The Microsoft Flight Simulator team is proud to announce the third release in our Local Legends family of historic aircraft: the Do J Wal, a twin-engine, high-wing flying boat by German aviation firm Dornier. The J Wal (“Whale” in German) captured the imagination of the world immediately after it was introduced in 1923 due its unique form and demonstrated reliability, endurance, and utility. The J Wal was readily adopted as the aircraft of choice for a number of salient aerial expeditions, high-endurance firsts, and pioneering air mail and airline routes throughout the globe in the early days of flight. J Wals streaked over arctic latitudes, across oceans, and penetrated the skies above unmapped tropical rainforests. Some of the most notable journeys it made possible include the first Spain to South America transatlantic flight, a North Pole flight by famed explorer Roald Amundsen, and the operation of a number of early airline routes.
The J Wal features metal construction with fabric-covered wings and control surfaces, a hull design that incorporates distinctive, patented sponsons for stability on water, and a traditional empennage. The main wing, which has a span of 72 feet, 2 inches, is elevated above the hull by a lattice structure and is reinforced by struts connected to the sponsons. The J Wal is powered by two engines in a tractor-pusher configuration mounted in a nacelle above the main wing. J Wals use various engines in pairs, including the Rolls-Royce Eagle IX V-12 that produces up to 355 horsepower, the 500-horsepower Napier Lion V, and the BMW V12x that turns out up to 600hp, among others.
Depending on engines and aircraft configuration, the J Wal cruises between 87 and 106 mph, has a top speed of 124 to 130 miles per hour, and has a range from 497 to 621 miles. It climbs at 300 feet per minute and has a service ceiling of between 10,170 and 14,764 feet above sea level.
