de Havilland DH.15 Gazelle

de Havilland Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1921 · airliner

The de Havilland DH.15 Gazelle was a British single-engine biplane developed in the early 1920s as a light passenger aircraft for the nascent civil aviation market. It was a refinement of the DH.14 with an enclosed passenger cabin.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• Early 1920s de Havilland single-engine biplane airliner
• Open-cockpit pilot forward of enclosed passenger cabin
• Converted from DH.4 lineage for early British civil aviation

A conventional single-engine biplane of early 1920s construction with an open cockpit for the pilot and a simple enclosed cabin section amidships.

Specifications

• The de Havilland DH.15 Gazelle has a length of 9.12 m (30 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 14 m (46 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 224 km/h (139 mph).
• Typical crew: 1 pilot, 2-3 passengers.

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

History

The DH.15 was produced in very small numbers by de Havilland in the early 1920s, intended to offer commercial operators a simple biplane capable of carrying a handful of passengers. It flew on early British civil routes but was quickly superseded by more capable types.

Variants

The Gazelle was produced in a single main version; the designation sits between the DH.14 and DH.16 in de Havilland's commercial development sequence.

Where you'll see it

Operated by early British civil aviation pioneers on short domestic routes, the DH.15 was a transitional type bridging wartime biplane technology and purpose-built airliners.

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• de Havilland DH.34
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• Caudron C.61
• Fokker F.III
• Airco DH.18

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