day of the stamp - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2004 - 55 Euro Cent

On July 12, 1929, under the roar of twelve engines, the first Do X of Lake Constance rose into the air. After about 240,000 hours of production time, the airship pioneer C. Dornier and his employees had surpassed all previous dimensions with what was at the time the largest passenger aircraft. 40 meters in length, ten meters in height and 48 meters in span, the Do X had a flying weight of 48 tons and reached a cruising speed of 175 kilometers per hour and a top speed of 210 kilometers per hour. The Do X was the first flying boat with three independent decks. The task-related division of the crew into commander, pilot and flight engineer, navigator and on-board radio was also a special feature. On 5 November 1930, the flying boat went on a long-haul flight from Europe to Africa, South and North America. In May 1932, the Do X flew back from there and landed after a total distance of 43,500 kilometers on the Berlin Müggelsee. On its overseas flight carried the Do X except the passengers and thousands of mailings. The last stop of the Do X was the aviation museum at the Lehrter station in Berlin. There it was destroyed during the Second World War in bombing raids.