The Airco DH.6 was a biplane manufactured by Aircraft Manufacturing Company, which was built during World War I only for the training of pilots and found after the war in civil aviation re-use.
Development and construction:
Because of the great need for pilots, the chief developer of Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) Geoffrey de Havilland began developing a special training aircraft.
Especially important was that the aircraft had to be fast, easy and cheap to produce and also the repair had to be carried out quickly and cheaply. Since accidents and damage to the aircraft occurred frequently, especially during training, they should also be able to be put back into service quickly.
For this purpose, the wings and the rudders were designed square and could be replaced quickly. Also, the cockpit was very simple and equipped only with the essentials, and the engine for cost reasons without disguise.
Overall, the Airco DH.6 proved to be a very safe and stable aircraft. During the training flights, the instructor was also able to disengage the double tax and gain control of the aircraft if the trainee pilot made mistakes. However, the safety of the aircraft also proved to be a disadvantage, as the pilots could hardly learn experience in difficult situations and the engine was too weak to achieve a high speed.
A total of 2,282 Airco DH.6 aircraft were built during the First World War. After the war, another 718 pieces.
Use in the First World War:
During the year 1916, the Airco DH.6 was delivered and became the standard aircraft for training. In 1917, however, these were replaced by the newer Avro 504K.
Around 300 aircraft were delivered to the Royal Naval Air Service, which used these aircraft for patrol operations at sea. Although the aircraft had not been built for these tasks, proved to be very seaworthy in an emergency landing on the water and could drive for several hours without sinking.
Because of the weak engine only a few kilograms of bombs could be carried. For this, the plane had to forego the second crew member and was usually flown only by the pilot.
By the end of the war, there were still around 1,000 Airco DH.6s in service for training or the Royal Naval Air Service.
After the war, most aircraft were sold to civilian companies. These partially built the cockpit, so that in addition to the pilot two passengers had space. Some of the aircraft were also sold to South Africa or Australia and flew there until the 30s.
Technical specifications:
Designation: | Airco DH.6 |
Country: | Great Britain |
Typ: | Training plane |
Length: | 8,32 meters |
Span: | 10,95 meters |
Height: | 3,29 meters |
Mass: | 664 kg empty |
Crew: | Max. 2 |
Engine: | one RAF 1a V8 engine (air-cooled) with an output of 90 hp |
Maximum speed: | 113 km/h |
Reach: | Max. 2 hours and 45 minutes |
Armament: | none |
You can find the right literature here:
The First Air War, 1914-1918
In this concise study, Kennett tells the complete story of World War I's air battles, from Eastern to Western front, from the skies of Europe and its seas to those of the Middle East and Africa.
Aircraft of World War I 1914-1918 (Essential Identification Guide)
Illustrated with detailed artworks of combat aircraft and their markings, Aircraft of World War I: The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide is a comprehensive study of the aircraft that fought in the Great War of 1914–18. Arranged chronologically by theatre of war and campaign, this book offers a complete organizational breakdown of the units on all the fronts, including the Eastern and Italian Fronts. Each campaign includes a compact history of the role and impact of aircraft on the course of the conflict, as well as orders of battle, lists of commanders and campaign aces such as Manfred von Richtofen, Eddie Rickenbacker, Albert Ball and many more. Every type of aircraft is featured, including the numerous variations and types of well- known models, such as the Fokker Dr.I, the Sopwith Camel and the SPAD SVII, through to lesser-known aircraft, such as the Rumpler C.1, and the Amstrong Whitworth FK8. Each aircraft profile is accompanied by exhaustive specifications, as well as details of individual and unit markings. Packed with more than 200 color profiles of every major type of combat aircraft from the era, Aircraft of World War I 1914–1918 is an essential reference guide for modellers, military historians and aircraft enthusiasts.
World War One Aircraft Carrier Pioneer: The Story and Diaries of Captain JM McCleery RNAS/RAF
Jack McCleery was born in Belfast in 1898, the son of a mill owning family. He joined the RNAS in 1916 as a Probationary Flight Officer. During the next ten months he completed his training at Crystal Palace, Eastchurch, Cranwell, Frieston, Calshot and Isle of Grain, flying more than a dozen landplanes, seaplanes and flying boats, gaining his wings as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. In July 1917 he was posted to the newly commissioning aircraft carrier HMS Furious, which would be based at Scapa Flow and Rosyth. He served in this ship until February 1919, flying Short 184 seaplanes and then Sopwith 1½ Strutters off the deck. He also flew a large number of other types during this time from shore stations at Turnhouse, East Fortune and Donibristle.
He served with important and well-known naval airmen including Dunning, Rutland (of Jutland) and Bell Davies VC. He witnessed Dunning’s first successful landing on a carrier flying a Sopwith Pup in 1917 and his tragic death a few days later. He also witnessed the Tondern raid in 1918, the world’s first carrier strike mission. He took part in more than a dozen sweeps into the North Sea by elements of the Grand Fleet and Battle Cruiser Fleet. He carried out reconnaissance missions off the coast of Denmark, landing in the sea to be picked up by waiting destroyers. He witnessed the surrender of the High Seas Fleet. Promoted to Captain, he acted as temporary CO of F Squadron for a time postwar.
A World War 1 Adventure: The Life and Times of RNAS Bomber Pilot Donald E. Harkness
A deeply personal and revealing eyewitness narrative of one airman's life as a bomber pilot in England 's RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service) in WWI. It is a true story, an adventure, and a war memoir carefully constructed from Captain Donald E. Harkness's unpublished diaries, letters, sketches and photographs - only recently uncovered nearly a century later - that documented his remarkable experiences and military adventures over England, France and Belgium. The first book written by a highly decorated WWI flyer from New Zealand that captures the "behind the scenes" life of RNAS pilots, as well as the surprises, terrors, traumas, humor, and sheer excitement of an aerial form of combat never before experienced by anyone, anywhere - and only eleven short years after the Wright Brothers historic flight at Kitty Hawk. With a talent for writing, Don begins an epic journey at a major turning point in history when the world is poised at the dawn of flight, and bracing itself for unknown dangers of unprecedented sophistication and savagery. Don's journal reveals unique insights and vivid imagery of another time and experience, to wit: - the terror and devastation of a Zeppelin bombing raid in London - the training regimen of early flying schools, and their serious & comic episodes - the wonder, awe, and poetry of flying aloft in the majestic heavens - vivid bombing raids, plus the raid that earned him the DSC - his crash-landing and capture - working with the underground to help downed pilots evade capture - London's unrestrained exuberance on Armistice Day; . . . and much, much more.
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