Dornier Do 27

The Dornier Do 27 was a German single-engine STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier, Fairchild-Dornier). Configuration was a classic high-wing, "tail-dragger" aircraft with fixed landing gear.

History
The Do 27 was developed from the Do 25, an aircraft originally designed to a Spanish military requirement for a light utility aircraft.

The Do 27 seated four to six and the original prototype first flew in Spain on 27 June 1955. Most production aircraft were built in Germany, the first taking flight on 17 October 1956. The remainder (50) were manufactured in Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA as the CASA-127.

The German Luftwaffe and German Army ordered a total of 428 of the Do 27A and Do 27B (with dual controls).

A later version with the same basic specifications but equipped with wider track landing gear was known as the Do 27Q-5. The aircraft was offered as a twin-float seaplane, the Do 27S-1, and with a larger engine (254 kW/340 hp Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6) and a three-blade propeller as the Do 27H-2.

In addition to the military operators in Germany and Spain, Portugal received 40 new build and 106 ex-German aircraft. The Portuguese Air Force used these extensively in the colonial war in Portuguese Africa during the 1960s-70s. In the Portuguese Guinea, in April 1973, two Do 27s were shot down by SAM-7 Grail shoulder launched AAMs.

The Do 27 was notable for being the first mass-produced aircraft in Germany after World War II. It was appreciated for its relatively wide, comfortable cabin and excellent short-field performance.

Variants

 * Do 27
 * Prototype, two built.


 * Do 27A-1
 * Military five-seat single-engine STOL utility transport aircraft, 177 built


 * Do 27A-2
 * Do 27A-1 with minor modification inside, two built.


 * Do 27A-3
 * Do 27A-1 with increased Take Off Gross Weight, 88 built.


 * Do 27-A4
 * Variant with wide landing gear and increased Take Off Gross Weight, 65 built.


 * Do 27B-1
 * Dual-control version of the A-1, 86 built.


 * Do 27B-2
 * Do 27B-2 with minor modification inside, five built.


 * Do 27B-3
 * Do 27B-2 with increased Take Off Gross Weight, 16 built.


 * Do 27B-5
 * Conversions of 27B-3s to 27A-4 standard.


 * Do 27H-1
 * Do 27B-2 powered by a 254 kW (340 hp) Avco Lycoming GSO-480 piston engine with a three-bladed propeller and a larger tail, one built.


 * Do 27H-2
 * Variant of the H-1 for the Swiss Air Force with some modifications as applied to the Do 27Q-1


 * Do 27J-1
 * Production of the Do 27A-4 for Belgian Army, 12 built.


 * Do 27K-1
 * Production of the Do 27A-4 for Portuguese Air Force, 16 built.


 * Do 27K-2
 * Similar to K-1 with minor modifications for Portuguese Air Force, 14 built.


 * Do 27Q-1
 * Six-seat variant of the A-1 for civil market, 16 built.


 * Do 27Q-3
 * Four-seat variant of the Q-1 with a 230 hp Continental O-470K engine, one built.


 * Do 27Q-4
 * Improved Q-1 with auxiliary fuel tanks, 34 built.


 * Do 27Q-5
 * Improved Q-4 with internal modifications, 12 built.


 * Do 27Q-5(R)
 * Restricted category version of the Do 27Q-5.


 * Do 27Q-6
 * Variant of the Q-5 with internal changes for Guinea Bissau and Brazil, 2 built.


 * Do 27S-1
 * Floatplane version with enlarged rudder and a ventral fin, one built.


 * Do 27T
 * One Do 27Q-4 converted with a Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engine.

Civil operators

 * General Command of Mapping (Turkey)
 * General Command of Mapping (Turkey)

Military Operators

 * National Air Force of Angola
 * Belgian Army
 * Belize Defence Force
 * 🇨🇾 Cyprus
 * Cyprus Air Forces - Former operator.
 * Luftwaffe
 * German Army
 * German Navy
 * Military of Guinea-Bissau
 * Israeli Air Force
 * 🇱🇸 Lesotho
 * Lesotho Defence Force
 * 🇲🇼 Malawi
 * Military of Malawi
 * military of Mozambique
 * Military of Guinea-Bissau
 * Israeli Air Force
 * 🇱🇸 Lesotho
 * Lesotho Defence Force
 * 🇲🇼 Malawi
 * Military of Malawi
 * military of Mozambique
 * military of Mozambique
 * military of Mozambique
 * Portuguese Air Force operated 146 aircraft
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * South African Air Force operated 2 aircraft between 1958 - 1967.
 * Spanish Air Force
 * Swedish Army operated 5 aircraft between 1961 - 1991
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Turkish Army
 * Turkish Gendarmerie
 * Swedish Army operated 5 aircraft between 1961 - 1991
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Turkish Army
 * Turkish Gendarmerie
 * Turkish Army
 * Turkish Gendarmerie