Dornier Do-31: World's First and Only VTOL Jet Transport Ever Built

The Do-31 utilized the same main engines as the Harrier, complete with their own rotatable nozzles to control direction during vertical flight.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 08:07 AM ET

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The Dornier Do-31 remains the world’s only VTOL jet transport. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

The Dornier Do-31 was developed in the 1960s for West Germany as the first and only VTOL jet transport aircraft, designed to carry 36 troops for use in situations where runways might be unusable.
Its innovative design incorporated Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofans for main propulsion and eight smaller, specially designed Rolls-Royce RB.162 turbojet lift engines in wingtip pylons, providing critical redundancy and control for safe vertical flight, even in the event of a main engine failure.
Despite successfully achieving VTOL and conventional flight, setting world records, the Do-31 project was abandoned in 1970 due to insurmountable technical and financial demands, though both flying prototypes are preserved.

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In the early 1960s, the West German government presented aircraft manufacturer Dornier with a daunting challenge. Concerned that a conflict might destroy existing runways and render its airfields unusable, authorities asked Dornier to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) transport aircraft. With significant experience developing unconventional aircraft, Dornier rose to the challenge and began designing what would become the Do-31, a transport jet capable of carrying 36 troops at speed up to 351 knots at 35,000 feet.

At the time, jet-powered VTOL aircraft had successfully flown, but all were smaller tactical and experimental types. Hawker had successfully built and flown the P.1127, which evolved into the Harrier attack aircraft. Other manufacturers had built similarly small VTOL jets, such as the Dassault Balzac V, the Short SC.1, and the EWR VJ 101. But no manufacturer had successfully integrated VTOL capability with a cargo platform.