Time Period: World War I
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Airco
Airco DH.5 Aircraft Overview
The Airco DH.5 was a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) during World War I. It was introduced in 1917 and was intended to replace the earlier Airco DH.2 and other similar designs that were becoming outdated.
The DH.5 featured a wooden frame and was powered by a 110-horsepower Le Rhône 9J rotary engine. It was armed with two .303 inch (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns mounted on the sides of the fuselage, which allowed the pilot to fire in a wider arc than the single gun on the DH.2.
The DH.5 had a top speed of around 116 mph (187 km/h) and a ceiling of around 19,000 ft (5,800 m). It was relatively maneuverable and could climb quickly, but was also prone to structural issues that limited its effectiveness in combat.
Despite its flaws, the DH.5 was widely used by the Royal Flying Corps and played a significant role in the latter stages of World War I. A total of 553 DH.5 aircraft were built, with production continuing until 1918.
Although the DH.5 was not as successful as some of the other aircraft in the DH series, it did help pave the way for the development of the more advanced DH.9 and DH.10 bombers, as well as other fighter designs that incorporated lessons learned from the DH.5’s strengths and weaknesses.
Airco DH.5 Specifications
- Crew: One
- Length: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
- Wingspan: 25 ft 8 in (7.82 m)
- Height: 9 ft 1+1⁄2 in (2.781 m)
- Wing area: 212.1 sq ft (19.70 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,010 lb (458 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,492 lb (677 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 26 imp gal (31 US gal; 120 L)
- Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9J nine-cylinder rotary engine, 110 hp (82 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed wood fixed pitch propeller, 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) diameter.
Airco DH.5 Performance
- Maximum speed: 102 mph (164 km/h, 89 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- Endurance: 2 hr 45 min
- Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,900 m)
- Time to altitude: 12 min 25 s to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) and 27 min 30 s to 15,000 ft (4,600 m).
Airco DH.5 Armament
- Guns: 1 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun
- Bombs: racks for four 25 lb (11 kg) bombs under fuselage.
