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The Dornier Do 13 was a development of the Do 11, but was an unsuccessful design and only four were ever built.
Like the Do 11, the Do 13 was a high wing monoplane powered by two engines carried in wing mounted nacelles. The Do 13 was powered by four BMW Jupiter VI engines which drove four bladed propellers. The wing had a straight trailing edge with Junkers double wing flaps, and a curved leading edge. It had a conventional tail with the horizontal surfaces level with the top of the fuselage and a single vertical fin and rudder. The retractable undercarriage used on the Do 11 was removed as it had been problematic.
The initial Do 13A had the same 28m wing as the Do 11C, and suffered from the same wing vibration problems as the Do 11.
The exact history of the Do 13 is rather unclear with sources tended to disagree on the details of later aircraft. This may be because some aircraft began as Do 13s and were completed as Do 23s.
The Do 13C was powered by two BMW VIU engines. How many were built is unclear. Sources also mention Do 13D, Do 13E and Do 13F models. The Do 13E and Do 13F used water cooled BMW engines.
With the Do 13 proving to be disappointing, Dornier carried out a more extensive rework of the design, producing the Dornier Do 23. This was better, and entered large scale production and front line service with the Luftwaffe, although was replaced by more modern aircraft in the late 1930s.
Dornier Do 13A
Engine: four BMW Jupiter VI engines
Power:
Crew: 4
Span: 91ft 10in
Length: 61ft 6.2in
Height: 18ft 6.4in
Empty weight: 12,192lb
Maximum take-off weight: 17,637lb
Max speed: 152mph
Climb Rate:
Service ceiling: 10,500ft
Endurance:
Range: 808 miles
Armament: Three machine guns
Bomb load: 30 50kg bombs or 120 10kg bombs
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe (Read Full Review)
