Dornier Do 11

Do 11
Dornier DO-11 with Bulgarian Insignia
Role	Medium bomber
Manufacturer	Dornier
Introduction	1932
Developed from	Dornier Y
Variants	Dornier Do 13 Dornier Do 23

The Dornier Do 11 was a German medium bomber developed in secret in the early 1930s. It was originally called the Dornier F before being renamed by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) in 1933 and was considered a heavy bomber at the time. It came into service in 1932, a continuation of a line of bomber designs going back to the P in 1930 and the Y in 1931. The line would continue to develop with the Do 13 and Do 23.

One of the main features the Do 11 tested was a retractable undercarriage, but, due to problems with it, it was often left locked down. The aircraft entered service under the guise of a freight transport, and was used with the German railway in conjunction with Deutsche Luft Hansa, so that it could be shown publicly. What it was actually used for was as a trainer for the still secret Luftwaffe. The aircraft had a number of problems, which resulted in some crashes, and was generally unpopular with pilots. Especially problematic were wing vibrations which resulted in various precautions and modifications. Attempts were made to correct its faults, resulting in the so-called Do 11D, the last model with the Do 11 name. The Do 13 was a "simplified" Do 11 and came next, but had so many problems of its own that it did not fully enter service, with several of the first planes off the assembly line crashing. The later Do 23 corrected many faults of the design, but was still a lackluster aircraft, and was withdrawn from service by 1936 and replaced by superior aircraft that had since been developed. The Do 11 is noteworthy as having served in secret and been the main heavy bomber of the quietly developing Luftwaffe, if only for a short while. It was also the first to have two large engines as opposed to its predecessors the Y and P, which used three and four engines respectively.

Variants

• Do 11C :
• Do 11D :

Specifications (Do 11D)

Data from Warplanes of the Third Reich

General characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 18.80 m (61 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 26.30 m (86 ft 3⅓ in)
• Height: 5.49 m (18 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 107.8 m² (1,160 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,988 kg (13,173 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 8,218 kg (18,080 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Siemens Sh. 22B-2 Bristol Jupiter radial engines, 485 kW (650 hp) (take-off power) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 259 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 225 km/h (122 knots, 140 mph) at 1,000 m (3,280 ft)
• Range: 1,200 km (648 nmi, 746 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,100 m (13,450 ft)
  
• Climb to 1,000 m (3,238 ft): 7 min
• Climb to 3,000 m (9,840 ft): 36 m

Armament

• Guns: 3 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns in nose, dorsal and ventral positions
• Bombs: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) bombload

See also

Related development

• Dornier P
• Dornier Y
• Dornier Do 13
• Dornier Do 23
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Boeing YB-9
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany
• List of aircraft of the WW2 Luftwaffe
• List of RLM aircraft designations
  

References

• Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York:Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.