Dornier Do K

The Dornier Do K was a large, all‑metal, single‑engine flying boat developed in Germany during the early 1930s by the Dornier company. Conceived as a long‑range commercial transport, the Do K first flew on 16 June 1930 and entered service with Deutsche Luft Hansa later that year. Its hull was built of stressed‑skin aluminium and featured a prominent stepped design that reduced water drag. Powered by a single 1,000 hp BMW VI V‑12 engine mounted in a pusher configuration above the wing, the aircraft drove a four‑blade propeller and drove a high‑mounted wing with a 33‑meter (108 ft) span. The Do K could accommodate up to ten passengers in an enclosed cabin and carried a crew of two. Its range of roughly 3,200 km (2,000 mi) allowed it to connect European ports with destinations as far as West Africa and the Mediterranean. Though only six were built, the Do K demonstrated the viability of large, metal‑skinned flying boats and influenced later Dornier designs such as the Do 18 and Do 24. The aircraft’s combination of structural innovation and long‑range capability marked a significant step forward in intercontinental air transport during the inter‑war period.

Dornier

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