Geoffrey de Havilland
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 was a single‑engine British bomber introduced near the end of World War I. Designed by Geoffrey de Havilland for the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco), it was intended to improve on the earlier DH.4 by offering better payload capacity and a more compact airframe. First flown in August 1917, it entered service in early 1918 with the Royal Flying Corps, later the RAF. Its 230‑hp BHP (later replaced by the unreliable Siddeley Puma) engine powered a wooden two‑bay biplane with a 46‑ft wingspan and a top speed of about 110 mph. The aircraft carried up to 460 lb of bombs in a forward‑facing rack and was equipped with a forward‑firing .303‑in Vickers machine gun and a rear Lewis gun for defense.
Operational experience revealed serious performance shortfalls, especially at altitude, leading to heavy losses on the Western Front. Nevertheless, the DH.9’s design highlighted the challenges of integrating engine power with airframe weight, influencing the later, more successful DH.9A, which replaced the Puma with a reliable Napier Lion. The DH.9 thus holds a pivotal place in aviation history, a transitional platform that spurred bomber design advances in the interwar period.
Operational experience revealed serious performance shortfalls, especially at altitude, leading to heavy losses on the Western Front. Nevertheless, the DH.9’s design highlighted the challenges of integrating engine power with airframe weight, influencing the later, more successful DH.9A, which replaced the Puma with a reliable Napier Lion. The DH.9 thus holds a pivotal place in aviation history, a transitional platform that spurred bomber design advances in the interwar period.
Classification
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 4,091
- First Flight
- 1917
- Service Entry
- 1917
Design & Classification
- Manufacturer
- Geoffrey de Havilland
- Designer
- Geoffrey de Havilland
- Developer
- Geoffrey de Havilland
- Engine
- Puma
- Operator
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- Wikidata ID
- Q163488