De Havilland DH.51
de Havilland · United Kingdom · first flew 1924 · light aircraft
The de Havilland DH.51 was a 1920s British three-seat touring biplane built at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware. It carried a pilot and two passengers.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.08 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Three-seat touring biplane
- Air-cooled ADC Airdisco V-8 engine
- Fixed-pitch four-bladed wooden propeller on the surviving aircraft
Look for a small three-seat biplane with a V-8 Airdisco engine and a four-bladed propeller. The wingspan is 11.28 m.
Specifications
- The De Havilland DH.51 has a length of 8.08 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.28 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 174 km/h (108 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed as an economical tourer around the 90 hp RAF 1A engine, and first flew in July 1924. Without a dual-ignition system it was refused a certificate of airworthiness, so de Havilland re-engined it with an ADC Airdisco V-8.
Variants
The first aircraft had single-bay wings and was designated DH.51A. It was exported to Australia and later converted to a floatplane as the DH.51B.
Where you'll see it
Only three were built. The third aircraft went to Kenya and became the first on the Kenyan civil register, and now flies with the Shuttleworth Collection as G-EBIR.
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- de Havilland DH.42 Dormouse
- de Havilland DH.54 Highclere
- DH.60 Moth
- De Havilland DH.52
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- Adaridi AD 3
- Aeromarine EO
- Albatros L.66
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