Planet Models 197 Dornier Merkur

The Dornier Merkur was a German high-wing fixed-landing gear aircraft and passenger aircraft in the classic arrangement of the interwar period. The prototype flight took place in 1925. The machine was 12.5 meters long, with a maximum wingspan of 19.6 meters. The maximum speed was up to 200 km / h. In the Merkur II version, the drive was provided by a single BMW VI engine with 600 HP. The Merkur model was constructed at the Dornier Flugzeugwerke aviation plant as an evolutionary development of the company's previous model - the Komet plane. Compared to its predecessor, it was smaller, had a lower curb weight, and had improved aerodynamic properties, which in turn contributed to the better performance of the machine. The machine could also take 8 passengers on board, not 6 people like the Komet III model. The power unit, which had a significantly higher maximum power, also changed. Aircraft of this type were used primarily by the German airlines Lufthansa (until 1934), but were also operated in Switzerland, Brazil and Japan.