Airco D.H.5
| 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
| Availability | Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17Q2-17Q4 | I | B | 15 | 11 | 3 |
Card Links
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Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:600 Scale
- Metal kit: Tumbling Dice
Resources
Orthographic Drawings
References
- Notes
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bruce'67, p.3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Argus Vol. 1, p.18.
- ↑ Owers'01, p.1.
- ↑ Angelucci, p.56.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Bruce'67, p.12.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lamberton, pp.214-215.
- ↑ Owers'01, p.5.
- ↑ Kelly, p.229.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Bruce'69, p.186.
- ↑ Bruce'67, p.4.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Munson, p.68.
- ↑ Bruce'67, p.5.
- ↑ Owers'01, p.2.
- ↑ 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