Dornier Delphin I, c/n 21
Powered by a 185 hp BMW IIIa. A six cylinder water cooled engine. 5.9" bore, 7.1" stroke for a displacement of 1,165 in3.
The following photos are from the collection of Homer W. Goodier.
The information below is from Homer W. Goodier and Johan Visschedijk.
Built as the Dornier Cs on the Swiss side of Lake Constance this was the first Dalphin. First flown on November 24, 1920 by Karl Lesch.
It was demonstrated to the Royal Netherlands Navy on April 16, 1921, in the hope to gain a license contract.
This fell through and the aircraft was sold to the US Navy for all-metal aircraft studies, it was allotted the BuNo. A6055.
After the Navy found no more use for it, The Delphin was sold to Herb Shebett (not 100% sure of the spelling of the last name).
He bought the plane from the navy in Philadelphia, and flew in stages, to Syracuse, NY, landing on Onondaga Lake for the purpose of giving rides.
At one time while refueling at East River, NY, the Delphin's hull was somehow damaged and sank. It was recovered. One family member remembers scraping mud off the floor boards and wicker seats.
The following two photos are believed to be taken at Oneide Lake which is North of Syracuse, NY.
The following photos show the original extensions forward of the nose. This provided a place to stand while swinging the prop to start the engine.
At some point the forward extensions were damaged and removed. Note that the pilot is in an open cockpit directly behind the BMW. I guess you would know right away if the BMW started leaking oil. The following model of the Delphin, the Delphin II, had an enclosed cockpit below the engine.
After being retrieved from the East River and having repairs made, the plane was then flown to the Alexandria Bay area on the St. Lawrence River to continue to offer rides. It is believed that while on the St Lawrence River, the plane again struck (possibly) rocks, which caused the demise of the Dornier.
The plane was then disassembled, and parts were sold.
Homer W. Goodier thinks the man in the following photo wearing a white shirt is Herb Shebett.
The main wing spars was repurpose by a gentleman living in Hammondsport NY to support a bridge in his yard.
