Today we bring you the first of the Airco De Havilland saga airplane designs.
The Airco DH.1 was an early pusher biplane copying a typical 'Farman' design employed by the Royal Flying Corps during the first world war.
It was designed by the famous designer Geoffrey De Havilland who got inspired by the design of the RAF Fe.2, because that one of the last designs he had worked on before leaving the Royal Aircraft Factory. Just like the Fe.2 it had a pusher configuration with the engine and propeller at the back of the cockpit. It was designed to carry two crewmen: a pilot and an observer/gunner in two bays.
Given the shortage of engine production during the war, the first prototype was powered by a Renault 70hp (52kw) instead of the intended Beardmore 120hp (89kw). However late production examples were powered by the Beardmore engine.
As it was already obsolete when it came out, it was only used in the Palestine campaing during the First World War by the No.14 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps in escorting missions for the BE2 reconnaissance airplanes. The rest of the airplanes served in home defence and trainer duties for the rest of the war. It was retired from service in 1918.
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