Airco D.H.5

From Wings of Linen
Airco D.H.5
Role Ground Attack/Fighter
Manufacturer Airco
Designer Geoffrey De Havilland[1]
First flight late 1916[1][2]
Introduction 1 May 1917 [3][4][2]
Primary user U.K. (RFC/RAF)
Number built [note 1]
Wingspan 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in) [6][7][5][2]
Propeller Diam. 2.60 m (8 ft 6.5 in)[5]
Engine 110hp Le Rhône 9J or
110hp Clerget 9Z or
110hp Gnome rotary
Armament fixed, sync. Vickers
4×11 kg (25 lb)[2] Cooper bombs on rack under fuselage
Ammo 750 rounds[8]
Crew 1
Max Speed 164 km/h (102 mph)[5][2]-180 km/h (110 mph) [9]
Climb 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in 6:55[5][9][6]
3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 12:25[5][9][6]
4,600 m (15,000 ft) in 27:30[5]
Service Ceiling 4,400 m (14,300 ft)[10]
Ceiling 4,900 m (16,000 ft) [9][11][6][5][2]
Endurance 2:45 [9][11][5][2]

The Airco D.H.5 was an attempt to retain the outstanding forward visibility of pushers like the DH2 and FE.2b in a tractor biplane. It had severely negatively-staggered wings and -- while it accomplished its goal -- it left the pilot blind in the vital rear quarter.

It proved difficult to fly for new pilots, but once mastered it was aerobatic below 3,000 m (10,000 ft). It was also strong, capable of withstanding high wing loading, and the fuselage was equally sturdy.[12] Put all these factors together and you get a poor fighter aircraft but a good ground-attack aircraft, and it performed well in that role at Ypres and Cambrai, albeit with high losses due to its lack of armor for such dangerous work.

Eventually both RFC (№24 and №32) and Australian (№41, 64, and 68[note 2]) squadrons replaced their DH5s with SE.5a's.

For more information, see Wikipedia:Airco DH.5.

Timeline [note 3]

Game Data

Wings of Glory

Unofficial Stats
Availability Maneuver Damage Dmg Points Max Alt. Climb
17Q2-17Q4 I B 15 11 3
Card Links

Blue Max/Canvas Eagles

Aircraft Chart

Miniatures and Models

1:144 Scale

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

1:600 Scale

Resources

Orthographic Drawings

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 550 were ordered, but it is uncertain how many were completed.[5]
  2. ↑ №68 arrived in France on 21 Sep 1917 and had its first engagement on 2 Oct.[13]
  3. ↑ British usage numbers are approximate, derived from the squadron histories.[14]
  4. ↑ Updated card
Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bruce'67, p.3.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Argus Vol. 1, p.18.
  3. ↑ Owers'01, p.1.
  4. ↑ Angelucci, p.56.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Bruce'67, p.12.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lamberton, pp.214-215.
  7. ↑ Owers'01, p.5.
  8. ↑ Kelly, p.229.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Bruce'69, p.186.
  10. ↑ Bruce'67, p.4.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Munson, p.68.
  12. ↑ Bruce'67, p.5.
  13. ↑ Owers'01, p.2.
  14. ↑ Philpott'13, pp.379-444.
Bibliography
  • Enzo Angelucci, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. New York: The Military Press, 1983 edition. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
  • Argus Books, Airplane Archive: Aircraft of World War One, Volume 1. Great Britain: Argus Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85242-983-5
  • J.M. Bruce. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. Great Britain: Funk & Wagnalls, 1957, 1969. ISBN 0370000382
  • J.M. Bruce, Profile Publications 181: The De Havilland D.H.5. Great Britain: Profile Publications, Ltd., 1965.
  • Kevin Kelly, "Belts and Drums: A Survey of First World War Aircraft Ammunition Totals". Over the Front, Vol. 5, No. 3, Autumn 1990. Walsworth Publishing Co, Inc. and The League of World War I Aviation Historians.
  • W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1960.
  • Kenneth Munson, Fighters 1914-19, Attack and Training Aircraft. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1976. ISBN 0713707607
  • Colin Owers, Great War Aircraft in Profile 6: De Havilland Aircraft of World War I; Volume 2: D.H.5 - D.H.15. Boulder, Colorado: Flying Machines Press, 2001. ISBN 1-891268-18-X
  • Ian Philpott, The Birth of the Royal Air Force. Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2013. ISBN 978-1-78159-333-2
Retrieved from "https://linen.miraheze.org/w/index.php?title=Airco_D.H.5&oldid=10999"