Let Let Let – Warplanes

The Yugoslavian navy was also one of the users of the Wal. No 254 was one of them, fitted with Jupiter radial engines. The Yugoslavian navy had a total of 11 Wal flying boats, fitted with various kinds of engines.

The technical details of the first Wal version were:

Engines: 2 Maybach Mb IVA engines of 260 hp each or Rolls Royce Eagle IX of 360 hp each. Other engines were also used.
Wing span: 22.5 m
Length: 17.25 m
Height: 5.2 m
Max. speed: 180 km/h
Service ceiling: ca. 3500 m
All-up weight: 5700 kg

Rohrbach Ro II

The Rohrbach Metall-Flugzeugbau GmbH was founded in Berlin in 1922 by Dr.-Ing. Adolf Rohrbach. Rohrbach had worked earlier as an aircraft and airship designer at the Zeppelin-Staaken works. His first design Ro-I was a twin-engine flying boat that was never built. However, his next design Ro-II was actually built and flown for the first time on 11 November 1923. Because it was not allowed to build bigger aircraft in Germany, it was built in Denmark. It was until 1926 that the conditions of the armistice were broadened to allow the construction of larger aircraft types in Germany. The Ro-II was an all-metal flying boat with the engine placed in two separate strutted nacelles on top of the wing centre section. Its single unbraced wing was of constant chord, making production easier. The constant chord wing would be characteristic for the most Rohrbach designs. The Ro-II was a 3-seat ocean patrol boat with, just like the Dornier Wal, a built-in sail rigging system in case an engine failure was encountered. The Ro II established a number of impressive world records for distance and speed and although it performed very well, it only served as a prototype for a further improved version, the Ro-III. Although Germany could not use it, the Ro-III was put in production and some numbers were supplied to the Turkish navy. The Ro III was also licence-manufactured by Mitsubishi in Japan. A further improved version, the Ro-IV was specially built for the British navy in close cooperation with the UK-based Beardmore aircraft company. Two were built; they received the serial numbers N 183 and N 184. Production of the Rohrbach flying boats ended with the single Ro V in 1927. This was the only type produced without the characteristic constant-chord wing!

The Rohrbach Ro-II resting on its beaching gear. It was later sold to the Japanese Mitsubishi works

Technical details Ro-II:

Engines: 2 Rolls Royce Eagle IX engines of 360 hp each or Rolls Royce Eagle IX of 360 hp each.
Wing span: 27.00 m
Length: 16.50 m
Max. speed: 165 km/h
Service ceiling: 3000 m
All-up weight: 5700 kg

Dornier Superwal

After the success of the Wal, Dornier developed this type into an enlarged version with a capacity of up to 19 passengers. Fitted with two tandem-mounted engines of 650 or even 800 hp, and appropriately called the Superwal it made its first flight on 30 September 1926. In total three were built for the Deutsche Lufthansa.

A promotional photo from the bearing manufacturer SKF showing the 2-engine original version of the Superwal.

Related posts:

1. German flying boats Part 2: 1935-2000
2. Dutch flying boats and amphibians
3. French flying boats and amphibians
4. Dornier Do-28 amphibian for the MLD
5. Vanneau history

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