Airco DH.4

The Airco DH.4 is a single-engine two-seat bomber biplane aircraft of World War I produced by the British manufacturer Airco, Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The DH.4 was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland therefore the designation DH.

Crew	2
Propulsion	1 Piston Engine
Engine Model	Rolls-Royce Eagle III
Engine Power	280 kW	375 hp
Speed	230 km/h	124 kts 143 mph
Service Ceiling	6.706 m	22.000 ft
Range	770 km	416 NM 479 mi.
Empty Weight	1.085 kg	2.392 lbs
max. Takeoff Weight	1.578 kg	3.479 lbs
Wing Span	13,21 m	43,3 ft
Wing Area	40,3 m²	434 ft²
Length	9,35 m	30,7 ft
Height	3,35 m	11,0 ft
First Flight	08/1916
Production Status	out of production
Total Production	6295
Data for (Version)	Airco DH.4

RemarksThe DH.4 was manufactured by several British and US-American manufaturers e.g. Westland Aircraft (UK), Boeing and Dayton-Wright (USA)

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Designed by Geoffrey de Havilland in 1916, the D.H.4 was the only British design manufactured by the Americans. It was easily identified by its rectangular fuselage and deep frontal radiator. Versatile, heavily armed and equipped with a powerful twelve cylinder engine, this biplane daylight bomber was fast. Sometimes called the "Flaming Coffin," its huge fuel tank was dangerously positioned between the pilot and observer, hindering communication. Produced in vast numbers, many D.H.4s were modified for civilian air service after the war.
   It was Cecil Lewis' opinion that "[t]he D.H.4 was designed to do the jobs the B.E.12 and Martinsyde had failed to do. In these it was highly successful owing to its well-designed observer's cockpit with its ring gun mounting which took care of attacking enemy scouts, and also thanks to its Rolls-Royce Eagle engine which gave it such a turn of speed that it could show a clean pair of heels to many of the Hun fighters." ¹