German Dornier Do-214 Cargo Plane

By Crusader1307

Although never built, The Luftwaffe of Germany had envisioned a large Transport/Float Plane for Service Use. Perhaps, based on Plans of The US Army Air Corps. to build a similar Transport Aircraft through The Hughes Aircraft Company (The “Hercules”) - The Dornier Do 214 was to be capable of launch from Seaborne surfaces. (8) Daimler-Benz 24-Cylinder Engines would have produced over 3,800-HP each to achieve the required lift. The Do 214 would have been able to support Cargo weights of over 300,000-pounds. Design specifications rated it at 170-feet long with a Wingspan of 200-feet. It would have required a Crew of 15-Men. The Do 214 was rated at over 300-mph airspeed and could have ranged 4,000-miles. It's operational ceiling was intended to be 23,000-feet. Other forms seen were Long Range Bomber, Tanker for Air To Air refueling operations, and U-Boat Supply (owing to it's ability to land in water). Approved for construction in 1940-41, by 1943 – cost over runs and a change in the direction of The War, canceled the Project. Although, in America, The “Hercules” (aka “The Goose”) was built and did fly after The War. Her proportions were roughly similar.