Chemistry - Dornier Do 11

Dornier Do 11
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Dornier Do 11 / Dornier F

The Dornier Do 11 was a German medium bomber developed in secret in the early 1930s. It was originally called the Dornier F before being renamed by the RLM in 1933 and was considered a heavy bomber at the time. It came in 1932, a continuation of a line of bomber work going back to the Dornier P in 1930 and the Dornier Y in 1931. The line would continue to develop with the Dornier Do 13 and Dornier Do 23.

One of the main features the Do 11 tested was a retractable undercarriage, but, due to problems with it, it was often left locked down. The aircraft entered service under the thin guise of a freight transport, and entered service with the German railway in conjunction with Deutsche Luft Hansa so it could be shown publicly. What it was actually used for was a trainer for the still secret Luftwaffe. The aircraft had a number problem which resulted in some crashes and was generally unpopular. Especially problematic were wing vibrations which resulted in various precautions and modifications. Attempts were made to correct its faults, resulting with Do 11D, the last model with the Do 11 name. The Do 13 was a 'simplified' Do 11 and came next, but had so many problems it did not fully enter service, with several of the first planes crashing. The Do 23 corrected many faults, but was still a lackluster aircraft, and was withdrawn from service by 1936 and replaced by superior aircraft that had been developed. The Do 11 is noteworthy as having served in secret and been the main heavy bomber of the quietly developing Luftwaffe, if only for a short while. It was also the first to have two large engines as opposed to its predecessors the Dornier Y , and Dornier P which used three and four engines respectively.