Airco DH.1

DH.1
Role	Two seat fighter / General purpose aircraft
Manufacturer	Airco
Designer	Geoffrey de Havilland
First flight	1915
Introduction	1915
Retired	1918
Primary user	Royal Flying Corps
Number built	~170

The Airco DH.1 was an early military biplane of typical "Farman" pattern flown by Britain's Royal Flying Corps during World War I. By the time the powerplant for which it was designed was sufficiently plentiful it was obsolete as an operational aircraft, and apart from a few examples sent to the Middle East it served as a trainer and Home Defence fighter.

Design and development

Geoffrey de Havilland was one of the pioneering designers at the Royal Aircraft Factory and was partially or wholly responsible for most pre-war "Factory" designs. When he left to become chief designer at The Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) in 1914, his first design was strongly reminiscent of the F.E.2, one of the last designs on which he had worked at the Royal Aircraft Factory.

Like the F.E.2, the DH.1 was of pusher configuration, accommodating its pilot and observer in two open tandem cockpits in the nose, the observer's cockpit was stepped down below the pilot's and equipped with a machine gun. The wings were of typical fabric-covered, two-bay, unstaggered, unswept, equal span design, while the stabiliser and rudder were carried on the end of a long, open-framework boom.

In January 1915, Geoffrey de Havilland carried out the maiden flight of the D.H.1 prototype at Hendon. The prototype had three unusual features: coil spring suspension in the undercarriage, elementary oleo legs and three feet long auxiliary aerofoils attached to the sides of the fuselage that could be rotated through 90 degrees to act as air brakes. Of these unique features, only the oleo legs survived into the production series.^[1]

The type, like the F.E.2b, was designed for the 120 hp (89 kW) Beardmore 120 hp water cooled inline engine. However, all available Beardmore engines were required for F.E.2b production, so the 70 hp (52 kW) Renault 70 hp air cooled V8 engine was installed instead. With this powerplant, the DH.1 was underpowered, but still had a creditable performance, and was ordered into production. Airco was already occupied with later designs, so DH.1 production was undertaken by Savages Limited of King's Lynn, previously manufacturing fairground equipment.^{[N 1][1]}

Late production machines were fitted with the Beardmore, and redesignated the DH.1A. By the time the D.H.1 had entered full production, a "follow-up" was already being considered as the first single-seat D.H.2 had already made its maiden flight in July 1915. Derived effectively as a smaller version of the D.H.1, the D.H. 2 was to ultimately become of one of the most important British fighters during the period.^[1]

Operational history

The DH.1 saw operational service only in the Middle East theatre, where six Beardmore powered DH.1As arrived in July 1916. These were used by No. 14 Squadron RFC as escorts for their B.E.2 reconnaissance aircraft.^[1] An Aviatik two-seater was claimed by a 14 Squadron D.H.1A in August for the only known victory of the type. The last known action by a DH.1 was on 5 March 1917, when one was shot down during a bombing raid on Tel el Sheria. No. 14 Squadron became an R.E.8 unit in November 1917; it seems probable the last operational DH.1 had gone before that date.

The other DH.1s served in training with 43 aircraft allotted and Home Defence units in the United Kingdom receiving an additional 24 aircraft,^[1] finally being withdrawn from service in 1918.^[3]

Variants

• DH.1: 101 examples powered by Renault engine
• DH.1A : some 70 examples powered by Beardmore engine

Operators

 United Kingdom

• Royal Flying Corps
  • No. 14 Squadron RFC

Specifications (DH.1)

3-view

Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: two (pilot and observer)
• Length: 28 ft 11⅝ in (8.83 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
• Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.46 m)
• Wing area: 426 sq ft (39.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,356 lb (616 kg)
• Loaded weight: 2,044 lb (927 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Renault, 70 hp (50 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 80 mph (70 kn, 130 km/h)
• Rate of climb: 350 ft/min (1.7 m/s)

Armament

1 machine gun for observer

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
  

Related lists

• List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
  

References

Notes

1. ^ It was not uncommon in the First World War that factories undertook aircraft production that had little background in the industry, but were able to utilize experience in related manufacture, including cabinet making.^[2]

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Rickard, J. "Airco D.H.1." History of War, 31 March 2009. Retrieved: 17 October 2011.
2. ^ Rumerman, Judy. "The U.S. Aircraft Industry During World War I." ''U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, 2003. Retrieved: 17 October 2011.
3. ^ Jackson 1987, p. 45.
4. ^ Jackson 1987, p. 46.

Bibliography

• Grey, C. G. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919 (reprint). New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1969. ISBN 0-0001-890-1.
• Jackson, A. J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, Third edition, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.
• Lamberton, W. M. Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford, 1962.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation, 1989 edition. London: Studio Editions, 1989, p. 45. ISBN 0-51710-316-8.

External links

• Airco DH.1