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The Dornier Wal flying boat, which used BMW engines, first flew on November 6, 1922 and was used by the Italian, Spanish, and Chilean navies, and the German Air Force designated this aircraft the DO-15. The German aviator Wolfgang von Gronau used a Dornier Wal to make the first east to west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a flying boat, in 44 hours, between August 20th and 26th, 1930, which he repeated in 1931, and Ronald Amundsen used two Dornier Wals for his expedition to the North Pole in 1925. An improved version of this flying boat, the Dornier Super Wal, was produced in two-engine and four-engine versions. About 300 Dornier Wals were produced, with about 150 being manufactured in Italy, 40 in Spain, about 40 in Holland, and 3 in Japan. As the World War I Armistice prohibited Germany from building these flying boats, the first Dornier Wal was not produced in Germany until 1932. The last surviving Dornier Wal, the Plus Ultra, which had made a 6,258 mile (10,072 km) transatlantic crossing, in 59 hours and 30 minutes, with a crew of four, from Palos de Moguer, Spain to Buenos Aries, Argentina, between January 22 and February 10th, 1926, while in the service of the Spanish navy, is at the Lujan Museum in Argentina, where it had been donated by Spain. The pilot for this flight was Commandant Ramon Franco and the navigator was Captain Julio Ruiz de Alda. |
One of the eight Dornier Wal flying boats that were purchased by the Chilean Navy in 1926 and first assigned to the Chilean 1st Naval Aviation Group, based at Quintero, Chile. |
The Dornier Wal flying boat Groenland Wal (Greenland Whale), with aircraft identification number D-2053, that was used by the German aviator Wolfgang von Gronau, and his three crewmen, Fritz Albrecht, Franz Hack, and Ghert von Roth, for an around-the-world flight, from July 21st to November 10th, 1932. They started in List, on Sylt island, in Germany, and traveled westward to Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the United States of America, Siberia, Japan, China, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Malacca, Burma, India, Iran, Iraq, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Friedrichshafen, Germany. |
A Dornier Super Wal with aircraft identification number D-1115. |
DORNIER
"WAL"
DORNIER
WAL
"WAL"
(WHALE) FLYING BOAT BY DORNIER
THE
BMW STORY
75
YEARS AGO
The 1916 Franco British Aviation Type H flying boat. These flying boats were produced in Italy, under contract with F.B.A., and were used by the Italian Navy. |
The Gallaudet D-1 seaplane, with serial number A-59, was delivered to the United States Navy on February 24, 1917. |
GALLAUDET
D-4 SEAPLANE
Two 1916 Gallaudet D-4 seaplanes were produced for the United States Navy, with serial numbers A-2653 and A-2654. Its propeller was mounted in the center of its fuselage, behind its wings. |
The Gallaudet D-4 with serial number A-2654. |