Claude (Claudius) Honoré Desiré Dornier (1884 - 1969) was a German aeronautical engineer, aircraft manufacturer and founder of the eponymous company Dornier.
Of French Huguenot origin, Claude Dornier was born in Kempten in Bavaria where he grew up and went to school. Passionate about techniques, he continued his studies in Munich and graduated in 1907 from the Technical University of Munich.
As a young engineer, he began by working on the resistance of materials at the engineering firm Nagel in Karlsruhe. In 1910, he joined the Zeppelin company, where he was quickly noticed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who appointed him as personal scientific adviser. Dornier then began fundamental and design research on the resistance of light metals, then on aircraft engineering and on giant metal seaplanes. He thus designed the legendary Dornier Wal seaplane in 1922.
Dornier is also recognized in German aviation history for its unique thruster design. His aircraft often featured forward and reverse propeller thrusters (Do X and Do 335). This increased the maneuverability and speed of aircraft, some of which exceeded 350 km/h in the thirties, then 750 km/h with the Do 335) during the Second World War.
Claude Dornier died on December 5, 1969 in Zug, Switzerland.
Peter Dornier
His second son, Peter Dornier (1917-2002) took over and participated in the reconstruction of the German aeronautical industry after the Second World War. He was also recognized for some aeronautical innovations including the propeller plane Do 335 and the prototype vertical take-off jet transport plane, the Dornier Do 31.