Rare Dornier Amphibian Greets Hudson River Saturday

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One of the stranger-looking aircraft we saw at Oshkosh last month, the one-of-a-kind Dornier Do-24ATT three-engine amphibian, will be landing on the Hudson River in downtown New York City on Saturday. The visit is part of a yearlong round-the-world journey for the airplane, which is owned by Seair, a Philippines airline. The aircraft will touch down off Battery Park at 10:30 a.m. The arrival aims to commemorate a 1931 visit on the same date by a similar Dornier seaplane during a world tour. On that visit, the airplane was flown by Claude Dornier, founder of the company, and greeted by President Herbert Hoover. On this tour, Dornier’s grandson Iren, chairman of Seair, is at the controls. Iren Dornier acquired the seaplane in 2003 from a Munich museum, and spent nearly two years restoring it. The Do-24 measures 100 feet from wingtip to wingtip. Power comes from three Pratt & Whitney PTA-45B engines, which replaced the older BMW radials. The tour is promoting the Philippines as a site for business and investment, and also raising funds for educational programs of UNICEF. Upon its return home, the vintage seaplane will be used by Seair as a luxury charter to serve five-star resorts in the Philippines. For more info, visit the official Do-24 site, but be forewarned, it is very slow to load.

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