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The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat pusher
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
fighter aircraft which operated during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. It was the second pusher design by
aeronautical engineer Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is sim ...
Geoffrey de Havilland Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, (27 July 1882 – 21 May 1965) was an English aviation pioneer and aerospace engineer. The aircraft company he founded produced the Mosquito, which has been considered the most versatile warplane ever built, ...
for
Airco The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Ai ...
, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The development of pusher configuration fighters, such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b enabled forward firing armament before the development of synchronisation gears such as that fitted to the German
Fokker Eindecker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the first purpose ...
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
fighter. The prototype DH.2 made its first flight in July 1915, but it was lost during the following month, on its service trials on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
. The DH.2 was introduced to frontline service in February 1916 and became the first effectively armed British single-seat fighter. It enabled
Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...
(RFC) pilots to counter the " Fokker Scourge" that had given the Germans the advantage during late 1915. It served in fighting and escort duties for almost two years, while numerous pilots became
flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
s using the type. It became outclassed by newer German fighters, resulting in the DH.2's eventual withdrawal from first line service in France after RFC units completed the process of re-equipping with newer fighters, such as the
Nieuport 17 The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than earlier ...
and
Airco DH.5 The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. It was designed and manufactured at British aviation company Airco. Development was led by aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the obsol ...
, in June 1917.


Development

By the outbreak of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
,
aeronautical engineer Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is sim ...
Geoffrey de Havilland Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, (27 July 1882 – 21 May 1965) was an English aviation pioneer and aerospace engineer. The aircraft company he founded produced the Mosquito, which has been considered the most versatile warplane ever built, ...
was already an experienced aircraft designer, having been responsible for the experimental Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.1, Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 and Blériot Scout B.S.1, the B.S.1 being the fastest British aircraft of its day. In June 1914, de Havilland left the
Royal Aircraft Factory Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...
for
Airco The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Ai ...
, where he continued work on his own designs, the first being the
Airco DH.1 The Airco DH.1 was an early military biplane of typical "Farman" pattern flown by Britain's Royal Flying Corps during World War I. By the time the powerplant for which it was designed was sufficiently plentiful it was obsolete as an operational ...
, which followed a similar formula to that of the F.E.2.Bruce 1966, p. 3. Early air combat over the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
indicated the need for a single-seat fighter with a forward-firing machine gun. At this point in time, there was no dominant approach to arming fighters, but a pusher configuration was one answer.Bruce 1966, pp. 3-4. As no means of firing forward through the propeller of a tractor aeroplane was yet available to the British, Geoffrey de Havilland designed the DH.2 as a scaled-down, single-seat development of the earlier two-seat DH.1. Aviation author J.M Bruce speculated that, had adequate synchronisation gear been available, de Havilland may have been less likely to pursue a pusher configuration. While it is popularly viewed as a response to the emergence of Germany's
Fokker Eindecker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the first purpose ...
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
fighters, its development was not specifically targeted at the type, having commenced prior to the Eindecker's arrival.Bruce 1966, p. 4. The first prototype DH.2 performed its first flight in July 1915.Mason 1992, p. 42. Following the completion of its manufacturing trials, on 26 July 1915, the prototype was dispatched to France for operational evaluation, but was lost over the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
and was captured by the Germans. Despite the prototype's premature loss, the DH.2 was ordered into quantity manufacture.Bruce 1966, p. 5. The production aircraft was generally similar to the prototype with the only major alterations being a fuel system and a revised gun mounting arrangement. Deliveries of the DH.2 commenced during the latter half of 1915 and a handful of aircraft were reportedly operating in France prior to the year's end.Bruce 1966, pp. 5-6. A total of 453 DH.2s were produced by Airco.Airco DH-2


Design

The Airco DH.2 was a compact two-bay pusher biplane fighter aircraft. It had a wooden airframe, which was wire-braced and covered by
fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not ...
across most areas, except for the nacelle nose and upper decking. Both the upper and lower wings had
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
s fitted. The upper ailerons were spring-loaded to automatically return to a neutral position when the controls were released. The upper part of the nose of the nacelle was cut away so that a machine gun could be mounted there. Unusually, the
windshield The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. ...
was mounted on the machine gun rather than to the airframe.Bruce 1966, p. 6. The DH.2 was armed with a single Lewis gun which was mounted on a flexible mount. Once pilots learned that the best method of achieving a kill was to aim the aircraft rather than the gun, it was fixed to fire forward, although this was met with skepticism by higher authorities until a quick-release clip was devised at the Squadron level.Goulding 1986, p. 11. The clip was devised by Major
Lanoe Hawker Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...
, who also improved the gunsights and added a ring sight and an "aiming off model" that helped the gunner allow for
leading In typography, leading ( ) is the space between adjacent lines of type; the exact definition varies. In hand typesetting, leading is the thin strips of lead (or aluminium) that were inserted between lines of type in the composing stick to incr ...
a target.Guttman 2009, p. 31 The majority of DH.2s were powered by the
Gnôme Monosoupape The ''Monosoupape'' (French for single-valve), was a rotary engine design first introduced in 1913 by Gnome Engine Company (renamed Gnome et Rhône in 1915). It used a clever arrangement of internal transfer ports and a single pushrod-operated e ...
nine-cylinder, air-cooled
rotary engine The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...
, however later models received the similarly configured but much improved
Le Rhône 9J The Le Rhône 9J is a nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine produced in France by Gnome et Rhône. Also known as the Le Rhône 110 hp in a reference to its nominal power rating, the engine was fitted to a number of military aircraf ...
engine.Bruce 1966, p.8 Some sources state that the Monosoupape was retained in the DH.2 design despite a tendency to shed cylinders midair and a single DH.2 was fitted experimentally with a Le Rhône 9J. In addition to the variety of engines used, the fuel system also differed between individual aircraft. Typically, a gravity-fed fuel tank was used, but it could be located on the upper wing central section, or either above or below the port side upper wing.


Operational service

After evaluation at
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...
on 22 June 1915, the first DH.2 arrived in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
for operational trials with No. 5 RFC Squadron but was shot down and its pilot killed during early August 1915.Bruce 1966, pp. 4-5. This aircraft was recovered and repaired by the Germans. The first squadron equipped with the DH.2, and the first RFC squadron completely equipped with single-seat fighters,
No. 24 Squadron RFC No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV Squadron) of the Royal Air Force is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AMOCU). Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on C-130J Hercules, A400 ...
, arrived in France early February 1916.Mason 1992, p. 41. The DH.2 eventually equipped seven fighter squadrons on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
and proved more than a match for the
Fokker Eindecker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the first purpose ...
and the first DH.2 victory over an Eindecker may have been on 2 April 1916. DH.2s were heavily involved in the
Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...
with No. 24 Squadron engaging in 774 combats and claiming 44 enemy machines.Bruce 1966, pp. 7-8. Service training for pilots in the RFC was poor, and the DH.2 initially had a high accident rate, supposedly gaining the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator",Raleigh 1922, pp. 427–428. but as familiarity with the type improved, it was recognised as being maneuverable and relatively easy to fly. The limited ammunition supply of the original gun installation proved to be inadequate.Bruce 1966, pp. 6-7. Although officially discouraged, pilots experimented with different gun arrangements, including a fixed twin-gun configuration. Furthermore, the original gun mounting was criticised for being loose and unstable, and it obstructed the stick when elevated. DH.2s were routinely flown with the guns fixed into position.Bruce 1966, p. 7. The arrival at the front of more powerful German
tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...
biplane fighters such as the
Halberstadt D.II The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by German aircraft company Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke. It was adopted by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Army Air Service) and served through the peri ...
and the Albatros D.I, in late 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in turn.Bruce 1966, pp. 9-10. It remained in first line service until June 1917 in France, until No. 24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC reequipped with
Airco DH.5 The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. It was designed and manufactured at British aviation company Airco. Development was led by aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the obsol ...
s, and a few remained in service in Macedonia including "A" Flight of No. 47 Squadron and a joint R.F.C. /
R.N.A.S. The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps ...
fighter squadron,Munson 1968, p. 99. and with "X" Flight, in Palestine until late 1917. By then, it was dangerously obsolete as a fighter. The DH.2 was then used as an advanced trainer and for other secondary tasks, with the last recorded use of a DH.2 being a single example flying at
RAF Turnhouse Royal Air Force Turnhouse or more simply RAF Turnhouse is a former Royal Air Force Sector Station located in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of G ...
in January 1919.Bruce 1982, p. 45.


Ace pilots

Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
recipient
Lanoe Hawker Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...
(seven victories, though none in the DH.2), who was the first commander of No. 24 Squadron. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees was awarded the Victoria Cross after flying the D.H.2 for a solo attack on a formation of ten German two-seaters on 1 July 1916, destroying two.Jackson 1987, p. 48.Bruce 1966, pp. 8-9. James McCudden became an ace in DH.2s and would become the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
's fourth-ranking ace of the war.Guttman 2009, p. 91. German ace and tactician
Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...
was killed during a
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...
with No. 24 Squadron DH.2s due to a collision with one of his own wingmen. Fourteen aces scored five or more aerial victories using the DH.2 and many also went on to further success in later types. Eight pilots scored all of their victories in the DH-2, including Harry Wood, Sidney Cowan,
Hubert Jones Group Captain Hubert Wilson Godfrey Jones Penderel (7 October 1890 – 14 May 1943) was a British World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. Between the wars he had a distinguished career as a Royal Air Force officer, air ra ...
,
William Curphey Captain William George Sellar Curphey (1895 – 15 May 1917) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Early life and entry into military Curphey was born in Glasgow, Scotland to Mr. and Mrs. William Salvador Cur ...
,
Maxmillian Mare-Montembault Lieutenant Maximillian John Jules Gabriel Mare-Montembault MC (4 March 1895 – 1953) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Military service Mare-Montembault was commissioned from private in the Inns of C ...
,
Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne Second Lieutenant Patrick Anthony Langan Byrne (1895 – 16 October 1916) was an Irish flying ace of the First World War credited with ten aerial victories. Early life and education Byrne was born in Clogherhead, Co. Louth, the son of Dr. and ...
, Eric Pashley and Selden Long. Lanoe George Hawker V.C., D.S.O., and commanding officer of No. 24 Squadron flying a DH. 2 was shot down by
Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...
flying an
Albatros D.II The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early ''Jagdstaffeln'', it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III. Design and development Albatros designers Robert Thelen, ...
.Bruce 1966, p. 9.


Reproductions

No original DH.2s exist. In 1970, Walter M. Redfern from
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
built a replica DH.2 called the
Redfern DH-2 The Redfern DH-2 is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Walter Redfern and produced by the Walter Redfern Company of Post Falls, Idaho, based upon the 1915 Airco DH.2 fighter aircraft. When it was available the aircraft was supp ...
, powered by a Kinner engine. Redfern subsequently sold plans to home builders, and several of these replicas are flying."Redfern DH-2."
''aircraftworlddirectory.com''. Retrieved: 10 January 2010.
Redfern's original replica is now displayed at the
Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre is an aviation museum located at the Omaka Air Field, from the centre of Blenheim, New Zealand. History A resurgence of heritage aviation interest began in the Marlborough area in the late 1990s when a group o ...
in
Blenheim, New Zealand Blenheim ( ; mi, Waiharakeke) is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of The surrounding Marlborough wine region is well known as the centre o ...
.


Operators

; *
Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...
(Most units operated the DH.2 alongside other types) ** No. 5 Squadron RFC ** No. 11 Squadron RFC ** No. 17 Squadron RFC ** No. 18 Squadron RFC **
No. 24 Squadron RFC No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV Squadron) of the Royal Air Force is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AMOCU). Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on C-130J Hercules, A400 ...
** No. 29 Squadron RFC ** No. 32 Squadron RFC ** No. 41 Squadron RFC ** No. 47 Squadron RFC ** No. 111 Squadron RFC


Specifications (DH.2)


See also


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Bruce, J.M. ''Warplanes of the First World War - Fighters Volume One''. London: MacDonald & Co., 1965. * Bruce, J.M. ''Aircraft Profile No. 91: The de Havilland D.H.2''. Profile Publications Ltd, 1966. * Bruce, J. M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. * Cheesman, E.F., ed. ''Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War''. Herts, UK: Harleyford, 1960. * Funderburk, Thomas R. ''The Fighters: The Men and Machines of the First Air War''. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1962. * Goulding, James. ''Interceptor: RAF Single Seat Multi-Gun Fighters''. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1986. . * * Guttman, Jon. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Jon Guttman. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. , . * Jackson, A.J. ''De Havilland Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, Third edition, 1987. . * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. . * Miller, James F. "DH 2 vs Albatros D I/D II - Western Front 1916 (Osprey Duel ; 42)". Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2012. . * Munson, Kenneth. ''Fighters Attack and Training Aircraft 1914-1919''. New York: Macmillan, 1968. * Raleigh, Walter. ''The War In The Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force, Vol I''. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, First edition 1922, 2002 (reprint). . * Sharpe, Michael. ''Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes''. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. .


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Airco DH.002 DH.002 1910s British fighter aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Biplanes Rotary-engined aircraft Military aircraft of World War I Aircraft first flown in 1915