Dornier Rs.II

Luftschiffbau Zeppelin · Germany · first flew 1916 · transport aircraft

The Dornier Rs.II was a large German flying boat developed by Claude Dornier while working at the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin company during World War I. It was one of the largest flying boats of its era, intended for long-range maritime patrol and reconnaissance.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	23.88 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Very large German World War I flying boat
Built by Zeppelin's aircraft division under Dornier
Tandem push-pull engine pairs on the wing

Enormous biplane flying boat with four engines in push-pull pairs mounted above the wing, a deep hull, and sesquiplane-like lower wing — characteristic of Dornier's early giant flying boat designs.

Specifications

The Dornier Rs.II has a length of 23.88 m (78 ft).
It has a wingspan of 33.2 m (109 ft).
Its maximum speed is 105 km/h (65 mph).
Typical crew: 6.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Claude Dornier designed a series of Rs (Riesenflugboot — giant flying boat) types during the war. The Rs.II flew in 1916 and was followed by the Rs.III and Rs.IV. These large patrol aircraft were ahead of their time but only flew in prototype quantities due to the technical challenges involved.

Variants

The Rs.I, Rs.II, Rs.III, and Rs.IV formed a progressive development series; the Rs.II was the second and first to achieve meaningful flight testing.

Where you'll see it

Imperial German Navy evaluation during World War I; not operational in numbers.

Related aircraft

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