NEWS EDITOR: TONY HARMSWORTH E-MAIL TO: tony.harmsworth@keypublishing.com TELEPHONE: +44 (0)7791 808044 WRITE TO: Aeroplane, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1XQ, UK TONY HARMSWORTH
DH9 flies at Duxford
Aero Vintage’s Airco DH9, E8894/G-CDLI, became the world’s only genuine, airworthy World War One bomber at Duxford on 13 May when it made its maiden post-restoration fl ight with Shuttleworth Collection pilot ‘Dodge’ Bailey at the controls. One of two DH9s discovered in an elephant stable at the Imperial Fort and Royal Palace at Bikaner, Rajasthan, in northern India during 2000, the bomber has been restored over the past 17 years by Guy Black and his team at Retrotec, the East Sussex-based restoration arm of the Historic Aircraft Collection.
Designed by Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the DH4, the DH9 was not a success. Although more than 4,000 were built, the type was seriously hobbled by its unreliable and underpowered 230hp Siddeley Puma engine, a powerplant that was rushed into service before being properly developed. The aircraft turned out to be a distinctly retrograde replacement for the popular DH4. When discovered, the two survivors — the other being D5649, which was restored by Retrotec to static display standard and is now with IWM Duxford — no longer had their Puma engines, but Guy managed to secure an example that was in storage at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Rockcliffe, Ontario.
Guy Black told Aeroplane, “The engine had one big drawback from the start: it was committee-designed. Although each of the three men responsible for it was an eminent designer in his own right, they didn’t get on and barely spoke to each other. So, there were various dangerous faults we had to put right. The first challenge was to identify how to rectify all those faults using copies of the original Ministry of Munitions reports and a 1920 RAF booklet listing various engine modifications.
There were 140 recorded modifications, although some of the text was rather vague, so we ended up having to second-guess what they were getting at half the time. They had so many breakages, of valve springs, cams and crankshafts. Conrod failures were common, and they broke at exactly the point where the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate (AID) stamp was embossed. Odd that potential problem never occurred to them at the time.
“In contrast to the engine, restoration of the airframe was fairly straightforward. But that vast engine, sounding more like a U-boat engine, barely produces even its stated power. It took ages to ascend to 3,000ft. How it climbed when loaded with bombs I don’t know.”
After landing following the half-hour test flight, during which he coaxed the bomber to 3,000ft, ‘Dodge’ Bailey wryly commented, “You can tell Mr de Havilland not to build any more of these.”
It is hoped that the aircraft will make its public flying debut at the HAC/IWM Vintage Flying Evening at Duxford on 22 June, when the HAC’s Fury I, Nimrod II, Hurricane XIIa, Spitfire Vb and other invited aircraft will also be seen in the air, providing photographers with a different aspect on Duxford’s flying aircraft. It is planned that Shuttleworth’s DH51, a type developed from the DH9, and Roy Palmer’s SE5a reproduction — its engine rebuilt by Retrotec — will also fly in from Old Warden to display. Close access to the aircraft will be available, with attendees encouraged to wear vintage attire. The best-dressed will be in with a chance of a flight in a DHC Chipmunk. The event will begin at 18.30hrs. For tickets go to www.iwm.org.uk/events/ vintage-evening-at-iwmduxford.
