This Luft Hansa Komet III, D-580, was later named Panther and it is believed to have operated Luft Hansa’s first service, on April 6, 1926.
CH 50, a Dornier Komet I operated by Ad Astra Aero AG of Zurich. The windshield can be seen mounted on the wing leading edge. The aeroplane in the background is a Sablatnig P III.
DDL Danish Air Lines’ Komet III T-DODB had been Deutscher Aero Lloyd’s D-585 and was bought by DDL in 1925.
Kawasaki-built Komet III, J-BADA, with Lorraine engine and two-blade airscrew. This example incorporates some Merkur features and was operated by Tozai Teiki Kokukai on the Tokyo-Osaka route.
Probably the prototype Dornier Komet, with aft-positioned cockpit. The raised instrument panel can be seen forward of and to the right of the cockpit.
Probably the prototype Komet II. It has a much smaller rudder than the prototype Komet I. The aileron balance surface can be seen in this view.
This is almost certainly the Rolls-Royce Eagle IX powered prototype Dornier Komet III.
The passenger cabin of a Komet III. Behind the camera are two aft-facing seats. At least some of the windows could be slid open.
KEITH WOODCOCK’S painting of Komet I D-248 Dusseldorf. This aircraft served with Deutsche Luft-Reederei and passed to Deutscher Aero Lloyd before becoming Luft Hansa’s Jaguar in 1926. The crane emblem, still used by Lufthansa, appears on the rudder.
The open-cockpit BMW VI-powered Merkur CH 171 Switzerland in which Walter Mittelholzer flew from Zurich to Cape Town in 1926-27. With floats fitted this Merkur was given additional rudder area.
Luft Hansa’s Merkur D-1102 Edelmarder, with BMW VID engine, was built in 1927. It is believed to have been later used by Deruluft and finally re-registered D-UDYF.
With the early Soviet registration RR-34 repeated under both wings, a ‘Merkur’ II shows its intermediate wing struts necessary due to increased weight. This is probably a machine operated by ‘Deruluft’.
On the reverse of this Dornier photograph of Deruluft’s RR34 it is described as a Merkur I.
Deruluft’s Merkur RR35 with four-blade airscrew, enclosed cockpit and night flying equipment.
Deruluft’s Merkur RR36 in an undignified position. This example has an enclosed cockpit “beneath” which is the route placard reading Moskau-Berlin.
