this is largely made ​​of glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin. On the one level upswept fuselage two lateral stabilization stubs are attached, which guarantee good seaworthiness. The hull bottom is elaborated boat-shaped.
  • The Seastar is a semi- self-supporting screen high-wing, whose structure is braced. The two Pratt & Whitney engines are mounted in tandem with one pressure and a tractor propeller. This unusual arrangement ensures reliable flight performance in all weather conditions and also the failure of one engine, since no asymmetric thrust is produced in single-engine.
  • The cantilevered tail corresponds to the normal construction and includes a very high set tailplane.
  • The retractable landing gear is located in the hull and in two Flossenstummeln, which said stabilizing stubs are connected. The simple frosted nose wheel is located in the fuselage nose, the double ringed main landing gear legs in the stubs.

Purpose

In the development of Dornier, the tradition submitted accordingly great importance to the versatility of the pattern. Combined, the possibilities of a country aircraft with those of a Seeflugzeuges at the cost level of a conventional land the aircraft. Possible applications called the manufacturer:

  • Passenger transport
  • Tourism
  • Business and private flights
  • Surveillance flights (environmental protection, coastal protection, sovereign functions )
  • Shuttle service between ports, airports, ships, islands and coastal towns
  • Search and Rescue (SAR )
  • Ambulance flights
  • Disaster / emergency response
  • Research Inserts / postal services
  • Media Appearances ( film, television)
  • Maritime surveillance in the Customs and Border Protection
  • Inserts for the supply of oil drilling rigs
  • Transport team, supply of coastal and island regions
  • Freight transport

Specifications

Dimensions

  • Length: 12,90 m
  • Wingspan: 17.74 m
  • Height: 5.28 m

Weights

  • Max. Takeoff weight: 5000 kg
  • Load capacity: 1800 kg

Drive

  • Count: 2
  • Type: turbine engine
  • Model: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A - 135A
  • Start power: 2 × 650 hp
  • Travel Power: 2 x 500 hp

Performance

  • Max. Cruising speed: 335 km / h
  • Travel speed in single-engine flight: 282 km / h
  • Rate of climb: 1218 ft / min
  • Climb performance at single-engine airplane: 333 ft / min
  • Max. Range: 1740 km

Cabin

  • Crew: 1-2
  • Max. Passenger seat number: 12

Production List

Furthermore, a no longer existing proof-of -concept prototype CD 1 was built, which was used in the initial testing for strength analysis of fiber glass hull structure.

Dornier Do 27 Tandem (disambiguation) Emergency management
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