Dornier Do 12 - Design

Design

The Do 12 was a high-wing monoplane, of the usual Dornier all-metal construction, with a two-spar, trapezoidal wing, whose trailing edge was very strongly rounded at the root. The fuselage was of rectangular cross section.

In the nose was a storage area where equipment, including anchors, could be kept. Behind it, the open cockpit had two side-by-side seats, with optional dual control. In the cabin, there were two more seats and a storage area, which could also be fitted with bunks for sleeping. Between the cockpit and cabin were nacelles which accommodated the retracted undercarriage wheels, a first for Dornier, which were lowered or raised manually by a crank. The engine sat on a stand high above the wing, alongside two fuel tanks, in the pusher configuration.

From the first flight on 23 June 1932, and in the further course of testing, it was obvious that the Argus engine was underpowered, making take-off distances substantially too long. However, financial difficulties in the company meant that fitting the stronger Gnome-Rhône Titan 5Ke took some time.

Father Paul Schulte, a missionary known as the "Flying Priest", used the Do 12 "D-INEZ" for many years and in his various books it plays an important role.