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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1920.PDF
SEPTEMBER 27TH, 1945 FLIGHT 345 D.H." (CONTI N U ED EARLY TRANSPORTS : (Left) E.9 the prototype Dragon. Right) The triple engined D.H. 66 (Hercules) and the Napier engined D.H. 34 of 1922. always known to his friends as " D.H.," and many of us, the writer included, find some considerable lifficulty-in breaking a habit that is almost lifelong, now ihat he has become Sir Geoffrey. . Space does not permit a reference to all the Airco D.H. types produced before Mr. Holt Thomas closed down the Aircraft Manufacturing Company and helped de Havilland to found the de Havilland Aircraft Company, Ltd., but a few examples will show the progress made during the four years of the first world war. The D.H.I was a two-seater pusher biplane, as it was mainly intended for observation work and a good forward view was deemed desirable. With a 90 h.p. Renault engine it had a speed of 78 m.p.h. A couple of twin-engined biplanes followed, but it was really the D.H.4, a tractor biplane, which established the fame of the D.H. series which has culminated to-day in the D.H. 100, the jet-propelled Vampire. The D.H.4 was designed for the B.H.P. engine, although the first proto- type had a Rolls-Royce Eagle of 325 h.p. It is interesting m recall that the letters B.H.P. stood for Beardmore-Hal- ford-Pullinger, the Halford part of the trio being the same as the present designer of the de Havilland and Napier engines. Next to be built in really great numbers was the D.H.9, similar in a general way to the D.H.4, but with the seats somewhat shifted to give the gunner a better view and field of fire. I remember once during the first world war Capt. de Havilland telling me that the Airco firm was turning out D.H.9s at the rate of about one every 40 minutes! Then came the end of the war, and orders were cut off almost overnight, although somehow the aircraft industry managed to carry on under its own momentum, so to speak, for a while. By 1920, however, the outlook had become pretty grim, and the B.S.A. Company, which had acquired the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, decided to close down.- At considerable difficulty to himself, Mr. Holt Thomas promised to find ^10,000 wherewith to start a de Havilland company. The firm was incorporated on Sep- tember 25th, 1920, with a nucleus of some 50 people from the old Airco firm. Rebeginning' Work was begun in a small hut and a couple of canvas hangars at Stag Lane, Edgware. The only orders on hand were for the completion of two D.H.18 eight-seater com- mercial biplanes which had been begun by the old Airco firm for the Air Ministry. In this type there was a trace of a tendency towards a greater wing loading than had been usual, some 11 lb. /sq. ft.! Capt. de Havilland clearly visualised the advantages of high wing loading for com- mercial operation, and design work was begun on a mono plane, the D.H.29, in which the figure was raised to 17 lb./sq. ft. This was considered very daring at the time, but the machine was built and made its first flight in August, 1921. Some development work was found necessary (directional control was somewhat inadequate, for example), and as a demand had arisen for some machines for the cross-channel service of Daimler Airways, it was decided to drop the 29 and concentrate on the rapid production of a more orthodox type, the D.H.34 eight- seater with 450 h.p. Napier Lion engine. In the autumn of 1921 it was decided to buy Stag Lane, which had been rented from the London and Provincial company controlled by Messrs. Warren and Smiles. The price was £20,000 and. the purchase was much facilitated LATER TRANSPORTS : (Left) The twin-engined D.H. 89 or Dragon Rapide. (Right) One of the many D.H. 86 air liners built for air services the world over. (Bottom) The elegant D.H. 91, Albatross, which had four Gips/ XII engines.
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