Zeppelin-Lindau V I

The Zeppelin‑Lindau V I was an experimental all‑metal flying boat designed in the early 1910s by aviation pioneer Claudius Dornier while he was employed at the Zeppelin‑Lindau shipyard in Germany. Conceived as a proof‑of‑concept for Dornier’s innovative stressed‑skin construction, the V I featured a shoulder‑mounted, cantilevered wing of laminated duralumin ribs and spars, eliminating the need for external bracing wires. Its hull, also of duralumin, incorporated a rigid, double‑curved framework that gave the aircraft unprecedented structural rigidity and a smooth hydrodynamic profile. Powered by a single 120 hp Mercedes D.II inline engine mounted on a pylon above the wing, the V I could lift off from water and achieve modest speeds of around 80 km/h, demonstrating the viability of metal aircraft in a period dominated by wood‑and‑fabric designs. Although only one prototype was built and it never entered production, the V I’s successful flight in 1915 validated Dornier’s monocoque techniques, directly influencing his later, larger flying boats such as the Dornier Wal and the famous Dornier Do 18. The aircraft is therefore regarded as a pivotal milestone that ushered in the era of all‑metal aeronautics and helped establish Dornier’s reputation as a leading aircraft engineer.