Airco DH.11 Oxford

Airco · United Kingdom · first flew 1919 · bomber

The Airco DH.11 Oxford was a British twin-engine bomber biplane designed near the end of World War I and first flown in 1919. It represented the de Havilland team's (working under Airco) attempt to deliver a capable medium bomber, but the war's end ended any prospect of a production order.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.19 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-engine Airco biplane bomber of immediate post-WW1 era
Sesquiplane layout with narrow lower wing
Only one prototype flew before cancellation

A large biplane with twin engines mounted between the wings in a pusher-tractor arrangement, a sesquiplane lower wing of much reduced span and chord compared to the upper, and a conventional tail with a wide horizontal stabiliser span.

Specifications

The Airco DH.11 Oxford has a length of 12.19 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 19.5 m (64 ft).
Its maximum speed is 193 km/h (120 mph).
Typical crew: 3–4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed in 1917–18 as a long-range day bomber to follow the DH.10, the DH.11 was delayed and first flew only in March 1919, after the Armistice. The Air Ministry had no requirement for a new bomber in the post-war rundown and cancelled the project after evaluating the prototype.

Variants

Only one prototype was constructed. No production or variant aircraft were built.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service. The single prototype was evaluated at Martlesham Heath before the programme was terminated. The DH.11 is primarily of historical significance as part of the Airco/de Havilland line of wartime bomber development.

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