Rohrbach Rostra

Ro XI Rostra
Role	Flying boat mail plane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Rohrbach
First flight	30 October 1928
Number built	1

The Rohrbach Ro XI Rostra was a flying boat built in Germany in 1928 for use as a transatlantic mail plane.^[1] It shared the same general configuration its predecessor, the Ro V Rocco: a conventional, high-wing flying boat with cruciform empennage and two engines mounted tractor-fashion in nacelles mounted on struts above the wing. The flight deck and cabin were fully enclosed. However, while the Rocco's wings had been braced by struts, the Rostra's wings were a fully cantilever design.^[1] The aircraft featured a set of masts and sails that could be deployed for extended travel on water in the event of a forced landing.^[2]

By late 1928, Philadelphia journalist Mildred Johnson was organising an east-to-west transatlantic flight aboard the Rostra, initially with three other passengers,^[3] but later as the sole passenger.^[4] In middle of 1929, the Rostra made a preliminary 1,760 km (1,090 mi) round trip between Travemünde and Stockholm carrying ten passengers, and a longer-range flight to Iceland was planned.^[5]

Specifications

Data from "Rohrbach Ro XI 'Rostra'"

General characteristics

• Crew: Three
• Length: 15.60 m (51 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 26.90 m (88 ft 3 in)
• Height: 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 77.0 m² (828 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,340 kg (9,550 lb)
• Gross weight: 8,400 kg (18,480 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Gnome et Rhône-built Bristol Jupiter VI, 300 kW (400 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 220 km/h (140 mph)
• Range: 2,370 km (1,480 miles)
• Service ceiling: 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

Notes

1. Taylor 1989, p.768
2. Air Progress: 78. October 1971. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. "New Atlantic Flight Proposed", p.959
4. "Rohrbach 'Rostra' Under Test", p.1038
5. "Giant Flying Boat Tested" p.3

References

• "Giant Flying Boat Tested". New York Times. 14 August 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
• "New Atlantic Flight Proposed". Flight: 959. 1 November 1928. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
• "Rohrbach 'Rostra' Under Test". Flight: 1038. 6 December 1928. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
• "Rohrbach Ro XI 'Rostra'". German Aviation 1919–1945. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.

External links

• http://www.histaviation.com/Rohrbach_Ro_XI.html