Seastar was conceived by the late Professor Claudius Dornier Jr. It represents the unique know-how and experience accumulated at
Dornier Seastar Featured in Jet Gala Magazine
A legendary aviation company and its latest plane.
by Simon Huang
At ease taking off and landing on water, as on land, the Dornier Seastar is one of the world’s more advanced amphibious aircraft.
Most aircraft that can land on water are land planes that are converted by modifying the aircraft with floats,” notes Marv Ruthenberg, Vice President of Technical Operations, Dornier Seaplane Company. However, these seaplanes cannot do the same on land. In contrast, the Seastar’s integrated-hull design not only makes it truly amphibian, it also reduces drag and gives the aircraft a considerable speed advantage.
The near century-old aviation company’s focus is aimed toward blending its past successes with its future. This fusion of old and new is alluded to in the Seastar, “a direct descendant of the Dornier WAL (whale) which traces its roots to a 1922 design,” says Ruthenberg. “The Dornier family decided to reintroduce the proven design with turbine engines and modern materials.”
The unique over-wing placement of its powerful 1,300 horsepower Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines recalls the distinct design of another aircraft of the past, Dornier DoX — the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft when it was built in 1929, with 12 engines mounted on its wing.
The use of all-composite materials in the building of the Seastar, however, differentiates it from its hulking aluminium predecessors. Made from fibreglass, it avoids the corrosive effect of salt water on aluminium. This makes n improvement on maintenance when compared with aircraft in the same
category, such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter and the Cessna Caravan Amphibian.
