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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0101.PDF
FEBRUARY 22, 1923. A SUCCESSFUL AIRCRAFT DISPOSAL COMPANYMODIFICATION ^ ••-* The D.H. 9B LAST week we published a photograph of a D.H. 9A which had been modified by the Aircraft Disposal Company at their Waddon works. A few more particulars of this interesting machine are now available, and as they indicate what may be done by judicious alterations it is thought that their claim to interest has a wider application than the mere alteration to one certain type. with the usual interrupter gear. On a Scarff gun ring in the gunner's cockpit are mounted two Lewis guns, while an addi- tional gun is fitted in the gunner's cockpit, arranged to fire under the tail of the machine, a sliding panel in the floor of the cockpit covering the gun when not in use. It will thus be seen that the blind area has been reduced to a miniumm. The Air Ministry performance figures for the standard — The "Air- disco " D.H. 9B : Side view. mm P m m m mm m mm • To begin with, the speed and climb, with the same total loaded weight, have been very considerably increased. Thus at 3,000 ft. the maximum speed was found to be 130 m.p.h. with full military load, but without the three 230 lb. bombs. As the engine is a low-compression Rolls-Royce " Eagle " VIII, this is very good indeed. It may be assumed that the good performance is due in no small measure to the fitting of Lamblin radiators, coupled with the special nose cowling which surrounds the engine almost entirely. Thus again, the Lamblin radiators appear to have scored a success, and we have another confirmation of the way in which they enable extra speed to be obtained. When fitted to the Gloucestershire Aircraft Co.'s " Mars I " several miles per hour were added to the speed, and in France this type of radiator has long been used, almost to the exclusion of all other types. The " Airdisco " D.H. 9B forms a formidable weapon, what with its good performance and its armament, consisting of five machine guns and three 230 lb. bombs. Two Vickers guns are mounted in front of the pilot, and are, of course, fitted D.H. 9A, with Rolls-Royce " Eagle " VIII engine, are as follows :— Weight empty . . . . . . . . 2,705 lbs. Fuel and oil . . .. . . .. 550 lbs. Military load and bombs .. .. 1,200 lbs. Crew 360 lbs. Weight fully loaded 4,815 lbs. Speed at 10,000 ft 110.5 m.p.h. Climb to 10,000 ft 20.6 mins. Service ceiling . . . . . . .. 14,000 ft. Wing loading 9.75 lbs]sq. ft. Power loading .. .. .. . . 14 lbs./h.p. At present we have not the complete performance figures of the D.H.9B, but as soon as these become available we hope to be able to publish them for comparison with the standard machine. Mr. Piercy flew one of these machines to Spain a short time ago, and presumably by now it has been taken over by the Spanish Government aviation section. . Two Views of the Lamblin Radiators on the A.D.C. D.H. 9. 101
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