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10/31/2007. Claudius Dornier, son of Dornier founder Proffessor Claude Dornier, formed Claudius Dornier SEASTAR GmbH at Immenstaad, Germany, in January 1982, to develop an innovative amphibian aircraft of all-composite construction. The prototype, known as the Seastar CD.1, was a hybrid and the parts were built in several locations. The "of the shelf" metal wing of the Dornier Do 27 was enlarged with a new center part built by Wolf Hirth, the hull of glassfibre-reinforced plastic was built by Dornier personnel at the plant of caravan builder Erwin Hymer, and the landing gear was built by Herbert Gomolzig Flugzeugbau. Final assembly of the Seastar CD.1 (D-ICDS) began in January 1983 at the Lufthansa works at Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport and the 23 minutes first flight was made by test pilot Alfred Lauf at Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel on August 17, 1984; the first take-off from water was made from Kiel-Holtenau the following September. Trails were successful, but on July 24, 1985 an inadvertent wheels-down landing on water caused the CD.1 to overturn causing some damage. As almost all needed test data had already been gathered, it was decided the aircraft would not be repaired. The registration was transferred to the modified second prototype Seastar CD.2 (c/n 1001). Note the deletion of the wing struts, and the sponsons of reduced chord and increased span.