Airco DH.1
Airco · United Kingdom · first flew 1915 · fighter
The Airco DH.1 was an early two-seat military pusher biplane flown by the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.83 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Pusher layout with the engine behind two tandem open cockpits in the nose
- Two-bay unstaggered equal-span wings
- Stabiliser and rudder carried on two long open-framework booms
The prototype carried rotating aerofoils on the nacelle sides that served as air brakes, but these were soon removed.
Specifications
- The Airco DH.1 has a length of 8.83 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.5 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 129 km/h (80 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the first design by Geoffrey de Havilland at Airco and resembled the F.E.2. The prototype first flew at Hendon in January 1915 with a 70 hp Renault V8 engine, because the intended Beardmore engines were needed elsewhere.
Variants
Production was undertaken by Savages Limited of King's Lynn, whose aircraft had simpler rubber-cord suspension and a revised observer cockpit coaming.
Where you'll see it
By the time the engine was plentiful it was obsolete as an operational aircraft. A few went to the Middle East, and it otherwise served as a trainer and home-defence fighter.
Related aircraft
- Airco DH.2
- Airco DH.3
- Airco DH.4
- Airco DH.5
- AGO DV.3
- Avro 521
- Blackburn T.B. (Twin Blackburn)
- Bristol Scout C
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