Dayton-Wright OW.1 Aerial Coupe
Dayton-Wright · United States · first flew 1920 · light aircraft
The Dayton-Wright OW.1 Aerial Coupe was an early enclosed-cabin monoplane designed to offer comfortable air travel akin to a motor car. It represented an early attempt at making aviation accessible to private users.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single tractor engine with car-like enclosed fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Enclosed cabin monoplane of early 1920s
- Single tractor engine with car-like enclosed fuselage
- High-wing layout with wire bracing
Recognisable by its high-wing monoplane layout with a boxy enclosed cabin, single nose-mounted piston engine, and early 1920s construction style with wire bracing.
Specifications
- The Dayton-Wright OW.1 Aerial Coupe has a length of 8.69 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.02 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 153 km/h (95 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot + passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Built by Dayton-Wright around 1920, the Aerial Coupe was one of the first American light aircraft to feature a fully enclosed cabin. Dayton-Wright had significant wartime production experience and attempted to transition to civilian designs postwar. The type saw very limited production.
Variants
The OW.1 was a one-off or very small-series design with no major production variants recorded.
Where you'll see it
The Aerial Coupe was a demonstration and experimental type; it did not enter regular commercial or private service in meaningful numbers.
Related aircraft
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