Dornier Do 28 A/B The Do 28 was developed from the single-engine
Do 27 at the end of the 1950s. The design shared the high-wing
cantilever layout and the lift augmentation devices of the Do 27, together with the rear
fuselage which seated six passengers. The defining feature of the new design was the unusual incorporation of two
Lycoming engines, as well as the two main
landing gear shock struts of the
faired main landing gear attached to short pylons on either side of the forward fuselage. The internal space of the Do 28 was the same as the Do 27. Like the Do 27, the Dornier Do 28 possessed a high cruising speed, excellent low-speed handling characteristics, as well as very short takeoff and landing (
STOL) performance. The Do 28 was readily accepted as a natural progression from its single-engine forebear. With many of the same STOL characteristics, most Do 28 production was destined for military customers, notably Germany, although a small number were in service for commercial operators as a rugged, low-cost utility
transport. The design proved remarkably adaptable and was developed into a number of progressively improved variants, from the original D, through the D1 and D2 to the 128-2, introduced in 1980. Each variant introduced a number of detail changes that enhanced its already versatile performance capabilities.
Dornier Do 28 D Skyservant in 1967 The Dornier company was given financial assistance from the German government to develop a larger STOL transport to carry up to 13 passengers. The type was designated the
Do 28D and later named
Skyservant. The Do 28D was a complete redesign and shared only the basic layout and wing construction of the earlier versions. The fuselage and engine nacelles were rectangular, unlike the rounded Do 28A/B. The aim was to develop a simple and rugged aircraft for use under arduous conditions, which could be easily maintained. With a crew of two pilots, the
cabin accommodated up to 12 passengers; freight could be loaded easily through large double doors and with the seats removed the cabin gave of unobstructed space. The first flight of a Do 28D took place on 23 February 1966 and the type was publicly exhibited at the
Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport in June 1967. A further variant of the Skyservant was the
Do 28D-2/OU (Oil Unit). Two aircraft were fitted with
radar and SLAR (Side-Looking Airborne Radar) to monitor oil pollution in the
Baltic and
North Seas. Painted in a white scheme, they were operated between 1984 and 1995 by MFG 5 of the
Marineflieger, on behalf of the German Transport Ministry. These aircraft are easily recognised by the fuselage-mounted SLAR antenna and a
radome under the
cockpit. In 1991, both aircraft operated for several weeks in the
Persian Gulf during the
Gulf War under the control of the
United Nations. These two aircraft were replaced by the
Dornier 228 at the end of 1995. These Skyservants are preserved in the
Aeronauticum museum at
Nordholz. In 1997, the Hungarian engineer A. Gál developed a conversion based on a D-variant, that was intended to meet the requirements of skydivers. Instead of the Lycoming piston engines, Gál had two
Walter M601-D2 and now its derivative
General Electric H75 turboprop, modified three-blade AVIA propellers and a skydiving kit installed by
Aerotech Slovakia on seven planes. Although CAA, Hungary's aviation authorities, instantly certified the conversion, the
JAA-certification could not be applied for before 2007, due to certification restrictions on the engines. In 2008, there have been six planes flying in Europe, all of them Hungarian registered, mainly at dropzones in
Soest, Germany,
Target Skysports, Hibaldstow in the United Kingdom, Algarve (Portugal) and Seville (Spain). ==Operational history==