Dornier Do 31

10 Jet

The Dornier Do 31 holds the distinction of being the only jet-powered vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft ever to fly. Developed in West Germany during the 1960s as an experimental tactical transport for NATO, the Do 31 employed a radical propulsion system: two vectoring Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofans mounted under the wings for forward thrust and vertical lift, supplemented by eight smaller Rolls-Royce RB162 lift jets—four in each wingtip pod—used exclusively for takeoff and landing. This ten-engine configuration made it one of the most complex VTOL designs ever attempted. The aircraft first flew conventionally in February 1967 and achieved its first full transitions between vertical and horizontal flight later that year, demonstrating the feasibility of jet-powered VTOL for cargo operations. Only three prototypes were built before the program was cancelled in 1970 due to high costs and the advent of more practical heavy-lift helicopters. The Do 31 could carry up to 36 troops or equivalent cargo, with a maximum takeoff weight around 27,500 kg. Despite its cancellation, the Do 31 remains a landmark in aviation history as proof that vertical jet transport was technically achievable, even if economically impractical. The aircraft's innovative engineering influenced later VTOL research, though no production variant ever entered service. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators over routes.