Dornier Do 26 Flying Boat Part III – Interior and Details

Here are a series of photos showing the interior layout of the Do 26. The interior finish was natural Aluminum, instrument panel is painted black, the cushioned crew seats are fitted with cloth covers. The hatches above the pilot & copilot opened and slid to the rear on the outside of the aircraft. The door visible underneath the throttle quadrant led to the nose compartment.

Stepping to the rear of the crew compartment this photos shows the backs of the pilot’s and copilot’s seats. The engineer’s station is to the left and the radio operator’s position is to the right.

Details of the engineer’s panel and engine controls. The chart table is visible behind the pilot’s seat.

This view is looking aft in the crew compartment, the pilots’ seats are behind the photographer. A fire extinguisher is visible mounted to the bulkhead on the upper left. The chart table and radio operator’s table tops both are wood. The radio operator was provided with a swivel chair mounted in the passage. The hatch in the bulkhead leads to a passageway under the engines which in turn leads to the cargo hold.

Past the cargo hold is a passenger compartment, or bunks for the crew if not outfitted for passengers. Behind that is the lavatory compartment, seen here. The exterior fuselage door behind the wing is out of frame over the photographer’s right shoulder. The two canisters contain drinking water. The circular hatch is the bulkhead leads to the aft fuselage interior.

The Do 26 could be outfitted with a rather luxurious compartment for four passengers. Photographs show that Do 26V3 “Seemöwe” (Seagull) had the oval fuselage windows seen here, but it is not known if any of the others were ever equipped like this.

During the war all six Do 26s were first used by the Luftwaffe as transports. They were fitted with a defensive armament of three MG 15 7.92mm machine guns facing aft and a single MG 151/20 20mm cannon in a turret mounted in the nose compartment. This photo also shows a mooring cleat on the side of the fuselage and the landing light in the nose.

This Dornier is seen on top of a beaching dolly on a seaplane ramp, providing a rare view of the underwing radiators and wing details.

A useful photo of the forward fuselage and propeller markings. The gun turret would obviously impair the view forward from the cockpit.

A nice detail of the defensive armament mounted in blisters aft of the wing as a soldier exits the fuselage hatch. There was a single MG 15 mounted in each blister and a third which could be fitted in a tunnel under the fuselage.

An unusual view of the pusher propeller from behind. Note the warning bands on the rear of the forward propeller blades.

Part III here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2026/01/14/dornier-do-26-flying-boat-part-iv/