
Two WW2 British Bombers Together For The First Time In Over 50 Years
Airco DH.2 and DH.5, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland
Early in 1915 the British had not worked out how to produce an interrupter mechanism which would allow their machine guns to fire through a spinning aircraft propeller. So (now legendary) aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland designed the Airco DH.2 as a 'pusher' with the prop at the rear of the small fuselage, which would allow the the pilot to fire a Lewis machine gun directly forward.
During 2002, Walt Refern's DH-2 was purchased from a museum in Idaho and shipped to New Zealand. On arrival the aircraft received some remedial work and new livery featuring the colours of 24 Sqn Royal Flying Corps, as it appears here. Photo: © Alex Mitchell, Historical Aviation Film Unit Pilot: Simon Paul
The overall design of the DH.2 was quite successful, and the type helped to win air superiority back for the British after a period of significant defeats at the hands of the German Fokker Eindeckker monoplane. Unfortunately the 110hp Le Rhone rotary engine in the DH.5 did not provide that aircraft with sufficient power to perform well at high altitudes and it was never as succesful as the DH.2.
Pioneer replica builder Walt Redfern was the first to make plans available for full scale Fokker Dr.1 and Nieuport 24 aircraft, and he subsequently also produced a fine reproduction DH.2 which was designed for homebuilders. The Redfern DH.2 featured some changes to the airframe, including the use of 4130 chrome-moly steel tube in areas like the fuselage pod where timber was originally used, and the use of a 125 hp Kinner radial in place of the original Gnome Monosoupape rotary.
Share This Story :
More Stories and Video Clips:
Two WW2 British Bombers Together For The First Time In Over 50 Years
This WW1 German Ace Shot Down More Fighters Than The Red Baron
Crazy Looking 100-Year Old 'Pusher' Aircraft From WW1 Still Flying
P51-D Mustang Whistles and Roars During Low Level Attack Display
HMTV is our advert-free streaming video channel which features an awesome array of video and long form documentary material which is not available elsewhere. Sign up for a free trial and enjoy the significant and varied range of material we have on offer...
Please consider subscribing to HMTV, or buy us a drink to support our historical (story and film) preservation endeavours.
Copyright © All Rights Reserved — Historical Aviation Film Unit
Template by OS Templates