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Pulp Super Dornier-X

Page history last edited by Michael 12 years, 11 months ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dornier company concieved of this flying boat as a grand transatlantic airliner. Unfortunately, they were required by the German government to use underpowered Siemens engines in the original model; and by the time the government lifted the restriction, the Dornier company could not afford to install better engines. By 1932, the Dornier-X project was finished, and the Dornier company was nearly ruined by the expense.

 

Besides the famous original "Do-X", two more of these gigantic aircraft were built. Intended for the Italian SANA company, their sale was cancelled in the fall of 1931 due to the Depression, and the poor performance demonstrated by the original. The Italian craft were to be powered by Fiat V-12 engines, but the engines were never delivered.

 

(fiction starts here!)

 

Desperate for a sale, the Dornier company eventually accepted offers to convert the two SANA craft into flying yachts, designated Do-X1b. The empty, engineless hulls were sold for $400,000 each (cheaply, compared to the original $1,000,000 cost of the original Do-X), and Rolls-Royce 'R' type engines were fitted. The first of these "seaplane yachts" was delivered in 1932, for a total cost of nearly $1,000,000.

 

The use of 'R' type engines has proven successful in the Do-X1b; however, detailed overhauls are recommended for each of these engines after 150 hours of running time. Farman superchargers have greatly improved the performance of the aircraft in regards to altitude.

 

Anatomy of the Dornier Do-X1b

 

 

 

 

The aircraft measures 131 feet, 4 1/2 inches from bow to stern, and has a wing span of 157 feet 5 1/4 inches, and has an overall height of 33 feet 8 inches. The 13 foot width of her hull increases to 35 feet across the sponsons. The two-step lower hull is built of 3/8" steel [about 8 points of armor in Call of Cthulhu]; a water rudder behind the second step assists in surface handling. The upper fuselage is built of anodized aluminum [about 3 points of armor in Call of Cthulhu]; the floors are plywood over aluminum frames [about 5 points of armor in Call of Cthulhu].

 

Keep in mind that the following description is only valid for one of the two DoX1b craft; the fittings and purpose of the other are not known.

 

The lower deck is divided by seven watertight bulkheads into eight compartments. The first two are essentially empty and unusable, being cramped and oddly shaped; the next two contain fuel tanks. The pump room is next (water pumps to starboard, air pumps for divers to port), followed by the lower cargo bay; the overhead in this and the next compartment is about 6 feet above the floor. Along the forward bulkhead of the cargo bay are racked the seven tanks of the inert gas (CO2) fire-fighting system. A set of very steep stairs lead up from the lower cargo bay to the vestibule on the main deck. The 'diving' room (also the bomb bay) is next, with a 7' 5" square hatch in the floor, and equipment on the port and starboard sides; a pair of overhead rails and dollies help with deep sea exploration ... and also serve as the attachment points for two bomb racks, each of which can hold eight 200 pound bombs (four on each side of each rack). The final compartment aft contains more fuel tanks.

 

Watertight hatches, and a step up, on each side of the lower cargo bay lead into the sponsons. These extend about eight feet outwards from the fuselage, and are about twenty-one feet long, but only about five feet high in the middle. A sturdy plywood floor is fitted, and an electric winch at the aft end of the sponson; the forward third of the floor can hinge down, rather like a landing craft ramp, into the water (but not, no, never, while the plane is flying!). A boat can be pulled up into the sponson by the winch; the two boats provided by the Dornier company are about seventeen feet long, six feet wide, about two and a half feet deep in the middle, and capable of carrying sixteen persons (or twelve, er, 'heavily equipped' persons) or a ton of cargo, or various combinations. A 10 horsepower outboard motor will propel the boat at about 10 miles per hour lightly loaded, or 6 miles per hour fully loaded.

 

A cargo raft about six feet wide, eighteen feet long and six inches deep, of welded aluminum, could support a ton of cargo. The low overhead, however, would make carrying most vehicles difficult -- what is really needed is a jeep (4' 6" tall with windshield folded -- just exactly correct). A Carden-Lloyd tankette would fit ... but three tons of cargo is pushing it to start with; having all the load out on one side would be a bit much. It's not clear there is enough trim tab on the plane (or the planet!) to deal with such an asymmetric load.

 

The main deck begins, forward, with a compartment housing the sea equipment -- anchors and anchor chain, winches, life preservers, etc.. A circular hatch is fitted in the overhead, used when mooring the aircraft; but an observant person might notice that some of the fittings around the hatch might be suited to mounting a machine-gun and its ammunition. The next compartment contains the luggage, wardrobe, and other personal effects of the owner; behind this space is the anti-collision bulkhead.

 

Next (past the anti-collision bulkhead) is the owner's bedroom and washroom. Ceilings from here on aft, on the main deck, are 6' 6-3/4" high. The bedroom is about seven and a half feet on a side, with a double bed along the starboard side (under three porthole windows), a fold-down chair, and a fair amount of drawers and small storage spaces. A telephone instrument is fitted on the wall here. The washroom, on the port side, has a small bathtub, a toilet and a sink, and three porthole windows; the fittings are of aluminum and stainless steel, with a linoleum floor.

 

Proceeding aft, we come to the owner's day room or parlor. This compartment is seven and a half feet long again, and the full width of the hull ... twelve feet at this point; there are three porthole windows on each side. Green velour finished armchairs and a sofa, an aluminum and glass coffee table, electric samovar, cherrywood doors and trim, window drapes, and electric lights behind frosted glass form part of an Art Deco scheme. Art on the walls, a couple of foot stools and small tables, a nice rug, etc. added to taste. Another telephone instrument here.

 

Next is the owner's office, and (behind a dividing wall) the laboratory. The office and lab are each seven and a half feet long, with three windows each. The fore and aft walls of the office are covered with built-in glass-fronted bookcases, a wireless receiver (pretty much an expensive home consumer radio), a desk with swing-away typewriter, and a small safe. Another telephone instrument is fitted here, along with some repeater instruments (airspeed, altitude, outside temperature) and a fancy eight-day clock.

 

The lab, about seven feet wide, is set behind a securely locked door (equipped with a peep hole), and is fairly soundproofed internally (in addition to the pretty good sound insulation the Dornier company has fitted to the fuselage). Furnishings include an 'L' shaped lab asphalt-topped lab bench, a powerful ventilating fan (the room is sealed from the interior of the airplane when the door is closed, to prevent the escape of unwanted odors), a Bunsen burner powered by a gas cylinder under the table top, a small sink, a small electric oven, a midget autoclave/sterilizer, a round leather-covered shop stool on a swinging arm, and glass-fronted cabinets are installed here. Besides the overhead lights, a couple of swing arm lamps (one with built-in magnifying lens) are attached to the walls, along with yet another telephone instrument and a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. Remember that 'securely locked' is a relatively weak defense against anyone willing to make noise ... the fabric-covered aluminum walls can be eventually kicked down by a determined person.

 

Further aft from these two rooms is the vestibule passage, connecting the port and starboard hatches. Rubber floor covering, and fairly severe and functional fittings here -- this passage gets somewhat wet if the doors are opened while the engines are running, or in a heavy sea. On the forward wall, behind glass, are safety drill instructions, framed certificates and permits, etc. On the starboard side are steep stairs leading up and down; on the other side of the passage is a folding fabric door into the "hand luggage" cloak-room; it's about three feet deep and five feet wide. Near the port side hatch is another small closet-sized compartment, filled with safety and rescue equipment -- life rings and vests, fire extinguishers, a first aid kit, flare guns, etc. The door is prominently marked Rettung Ausrüstung and has several smaller markings, probably Feuerlöscher and so forth.

 

Continuing aft, we come to the cedar-paneled lounge. Seven and a half feet long; thirteen feet wide, three porthole windows on each side. On the starboard side is the bar itself, with a small round stool for the bartender, an aluminum sink, a telephone, and other fine Art Deco beverage-dispensing details. A door in the forward bulkhead, next to the bartender, leads to a three foot by five foot storage space (below the cockpit stairs) for wine and other beverages. The remainder of this room is taken up with eight comfortable leather armchairs around a couple of low tables, a newspaper rack, etc. Electric cigarette lighters and self-sealing ashtrays are set into the table tops and the bar surface; several air vents draw off the smoke. A supply of airsickness bags is kept behind the bar, along with another telephone.

 

The lower four feet of the aft wall of the bar is paneled; the upper half of the partition is glass, with fancy frosted decoration on it. The door leading aft, as well, has a frosted-glass upper portion to match. The room beyond the glass is the saloon and dining room, ten feet long and thirteen feet wide; four portholes are set on each side. The walls are decorated in crackle-ware fabric, above low cherrywood paneling; the ten chairs present are upholstered in red velour. The tables are pushed against the port and starboard sides of the saloon normally, with four chairs at each table; for meals, they may be set as two tables for four persons each, or turned, pushed together (meeting in the middle of the aisle), and their leaves extended to make a single table for ten.

 

Just aft of the dining room are the two washrooms (starboard side) and the galley (port side). The washrooms each have a round porthole, toilet and sink, etc. ... all in very Art Deco chrome and aluminum. The all-electric galley is another gleaming Art Deco creation, with rubber floor matting and three porthole windows. A telephone instrument is set on the wall here, and a dumb-waiter leads up to the flight deck.

 

Next is the passenger cabin; on each side are three Pullman-style berths, each including a low table (which can be removed by the stewards). The Pullman berths can each seat four persons, but convert into an upper and a lower bed. Portholes open into each side of each cabin (at the level of the lower bunks, when the cabins are set up for sleeping); curtains can be pulled along the inner edges of the berths, for privacy while sleeping. Much of the detail here is taken from maritime and railway practice (as far as lighting, storage, how the berths are made up, etc.). The last pair of berths is normally where the two stewards, the cook, and any other personal staff have their quarters.

 

The final proper compartment on the main deck is a cargo space, about ten feet on a side, with two smaller-than-usual portholes set in the side, and a square sliding hatch in the overhead, about four feet on a side. Heavy rings are attached to the floor and walls for securing cargo items (or other things trying to get loose); a sliding metal rail can be pushed into the middle of the open roof hatch to form a pintle for an Oerlikon gun. A four foot wide, two foot high metal stool or platform, with a rubber upper surface, is clipped to one wall; this is what the Oerlikon gunner and loader stand on. The Oerlikon gun itself, along with several drums of ammunition, might be stored in this compartment if the aircraft's owner feels brazen about his or her armaments. A telephone instrument, with sockets for headset plugs, is fitted to the overhead.

 

A watertight round hatch in the aft wall of the cargo hold leads to a low, narrow walkway within the tail end of the fuselage. It leads thirty-five feet or so through the dim, echoing tail structure (lots of triangular lattice work, control cable runs, aluminum ribs, struts, longerons, etc.) to another round door, and out into a sort of pulpit-like open cockpit at the very rear of the plane. A telephone instrument is set in a sturdy, waterproof box here, again with sockets for headset plugs; and again, a knowledgeable eye might discern fitting to allow a rifle-caliber machine-gun to be installed here. Again, whether or not a gun and ammunition are stored here depends on how openly the plane is armed.

 

At the forward end of the flight deck is the cockpit, with seats for the two pilots (captain on the left, first officer on the right). Seven square windows give an excellent view all around for the pilots. Two enormous leather-wrapped controls wheels are set before the pilots; a number of other controls and warning lights are set in the panels before and beside them. A telephone is set in the console between the pilots.

 

Behind the are the navigator (to port) and the radio operator (starboard). The navigator's station is crowded with map storage, navigational instruments, the main ship's clock, the RDF bearing wheel, etc.. The radio equipment consists of the main transmitter, a shortwave transmitter, and the central automatic switchboard for the aircraft's telephone system. There are a variety of antennae available -- the 230 foot trailing antenna for the main transmitter, a short wave dipole antenna, the RDF loop (whose actual direction is controlled by the navigator), and several antennae stretched from wing masts to the tailfin for use by the main transmitter in emergencies or when at anchor. The radio operator may extend a small (one foot diameter) wind-powered electrical generator out through the starboard side of this compartment, if all other sources of electricity have failed.

 

A stiff, folding curtain divides the cockpit from the flight deck aft. Two more Pullman-style berths, and a toilet, serve as the flight crew's quarters. Several circular windows are set into the overhead of this area.

 

Triangular hatches, leading through the main wing spar, open into the Maschinenzentrale or engine control room; only a single circular window in the overhead lets in natural light. The ceiling in the aft end of this room begins curves gradually down (following the upper surface of the wing), to within four feet of the floor. Along the port side of the cabin are the engine control banks: a mighty array of indicator lamps, dials, levers, switches, etc. for the flight engineer to monitor. The starboard side of the cabin is a workbench for conducting repairs; supply cabinets are set against the aft wall, flanking a low door. Shelves on the forward bulkhead hold a number of manuals and reference materials. A telephone instrument, and what is essentially an engine room telegraph, are mounted on the flight engineer's desk. The dumb waiter from the galley comes up into this compartment.

 

The final compartment on the flight deck is the auxiliary machine room. The ceiling is only four feet high at the forward end, and the compartment is about seven feet long; at the far end, though, the ceiling is about two feet high. There is a single round window set in the ceiling. The starboard side of this room contains the 12 horsepower auxiliary two-stroke engine, which generates electrical power when the main engines are shut down. The port side of the room is filled with the plane's air conditioning equipment, and a rack of batteries.

 

Passages about five feet high and four feet wide lead off seventy feet into each wing, within the main spar, with frequent ribs to duck under. The walkways are sturdy plywood, but the main wing fabric is aluminised cloth, so "don’t step off the path". From each walkway there are three ladders that lead up and aft, through the streamlined engine pylons (which contain, in their forward portions, the engine radiators), and into the nacelles. Between the back ends of the two engines in each nacelle is a space about a yard wide and long, and about five feet high, for the mechanic to work in. The noise and smell within the nacelles with the engines running must be quite something. An electric work-light is fitted to the ceiling within each nacelle, and a couple of tool trays are attached to the side walls, along with a sort of folding bicycle-seat.

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