Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland

1927

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Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland

The Rohrbach Roland was one of the first commercial aircraft produced for Deutsche Luft Hansa, which was seeking to re-equip with modern types. The Roland, which entered service in 1927, was a successful design, and six examples were operated by the German airline. In 1929 it was followed by the more powerful Roland II. Both types were high-wing tri-motor monoplanes and were the brainchildren of Adolf Rohrbach, who had also designed the massive Zeppelin-Staaken E.4/20 of 1920, a very advanced four-engined airliner whose prototype had been destroyed on the orders of the Allied Control Commission.

Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland

Specification 
 MODELRo VIII "Roland"
 CREW2
 PASSENGERS10
 ENGINE3 x BMW IV, 239kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight5265 kg11607 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan26.0 m85 ft 4 in
  Length16.3 m54 ft 6 in
  Height4.5 m15 ft 9 in
  Wing area88.0 m2947.22 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed195 km/h121 mph
  Ceiling5500 m18050 ft
  Range w/max payload925 km575 miles

3-View 
Rohrbach Ro VIII RolandA three-view drawing (756 x 816)

Comments
zhuma, 21.06.2011 07:01

The Ia and II used the BMW Va engine, the Roland II having an increased wing span of 26.3m and a maximum take off weight of 6615kg (14553lb).

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Patrick, 11.04.2010 01:00

First Id heard of this aircraft was on a documentary about Adolf Hitler's VIP transport aircraft flown by Hans Bauer, he apparently used this b4 his Ju52s, the individual aircraft shown is D1720, but Im not sure if that is the particualr plane. It is shown on a series called Hitler's Bodyguard Part 9.

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Barry, 13.01.2010 15:30

The first flight was by D-991 (Werk Nr 18) on the 5th September 1926. It went to Iberia, as M-CAAC, later that year along with the second aircraft D-999 (Werk Nr 19) identified as M-CBBB. Both these aircraft were Mark I and were used on the Madrid - Barcelona route until August 1928 when they were returned to DHL.
There were effectively three marks: I, Ia, and II. The specification above is for the Mark I. The coloured illustration is a Roland II in fact the last to be produced (Werk Nr50) later registered D-ANAX. It was used by DLH until 1934 and then went to DVS.
The Ia and II used the BMW Va engine, the Roland II having an increased wing span of 26.3m and a maximum take off weight of 6615kg (14553lb). The maximum speed was increased to 225km /h (140 mph), the service ceiling was increased from 4,300m, not 5,500m, to 4,600m (15,100 ft). A total of 18 of all models was produced with some flying well into the late 1930's.

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