Häfeli DH-3

The Häfeli DH‑3 was a Swiss reconnaissance biplane designed and built in the early 1920s by August Haefeli, a pioneering aircraft engineer whose company supplied most of the Swiss Air Force’s early types. First flown in 1922, the DH‑3 entered service the following year as the main observation platform for the Fliegertruppe. Its wooden airframe combined a fabric‑covered, two‑bay biplane wing arrangement with a slender fuselage and fixed tailskid landing gear. Powered by a 180‑horsepower (134 kW) LFW‑6 water‑cooled V‑8 engine, the aircraft could reach a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph) and had an endurance of over three hours, allowing long‑range photographic and artillery‑spotting missions. The pilot and observer sat in tandem open cockpits equipped with dual controls and a flexible‑mounted machine gun for defensive fire. The DH‑3’s straightforward construction, reliable performance, and relatively low operating cost made it an effective workhorse, remaining in front‑line service until the mid‑1930s. Its success demonstrated the viability of domestic Swiss aircraft production, laid the groundwork for later Haefeli designs such as the DH‑4 and DH‑5, and cemented August Haefeli’s reputation as a key figure in European interwar aviation.

August Haefeli

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Design & Classification