View source for Engineering:Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I

{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
 | name= Rs.I
 | image=Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I Q66285.jpg
 | caption=A front view of the flying boat
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
 | type=Patrol [[Engineering:Flying boat|flying boat]]
 | national origin={{wipe|Germany}}
 | manufacturer=Zeppelin-Lindau<ref name="Haddow">{{cite book|last=Haddow|first=G.W.|author2=Peter M. Grosz|title=The German Giants - The German R-Planes 1914-1918|publisher=Putnam|location=London|date=1988|edition=3rd|isbn=0-85177-812-7}}</ref>
 | designer=Claudius Dornier
 | first flight=
 | introduced=
 | retired=
 | status=
 | primary user=
 | number built= 1
 | developed from=
 | variants with their own articles=
}}
|}

The '''Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I''' (also known as the '''Dornier Rs.I''')  was a large three-engined biplane flying boat designed by Claudius Dornier and built during 1914–15 on the German side of [[Earth:Lake Constance|Lake Constance]]. It was destroyed in a storm.<ref name="Haddow"/>

==Design and development==
Claudius Dornier gained the attention of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin while working on a proposed trans-atlantic [[Physics:Airship|airship]] during 1913.  Later he appointed him as chief designer of the Zeppelin-Werke at Lindau, responsible for building large patrol flying boats. Dornier's first design to be built was the Rs.I. This was a large aircraft (''Riesenflugzeug'' in the German classification) constructed largely of high-strength steel for highly stressed parts, and [[Chemistry:Duralumin|Duralumin]] (aluminium alloy) for low stress parts.
The wings were on top of the hull and were braced with four sets per side of Warren strut style interplane structures comprising 'V' struts, which obviated the need for drag inducing wire bracing. The wing structure was formed with built-up steel spars, four in the top wing and three in the lower wing, and duralumin ribs riveted to the spars and braced internally. The fuselage was also made up from formed steel members built up into a framework which was then covered with fabric or [[Chemistry:Duralumin|dural]] sheeting.
The powerplant arrangements were unorthodox, with the two outboard engines housed inside the fuselage, each driving a pusher propeller via shafts and bevel gearboxes, and a central pusher engine in a nacelle between the wings.<ref name="Haddow"/>

==History==
The Rs.I was completed by October 1915 and rolled out at Seemos for trials. On 23 October, during a taxi test, the port propeller and/or gearbox parted company with the aircraft, causing damage to the gearbox mountings and the upper wing. The opportunity was taken to move the outboard engines into nacelles identical to that of centre engine, and mount them between the wings on an independent structure with catwalks to enable engineers to attend to engines in flight. This gave much better clearance from spray for the propellers, which was probably the cause of the port gearbox/propeller failure. Taxiing trials recommenced, but with little success. On 21 December 1915 a [[Earth:Foehn wind|Foehn wind]] blew up during trials. Unable to beach the giant flying boat, attempts were made to ride out the storm on the lake, but the moorings gave and the Rs.I was dashed to pieces on the lakeside rocks.

The RsI is noteworthy for the construction materials used as well as its size; it was the largest aeroplane in the world at the time of its launch.<ref name="Haddow"/>

==Specifications (Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=The German Giants<ref name="Haddow"/>
|prime units?=met<!-- imp or kts first for US aircraft, and UK aircraft pre-metrification, 
met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show -->

<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew=at least 7
|capacity=
|length m=29
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=43.5
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=7.2
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=328.8
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|swept area sqm=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept area sqft=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept area note=
|volume m3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- give where relevant eg sailplanes  -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=7,500
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=10,500
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift note=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=3
|eng1 name=Maybach HS (Mb.IV)
|eng1 type=
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->179
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng1 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->

|eng2 number=<!-- for different engine types -->
|eng2 name=
|eng2 type=
|eng2 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng2 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng2 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->

|eng3 number=<!-- for different engine types -->
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 note=
|eng3 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng3 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|more power=

|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop note=

|rot number=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia m=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia ft=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia in=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area sqm=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area sqft=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=Y

|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=<!-- aerobatic -->
|stall speed mph=<!-- aerobatic -->
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=

|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 
|bombs=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
<!-- include as many lines are appropriate. additional lines/entries with carriage return. -->
|see also=
|related=<!-- related developments -->
|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->
*[[Engineering:AD Seaplane Type 1000|AD Seaplane Type 1000]]
*[[Engineering:Felixstowe F.2|Felixstowe F.2A]]
|lists=<!-- related lists -->
*[[Engineering:List of flying boats and floatplanes|List of flying boats and floatplanes]]
}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|author1-last=Gray|author1-first=Peter|title=German Aircraft of the First World War|orig-year=1970|year=1987 |publisher=Putnam |location=London|isbn=0-85177-809-7|edition=2nd|author2-first=Owen|author2-last=Thetford|name-list-style=amp}}
*Haddow G.W., Grosz, P.M. ''The German Giants''. Putnam, 3rd Ed., 1988  {{ISBN|0-85177-812-7}}
*{{cite book |last1=Rimell |first1=Ray |title=Dornier Flying Boats |date=2009 |publisher=Albatros Productions |location=Berkhampstead, UK |isbn=978-1-906798-03-1|series=Windsock Datafile|volume=136}}
*{{cite book |last1=Schmeelke |first1=Michael |title=Zeppelin-Lindau Aircraft of WWI: Claude Dornier's Metal Airplanes 1914–1919 |date=2020 |isbn=978-1-935881-83-4 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |location=n.p. |series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=42}}

==External links==
*http://www.iren-dornier.com/en/aircraft.html


[[Category:Flying boats]]
[[Category:Three-engined pusher aircraft]]
[[Category:Mid-engined aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]

{{Sourceattribution|Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I}}