Airco D.H.2
| Airco D.H.2 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Airco |
| Designer | Geoffrey De Havilland |
| First flight | 1 Jun 1915 |
| Introduction | Trial: 25 Jun 1915[1] or 26 July 1915[2][3] Service: Jan/Feb 1916 |
| Primary user |  U.K. (RFC/RAF)
|
| Number built | 301+100 trainers[4] to 450[5] |
| Wingspan | 8.61 m (28 ft 3 in)[6][7][8][3] |
| Propeller Diam. | 2.50 m (8 ft 2.5 in)[8] |
| Engine | 100hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary or 110hp Le Rhône rotary[6][note 1] |
| Armament | front Lewis on semi-flexible mount |
| Ammo | 5 drums of 47 or 97 rounds[10] |
| Crew | 1 |
| Max Speed | see chart |
| Climb | see chart |
| Ceiling | see chart |
| Endurance | see chart |
Geoffrey De Havilland's D.H.2 pusher was instrumental in turning the tide of the "Fokker Scourge" in 1916. It wasn't the Eindecker's good qualities that led to German dominance, it was the first use of aerial combat tactics and the lack of an effective counter. When the D.H.2 appeared on the scene in early 1916, the Entente finally had a fighter that could hold its own and -- along with planes like the Nieuport 11 -- could easily outfly a Fokker monoplane.
While trials were conducted in France starting in summer 1915 (and the first prototype was captured by the Germans), there were only a handful of D.H.2s flying in France in ones and twos before the end of 1915. It was not until 1916 that the sight of a D.H.2 was more commonplace. №24 Squadron was the first to be fully equipped with the type, and it want to France on 10 Jan 1916, with its first enemy action occurring on 19 March.[11]
301 D.H.2s were delivered to frontline units and another 100 were built as trainers.[4] Replacement of the D.H.2 began in March 1917, at which time it was hard-pressed against German twin-gun Albatros fighters, and it was not until late June that the type was formally retired from front-line duty in France. In Palestine and Macedonia they soldiered on at least through September.[12]
| Engine | Speed | Climb | Ceiling | Endurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary | 150 km/h (93 mph) [4][13][6][7][8][3] | 610 m (2,000 ft) in 2:30[6] 910 m (3,000 ft) in 4:30[4] 1,500 m (5,000 ft) in 8:25[6] 1,800 m (6,000 ft) in 11:00[8] 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in 12:00[4] 2,700 m (9,000 ft) in 8:25[6] 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 24:45[4][3] |
4,300 m (14,000 ft)[4][6][7][8][3] to 4,400 m (14,500 ft)[13] |
2:45 [4][13][7][8][3] |
| 110hp Le Rhône rotary | 148 km/h (92 mph)[6][8] | 910 m (3,000 ft) in 4:35[6] 1,800 m (6,000 ft) in 12:00[6][8] 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 31:00[6] |
3:00[8] |
For more information, see Wikipedia:Airco DH.2.
Timeline [note 2]
Game Data
Wings of Glory
| Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P [note 3] | B | 13 | 10 | 6 | 58 |
Plane and Crew Cards
-
24 Sqn
Cowan
RAF -
24 Sqn
Middlebrook
RAF -
24 Sqn
Tidmarsh
RAF
Card Links
Blue Max/Canvas Eagles
Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Full-color miniatures
- Ares: WGF108A Saundby; WGF108B Hawker; WGF108C Andrews
- Shapeways Full Color: Reduced Aircraft Factory: Cowan, Middlebrook, Tidmarsh
- Paintable 3D prints:
- Shapeways Paintable: Arctic Skunk, Decapod, Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
- Paint & Glue
- Metal kit: Red Eagle, Reviresco
- Resin Kits or models: Sram 144/037 (company defunct)
1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
- Metal Cast: Goblintooth/H.A./MSD UKG-02
1:350 Scale
- Shapeways: Kampfflieger
Resources
Orthographic Drawings
References
- Notes
- ↑ Despite its lower rating, the Gnome gave better performance and remained the standard engine. The Le Rhône was mostly used on training aircraft.[9]
- ↑ British usage numbers are approximate, derived from the squadron histories.[14]
- ↑ This was originally the "G" deck.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Updated card
- Citations
- ↑ Gray, p.1.
- ↑ Bruce'66, p.4.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Argus Vol. 2, p.12.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Bruce'69, p.163.
- ↑ Angelucci, p.54.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Lamberton, pp.214-215.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Angelucci, p.43.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Bruce'66, p.12.
- ↑ Bruce'66, p.8.
- ↑ Kelly, p.229.
- ↑ Bruce'66, pp.5-7.
- ↑ Bruce'66, p.10.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Munson, p.19.
- ↑ 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 2. Great Britain: Argus Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85242-984-3
- J.M. Bruce. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. Great Britain: Funk & Wagnalls, 1957, 1969. ISBN 0370000382
- J.M. Bruce, Profile Publications 91: The de Havilland D.H.2. Great Britain, Profile Publications, 1966.
- B.J. Gray, Windsock Datafile 48: Airco DH2. Great Britain, Albatros Publications Ltd., 1994. ISBN 0-948414-63-4
- 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
- Ian Philpott, The Birth of the Royal Air Force. Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2013. ISBN 978-1-78159-333-2