Rohrbach Roland
The Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland was a three -engined airliner of the Berlin manufacturer Rohrbach metal aircraft. The Luft Hansa put the one for ten passengers designed model in the 1920s and 1930s at numerous international routes.
History
After Adolf Rohrbach had left the Zeppelin works in Berlin, he founded his own company in 1922 and began the development of a three -engined airliner little later. Among the designers included, among others, Kurt Tank. The first flight of Ro VIII took place on 5 September 1926.
The all-metal aircraft was designed as a cantilever high-wing aircraft. The fuselage consisted largely of duralumin. The drive of the prototype served three BMW IV six- cylinder in-line engines with 169 kW. The Roland was the first time equipped with a toilet and offered with its heated, soundproof cabin high for that time comfort. In the back of the plane was a compartment for luggage and mail.
To meet the requirements of the Luft Hansa, had on the series version, some improvements are made. So was the first open two-seat cockpit with a cover to reduce air resistance. Due to the low temperatures when flying over the Alps, it was decided at the Roland II for a closed cockpit.
From the Roland I mentioned production version originated 1926-1927 five copies that were shipped to the Hansa air and then ran between Berlin and London or Amsterdam. In the years 1927 and 1928, three of these aircraft were in the possession of the Spanish airline Iberia, which used them between Madrid and Barcelona.
To replace the air Hansa three improved machine received. With its 235 kW payable BMW Va engines increased the speed to 200 km / h Later the older machines have been converted to this drive.
1929 appeared the Roland II, which has sold nine copies to the Luft Hansa. They had improved wings and a new cockpit. The drive remained unchanged. In the following years she served on routes to London, Zurich, Copenhagen and Vienna. Three of these machines went into the possession of Deruluft in the 1930s. Some specimens were later Junkers L 5 engines.
A machine (D 991, WNr. 18, " Zugspitze " ) was rebuilt in the summer of 1928 as a so-called " Notrüstungstype " in a military version. This version was referred to as " Roland Mb " or " military Roland".