Dornier Do 27

Do 27
Do 27
	Dornier Do 27
General information
Type	STOL light utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Dornier Flugzeugbau GmbH
Status	In civilian use
Primary users	German Air Force Portuguese Air Force ; Spanish Air Force ; Israeli Air Force
Number built	571
History
Manufactured	1955–1965
First flight	June 27, 1955
Developed into	Dornier Do 28; Dornier Do 29

The Dornier Do 27 is a German single-engine STOL utility aircraft that was designed and manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier and Fairchild-Dornier). It was notable for being the first mass-produced aircraft in Germany following the end of the Second World War.

The Do 27's precursor, the Do 25, was developed by Dornier at the firm's facilities in Spain in order to satisfy a Spanish military requirement that called for a light utility aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. However, the Do 25 was not selected for production by Spain. Despite this, the aircraft was developed further to produce the Do 27, which was produced in quantity in both Spain and Germany. In addition to domestic sales, a large number of export customers, such as Portugal, emerged for the Do 27, and it had a lengthy service life with some examples still being used into the twenty-first century. The aircraft was appreciated for its relatively wide, comfortable cabin and excellent short-field performance. In terms of its configuration, the Do 27 was a classic high-wing, "tail-dragger" aircraft with fixed landing gear.

History

Background

Shortly following the end of the Second World War, Germany's extensive aerospace industry was dismantled and largely dissolved due to the country having been forbidden to either possess or manufacture military aircraft.^[1] Despite this, in both East Germany and West Germany, as the nation had been divided into during the Cold War era, efforts to revive the nation's aerospace industry became widespread during the 1950s.^[2]

German aircraft manufacturer Dornier GmbH managed to retain its independence in the conflict's aftermath, and was keen to resume its aviation activities as soon as permissible.^[3] During January 1951, the company chose to establish a new technical office in Madrid, Spain, and began bidding for contracts from Spain's Ministry of Aviation; prior to this, Dornier had developed strong ties to Spain via the licensed production of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter.^[4]^[1]

During 1951, a development contract was secured for a commuter aircraft that possessed short takeoff and landing (STOL) characteristics.^[5] Dornier opted to develop a new aircraft, designing a monoplane with a high-mounted wing fitted with oversized flaps, a wide wraparound windscreen, a fixed undercarriage and a relatively spacious cabin.^[1] This new aircraft was powered by a single ENMA Tigre G.V; capable of generating a maximum of 110 kW (150 hp), this engine proved to be too weak to achieve satisfactory performance.^[5] The first prototype of the Do 25 performed its maiden flight during July 1954.^[5]

Due to the Tigre's performance deficit, it was decided to equip the second prototype with an alternative powerplant; it used the American-sourced Continental O-470 engine instead. The second prototype would subsequently function as a demonstrator for an improved derivative of the aircraft, designated Do 27.^[5]

Redesign and production

Ultimately, the Do 25 was not selected for production. Despite this setback, Dornier decided to continue refining its design to develop the Do 27, which was sized to seat between four and six personnel. On 27 June 1955, the original prototype performed its maiden flight in Spain.^[6] A total of 40 Do 27s were manufactured in Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA, designated CASA-127.^[1] However, the majority of production aircraft were constructed at Dornier's main base in Germany; the first German-built aircraft conducted its first flight on 17 October 1956. A total of 428 Do 27s would be produced in Germany.^[1]

A significant portion of the Do 27's production run were acquired by the German military. By the mid-1950s, West Germany had been permitted, and even encouraged, to reequip itself as tensions rose between East and West in the Cold War; due to its ability to operate from compact and unprepared airstrips, the Do 27 quickly garnered favour with military planners.^[1] Both the German Air Force and the German Army placed a combined order for 428 aircraft of the Do 27A and Do 27B variants, the latter being equipped with dual controls for use as a trainer aircraft.^[7]^[1]

The Do 27 was widely employed as a general purpose aircraft, frequently being used for utility transport and liaison duties.^[1] Later on in the type's production run, a modified model of the aircraft, known as the Do 27Q-5, was developed; it had the same basic specifications but was equipped with a wider-track landing gear. Furthermore, the aircraft was offered as a twin-float seaplane, the Do 27S-1; another model proposed was furnished with the larger Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6 engine, capable of generating a maximum of 254 kW/340 hp, which was matched with a three-blade propeller, the Do 27H-2.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to the aircraft's adoption by military operators in Germany and Spain, Portugal received 40 new-build and 106 ex-German Do 27s. From 1961 to 1975, the Portuguese Air Force made extensively operational use of the type in the three African theatres of the Portuguese Overseas War. During April 1973, two Do 27s were shot down in Portuguese Guinea by insurgents equipped with SAM-7 Grail Man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS).^[8]

During 1966, it was decided to terminate production of the Do 27.^[1] By this point, the aircraft had been widely exported to numerous international operators, including Israel, Nigeria, Belgium, Turkey, and Congo. The type was extensively used by the German military into the 1980s, gradually being succeeded in its role by increasingly capable helicopters; many ex-German aircraft were subsequently exported and used by other operators.^[1]

Operational history

In 1959, a Do 27 became the first aircraft ever to land on the Caribbean island of Saba, on what is still to this day the shortest commercial runway in the world.^[9]

Variants

Do 25: Precursor aircraft designed to a Spanish requirement and powered by a 110 kW (150 hp) ENMA Tigre G.V engine.^[10]
Do 27: Prototype, two built.
Do 27A-1: Military five-seat single-engine STOL utility transport aircraft, 177 built
Do 27A-2: Do 27A-1 with minor modification inside, two built.
Do 27A-3: Do 27A-1 with increased takeoff gross weight, 88 built.
Do 27A-4: Variant with wide landing gear and increased Take Off Gross Weight, 65 built.
Do 27B-1: Dual-control version of the A-1, 86 built.
Do 27B-2: Do 27B-2 with minor modification inside, five built.
Do 27B-3: Do 27B-2 with increased takeoff gross weight, 16 built.
Do 27B-5: Conversions of 27B-3s to 27A-4 standard.
Do 27H-1: Do 27B-2 powered by a 254 kW (340 hp) Avco Lycoming GSO-480 piston engine with a three-bladed propeller and a larger tail, one built.

Do 27H-2: Variant of the H-1 for the Swiss Air Force with some modifications as applied to the Do 27Q-1
Do 27J-1: Production of the Do 27A-4 for Belgian Army, 12 built.
Do 27K-1: Production of the Do 27A-4 for Portuguese Air Force, 16 built.
Do 27K-2: Similar to K-1 with minor modifications for Portuguese Air Force, 14 built.
Do 27Q-1: Six-seat variant of the A-1 for civil market, 16 built.
Do 27Q-3: Four-seat variant of the Q-1 with a 230 hp Continental O-470K engine, one built.
Do 27Q-4: Improved Q-1 with auxiliary fuel tanks, 34 built.
Do 27Q-5: Improved Q-4 with internal modifications, 12 built.
Do 27Q-5(R): Restricted category version of the Do 27Q-5.
Do 27Q-6: Variant of the Q-5 with internal changes for Guinea Bissau and Brazil, two built.
Do 27S-1: Floatplane version with enlarged rudder and a ventral fin, one built.
Do 27T: One Do 27Q-4 converted with a Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engine.

Operators

Civil operators

Turkey

General Command of Mapping (Turkey)

Guinea-Bissau

Linhas Aéreas da Guiné-Bissau

Military operators

Angola

National Air Force of Angola^[11]

Belgium

Belgian Army

Belize

Belize Defence Force

Burundi
Cyprus

Cyprus Air Forces – Former operator.

Republic of the Congo

Germany

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau Air Force^[12]

Israel

Israeli Air Force

Lesotho

Lesotho Defence Force

Malawi

Military of Malawi

Mozambique

Military of Mozambique

Nigeria

Nigerian Air Force operated 20 Do 27As at the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War^[13]

Portugal

Portuguese Air Force operated 146 aircraft

Rwanda
South Africa

South African Air Force operated 2 aircraft between 1958 and 1967.^[14]

Spain

Spanish Air Force^[15]

Sudan

Sudanese Air Force

Sweden

Swedish Army operated 5 aircraft between 1961 and 1991

Switzerland

Swiss Air Force

Tanzania

Tanzania Air Force Command^[16]

Turkey

Specifications (Do 27A)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1959-60^[17]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 4 or 5 pax
Length: 10.08 m (33 ft 1 in)

Do 27H2 9.9 m (32 ft)

Do 27S 10.08 m (33.1 ft)

Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Height: 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in)

Do 27S 4.18 m (13.7 ft)

Wing area: 19.4 m² (209 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 7.42:1
Airfoil: NACA 23018
Empty weight: 985 kg (2,172 lb)

Do 27Q3 1,010 kg (2,230 lb)

Do 27Q4 1,050 kg (2,310 lb)

Do 27S 1,275 kg (2,811 lb)

Gross weight: 1,570 kg (3,461 lb)

Do 27Q3 1,700 kg (3,700 lb)

Do 27Q4 1,850 kg (4,080 lb)

Do 27S 1,850 kg (4,080 lb)

Fuel capacity: 220 L (58 US gal; 48 imp gal) in two wing tanks, (Do 27Q4 provision for two 82 L (22 US gal; 18 imp gal) external tanks)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming GO-480-B1A6 6-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engines, 205 kW (275 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell metal constant-speed propeller, 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn) at 1,000 m (3,300 ft)

Do 27H2 255 km/h (158 mph; 138 kn)

Do 27Q3 227 km/h (141 mph; 123 kn)

Do 27Q4 247 km/h (153 mph; 133 kn)

Do 27S 237 km/h (147 mph; 128 kn)

Cruise speed: 205 km/h (127 mph, 111 kn)
Stall speed: 58 km/h (36 mph, 31 kn)
Landing speed: 65 km/h (40 mph; 35 kn)
Range: 870 km (540 mi, 470 nmi)
Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
Time to altitude:

1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 2 minute 36 seconds

2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 6 minute 30 seconds

3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 12 minute

4,500 m (14,800 ft) in 26 minute 30 seconds

Take-off run to 15 m (49 ft): 170 m (560 ft)
Landing run from 15 m (49 ft): 160 m (520 ft) in nil wind

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Fredriksen 2001, p. 301.
^ Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 357-358.
^ Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 110.
^ Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 342-343.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 342.
^ Jackson 1976, p. 10.
^ Donald 1997, p. 341.
^ Canongia Lopes, Mario. High Winged Workhorses: Broussards and Dorniers in Portuguese Service. Air Enthusiast, #75, May–June 1998. p. 44.
^ Chilton, Nicola (8 July 2022). "What it's like to land on the world's shortest commercial runway". CNN Travel. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
^ * Bridgman, Leonard (1955). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1955–56. London: Jane's Publishing Company.
^ Air International February 1993, p. 104.
^ Air International December 1985, p. 282.
^ Cooper et al. 2011, p. 76
^ Wingrin, Dean. "The South African Air Force". www.saairforce.co.za.
^ Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert (2018). Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 1: Air Warfare Over the Last African Colony, 1945-1975. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. p. VI. ISBN 978-1-912390-35-9.
^ Cooper et al. 2011, p. 159
^ Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1959). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1959-60. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.

Bibliography

Bridgman, Leonard (1955). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1955–56. London: Jane's Publishing Company.
Cooper, Tom; Weinert, Peter; Hinz, Fabian; Lepko, Mark (2011). African MiGs, Volume 2: Madagascar to Zimbabwe. Houston: Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9825539-8-5.
Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. p. 341. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
"FAPA – A force alone". Air International. Vol. 44, no. 2. February 1993. pp. 103–105. ISSN 0306-5634.
Fredriksen, John C. (2001). International Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft, 1914-2000. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-364-5.
Green, William (1964). Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
Hirschel, Ernst Heinrich; Prem, Horst; Madelung, Gero (2012). Aeronautical Research in Germany : From Lilienthal until Today. Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-642-18484-0.
Jackson, Paul A. (1976). German Military Aviation 1956–1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-03-2.
"A West African Rarity". Air International. Vol. 29, no. 6. December 1985. p. 282. ISSN 0306-5634.

External links

[fredriksen_301-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Fredriksen 2001, p. 301.

[ger_res_3578-2] Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 357-358.

[ger_res_110-3] Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 110.

[ger_res_3423-4] Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, pp. 342-343.

[ger_res_342-5] Hirschel, Prem and Madelung 2012, p. 342.

[6] Jackson 1976, p. 10.

[donald_world-7] Donald 1997, p. 341.

[8] Canongia Lopes, Mario. High Winged Workhorses: Broussards and Dorniers in Portuguese Service. Air Enthusiast, #75, May–June 1998. p. 44.

[9] Chilton, Nicola (8 July 2022). "What it's like to land on the world's shortest commercial runway". CNN Travel. Retrieved 29 December 2022.

[JAWA5556-10] * Bridgman, Leonard (1955). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1955–56. London: Jane's Publishing Company.

[11] Air International February 1993, p. 104.

[12] Air International December 1985, p. 282.

[13] Cooper et al. 2011, p. 76

[14] Wingrin, Dean. "The South African Air Force". www.saairforce.co.za.

[15] Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert (2018). Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 1: Air Warfare Over the Last African Colony, 1945-1975. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. p. VI. ISBN 978-1-912390-35-9.

[16] Cooper et al. 2011, p. 159

[JAWA59-60-17] Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1959). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1959-60. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.

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v t e Dornier and Zeppelin-Lindau aircraft
Zeppelin-Lindau 1914-1919	Rs.I Rs.II Rs.III Rs.IV CL.I CL.II CS.I D.I Gs.I Gs.II V 1
Dornier designations 1919-1933	Do A Do B Do C Do D Do E Do F Do G (project) Do H Do J Do K Do L Do N Do O Do P Do Q Do R Do S Do T Do U Do V Do X Do Y Delphin Falke Komet Libelle Merkur Spatz Wal
RLM designations 1933-1945	Do 10 Do 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Do 16 Do 17 (Operational history) Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Do 25 Do 26 Do 29 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Do 317 Do 318 Do 335 Do 417 Do 435 Do 635 P.59 P.85 P.174 P.184 P.192 P.231 P.232 P.238 P.247 P.252 P.254 P.256 P.273 P.1075
Dornier designations post-1945	Do 24 Do 25 Do 27 Do 28 Do 29 Do 31 Do 32 Do 32K Do 34 128 Do 131 Do 132 228 Do 231 328 328JET 428 528 728JET 928JET Aerodyne Alpha Jet Projekt 621 Seastar S-Ray 007
See also Claude Dornier and Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen

v t e CASA aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft	III 1.131 1.133 2.111 352 3000 AX C-101 C-102 C-112 C.127 C-201 C-202 C-207 C-212 C-223 CN-235/HC-144 C-295 C-401
People	José Ortiz-Echagüe

v t e Reich Air Ministry (RLM) aircraft designations (list)
1 to 100	8-1¹ Fi 2 8-3¹ 8-4¹ Fi 5 DFS 6 8-7¹ Gö 8 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11/Wn 11 8-12⁴/Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Do 16/Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 8-21¹ Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Do 25³/Kl 25 Do 26/Kl 26 8-27/Do 27³/Kl 27⁵ 8-28¹ 8-29/Do 29 Fw 30 Kl 31 Kl 32 Ju 33 Ju 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 He 37³ He 38/Ju 38 DFS 39 BV 40/DFS 40 He 41³ Fw 42/He 42 Fw 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46/Ju 46 Fw 47/He 47 Ju 48 He 49/Ju 49 He 50/Ju 50 He 51 He 52/Ju 52 Ju 53 DFS 54/NR 54 Fw 55/NR 55 Fw 56 8-57⁴/Fw 57 Fw 58/He 58 He 59 He 60/Ju 60 Fa 61/Fw 61/He 61 Fw 62/He 62 8-63⁴/He 63 Ar 64/He 64 Ar 65/He 65 Ar 66/He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 8-71⁴/He 71 He 72 He 73³ He 74 Al 75 Ar 76/FZG 76⁶ Ar 77 Ar 78³ Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 8-82⁴ 8-83¹ Al 84 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ju 91³ Ju 92 Ju 93³ Ju 94³ Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 Fi 100³/He 100
101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103/Fi 103 R Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109/Bf 109R⁶ Bf 110 He 111/He 111U⁶ He 112 He 113⁶ He 114 He 115 He 116 He 117³/Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Bü 132³/Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136/Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147/Ju 147 Go 148³ Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Kl 152/Ta 152 Kl 153³/Ta 153 Kl 154³/Ta 154 BV 155/Kl 155³/Me 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 Bf 162/He 162 Bf 163/Li 163/Me 163 Me 164/MeC 164 Bf 165 Fi 166/FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 Fi 169³ He 170 He 171³ He 172 He 173³ He 174³ 8-175⁴ He 176 He 177 He 178 He 179⁵ Bü 180/He 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Bü 183³/Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186/Ju 186 Fw 187/Ju 187² Fw 188³/Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 Ao 193³/DFS 193 DFS 194/Me 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199/FiSk 199 Do 200^4,6/Fw 200
201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 8-205¹ Fw 206 8-207¹ Me 208 Me 209 (I)/Me 209 (II) Me 210 Hü 211 8-212⁴/Do 212 8-213¹ Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217/Hs 217 Do 218³ He 219 He 220 Do 221³ BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225/Fa 225 BV 226/Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Go 229/Ho 229 8-230/DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235⁵ Fa 236³ BV 237 BV 238 8-239¹ Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Me 243³ Go 244 Go 245³ BV 246 8-247¹ Ju 248 BV 250/Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253/Ho 253 Ho 254/Ta 254 8-255¹ Fi 256 SK 257 8-258¹ Fw 259 8-260¹ Me 261/Me 261w Me 262 Me 263 (1941)/Me 263 (1942)/Me 263 (1945) Me 264 Fl 265/Me 265 Fa 266/Go 266³ Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 He 272³ He 273³ He 274 He 275⁵ He 276³ He 277 He 278 He 279³ He 280 He 281³ Fl 282 Fa 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Do 288^4,6/Ju 288 Ju 289³ Ju 290 Hs 291 As 292/Hs 292³ Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296/Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Ju 299³ Fw 300
301 to 349	DFS 301 8-302¹ 8-303¹ 8-304¹ 8-305¹ 8-306¹ 8-307¹ 8-308¹ Me 309 Zwilling Me 310 8-311¹ 8-312¹ 8-313⁴ 8-314¹ Hs 315 8-316¹ Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 320³ Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323/ZMe 323 8-324¹ Fa 325/Fw 325³ 8-326¹ Me 327 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Ar 334³/Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Ju 337³ 8-338¹ Fl 339 Ar 340 8-341 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344/So 344⁵ Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 8-348¹ Ba 349
Post-349 (non-sequential)	Ju 352 Fi 356/Ju 356 Me 362 Me 364² Me 368³ Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 393³ Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430/Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 8-445⁴ DFS 446 Ju 452 Me 462² DFS 468 Ju 488 Fw 491 He 500 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 8-520⁴ ZSO 523 Ar 532 8-534⁴ Do 535/He 535 Me 600² Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635/He 635/Ju 635
¹ Not assigned ² Unofficial/proposed ³ Assigned, but not used before RLM was dissolved ⁴ Assigned to captured aircraft ⁵ Unconfirmed ⁶ Propaganda/cover designation Note: Official RLM designations had the prefix "8-", but this was usually dropped and replaced with the manufacturer's prefix.