50-473: (Redirected from DH2 ) DH.2 or DH-2 or DH 2 may refer to: Airco DH.2 , a British 1910s biplane fighter Häfeli DH-2 , a Swiss 1910s reconnaissance biplane Die Hard 2 , 1990 film starring Bruce Willis Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 , a 2011 film DH2, imprint label of Dirty Hit [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
100-888: A replica DH.2 called the Redfern DH-2 , powered by a Kinner 125–150 hp (93–112 kW) engine. Redfern subsequently sold plans to home builders, and several of these replicas are flying. Redfern's original replica is now displayed at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, New Zealand . Data from Warplanes of the First World War - Fighters Volume One , General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Royal Aircraft Factory The Royal Aircraft Establishment ( RAE )
150-541: A sub-scale prototype for the larger 24-ft tunnel, but subsequently modified for use as a noise measurement facility. Both Q121 and R133 are now Grade I listed buildings . To the west of the Farnborough site is the 5-metre pressurised low-speed wind tunnel, which was commissioned in the late 1970s. This facility remains in operation by QinetiQ , primarily for the development and testing of aircraft high lift systems. The hero of Nevil Shute 's 1948 novel No Highway
200-569: Is (as of 2011) occupied by: The National Aerospace Library (NAL), located in the former Weapon Aerodynamics building (Q134 Building), has a collection of over 2,500 technical reports produced by the RAE. The historic Farnborough factory site houses three major wind tunnels , the 24 ft (7.3 m) low-speed wind tunnel (Q121 Building), constructed during the early 1930s, the No. 2 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) low-speed wind tunnel (R136 Building) and
250-600: Is an eccentric " boffin " at Farnborough who predicts metal fatigue in the United Kingdom's new airliner, the fictional "Rutland Reindeer". The Comets failed for just this reason in 1954, although in the case of the Comet I the problem was in the metal structure around the navigation windows, while the point of failure in the Reindeer aircraft was in the structure of the rear empennage/fuselage joints. A film version of
300-499: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Airco DH.2 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat pusher biplane fighter aircraft which operated during the First World War . It was the second pusher design by aeronautical engineer Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco , based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The development of pusher configuration fighters, such as
350-533: Is popularly viewed as a response to the emergence of Germany's Fokker Eindecker monoplane fighters, its development was not specifically targeted at the type, having commenced prior to the Eindecker's arrival. The first prototype DH.2 performed its first flight in July 1915. Following the completion of its manufacturing trials, on 26 July 1915, the prototype was dispatched to France for operational evaluation, but
400-612: The Battle of the Somme with No. 24 Squadron engaging in 774 combats and claiming 44 enemy machines. Service training for pilots in the RFC was poor, and the DH.2 initially had a high accident rate, supposedly gaining the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator", but as familiarity with the type improved, it was recognised as being maneuverable and relatively easy to fly. The limited ammunition supply of
450-411: The F.E.2 (1914) . This last aircraft was the one that went into production and had three main variants, the F.E.2a, F.E.2b, and the F.E.2d. As if this wasn't enough, there is the F.E.2c; this was a generic description rather than a subtype proper, and refers to several one-off conversions of F.E.2b's that experimentally reversed the seating positions of the pilot and the observer. The B.E.1 was basically
500-717: The Halberstadt D.II and the Albatros D.I , in late 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in turn. It remained in first line service until June 1917 in France, until No. 24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC reequipped with Airco DH.5s , and a few remained in service in Macedonia including "A" Flight of No. 47 Squadron and a joint R.F.C. / R.N.A.S. fighter squadron, and with "X" Flight, in Palestine until late 1917. By then, it
550-785: The Jaguar . Heron later moved to the United States where he worked on the design of the Wright Whirlwind . Other engineers included Major F.M. Green , G.S. Wilkinson, James E. "Jimmy" Ellor, Prof. A.H. Gibson, and A.A. Griffith . Both Ellor and Griffith would later go on to work for Rolls-Royce Limited . In 1918 the Royal Aircraft Factory was once more renamed, becoming the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) to avoid confusion with
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#1732797763828600-708: The Royal Air Force , which was formed on 1 April 1918, and because it had relinquished its manufacturing role to concentrate on research. During WWII the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment , which had moved from Felixstowe to a safer location at Helensburgh in Scotland, was under the control of the RAE. In 1946 work began to convert RAF Thurleigh into RAE Bedford. Engineers at the Royal Aircraft Establishment invented high strength carbon fibre in 1963. In 1961,
650-591: The Royal Aircraft Factory for Airco , where he continued work on his own designs, the first being the Airco DH.1 , which followed a similar formula to that of the F.E.2. Early air combat over the Western Front indicated the need for a single-seat fighter with a forward-firing machine gun. At this point in time, there was no dominant approach to arming fighters, but a pusher configuration
700-469: The 100 hp (75 kW) Gnôme Monosoupape nine-cylinder, air-cooled rotary engine , however later models received the similarly configured but much improved 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J engine. Some sources state that the Monosoupape was retained in the DH.2 design despite a tendency to shed cylinders midair and a single DH.2 was fitted experimentally with a Le Rhône 9J. In addition to
750-493: The 8 ft × 6 ft (2.4 m × 1.8 m) transonic wind tunnel within R133 Building, which was originally commissioned in the early 1940s as a 10 ft × 7 ft (3.0 m × 2.1 m) high subsonic speed tunnel but converted during the mid-1950s. A smaller 2 ft × 1.5 ft (0.61 m × 0.46 m) transonic tunnel is housed in R133 Building, while R52 Building contains
800-551: The Army Balloon Factory, which was part of the Army School of Ballooning , under the command of Colonel James Templer , relocated from Aldershot to the edge of Farnborough Common in order to have enough space to inflate the new "dirigible balloon" or airship which was then under construction. Templer's place was taken by Colonel John Capper and Templer himself retired in 1908. Besides balloons and airships,
850-521: The B.E.12 and B.E.12a were indisputable failures. Some of this criticism was prejudiced and ill-informed. Some aviation historians continue to perpetuate the resulting belittling of the important experimental work of the Factory during this period, and the exaggeration of the failings of Factory production types, several of which were described in sensationally derogatory terms. A modern, rather more "pro-factory" point of view, can be found in several of
900-598: The DH.2 and many also went on to further success in later types. Eight pilots scored all of their victories in the DH-2, including Harry Wood , Sidney Cowan , Hubert Jones , William Curphey , Maxmillian Mare-Montembault , Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne , Eric Pashley and Selden Long . Lanoe George Hawker V.C., D.S.O. , and commanding officer of No. 24 Squadron flying a DH. 2 was shot down by Manfred von Richthofen flying an Albatros D.II . No original DH.2s exist. In 1970, Walter M. Redfern from Seattle , Washington built
950-533: The DH.2 and the F.E.2b enabled forward firing armament before the development of synchronisation gears such as that fitted to the German Fokker Eindecker monoplane fighter. The prototype DH.2 made its first flight in July 1915, but it was lost during the following month, on its service trials on the Western Front . The DH.2 was introduced to frontline service in February 1916 and became
1000-747: The DRA and other MOD organisations merged to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). The Bedford site was largely shut down in 1994. In 2001 DERA was part-privatised by the MOD, resulting in two separate organisations, the state-owned Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), and the privatised company QinetiQ . The unit used various aircraft such as : Hawker Hunter, English Electric Canberra B.6 WK163 & B.6 WH953, BAC One-Eleven Series 402 XX919, Hawker Siddeley HS.125 XW930, and Douglas Dakota ZA947 . During February 1988
1050-463: The aircraft rather than the gun, it was fixed to fire forward, although this was met with skepticism by higher authorities until a quick-release clip was devised at the Squadron level. The clip was devised by Major Lanoe Hawker , who also improved the gunsights and added a ring sight and an "aiming off model" that helped the gunner allow for leading a target. The majority of DH.2s were powered by
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#17327977638281100-409: The controls were released. The upper part of the nose of the nacelle was cut away so that a machine gun could be mounted there. Unusually, the windshield was mounted on the machine gun rather than to the airframe. The DH.2 was armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun which was mounted on a flexible mount. Once pilots learned that the best method of achieving a victory was to aim
1150-477: The days as the Army Balloon Factory. These include the airships as well as the Cody and Dunne designs. Subsequent Royal Aircraft Factory type designations are inconsistent and confusing. For instance the " F.E.2 " designation refers to three quite distinct types, with only the same broad layout in common, the F.E.2 (1911), the F.E.2 (1913), and finally the famous wartime two-seat fighter and general-purpose design,
1200-463: The designation letters referred to the general layout of the aircraft, derived from a French manufacturer or designer famous for that type: From 1913/4 onwards this was changed to a designation based on the role for which the aircraft was designed: The B.S.1 of 1913 was a one-off anomaly, combining both systems: B lériot (tractor) S cout (fighter). R.T. & T.E. were also used for strictly one-off prototypes. Several aircraft were produced during
1250-448: The designers in the engine department was Samuel Heron , who later went on to invent the sodium-filled poppet valve , instrumental in achieving greater power levels from piston engines. While at the RAF, Heron designed a radial engine that he was not able to build during his time there, however upon leaving the RAF he then went to Siddeley-Deasy where the design, the RAF.8, was developed as
1300-518: The development of missiles. Research included wind tunnel testing and other aeronautical research, areas which offered rare opportunities for women in STEM fields at this time with examples including Frances Bradfield who worked at the RAE for her entire career from 1919 to her retirement; Muriel Glauert (née Barker) joined in 1918 as a researcher working in aerodynamics and Beatrice Shilling who went on to invent Miss Shilling's orifice , to improve
1350-475: The engine performance of RAF Hurricane and Spitfire fighters during the Battle of Britain as part of wider work at the RAE on aircraft engine problems during World War II . Johanna Weber , a German mathematician who joined the RAE after World War II as part of Operation Surgeon to employ German aeronautical researchers and technicians and bring them to the UK, to prevent their technical knowledge falling into
1400-518: The factory also experimented with Samuel Franklin Cody 's war kites and aeroplanes designed both by Cody and J. W. Dunne . In October 1908 Cody made the first aeroplane flight in the United Kingdom at Farnborough. In 1909 Army work on aeroplanes ceased and the Factory was brought under civilian control. Capper was replaced as Superintendent by Mervyn O'Gorman . In 1912 the Balloon Factory
1450-521: The first effectively armed British single-seat fighter. It enabled Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to counter the " Fokker Scourge " that had given the Germans the advantage during late 1915. It served in fighting and escort duties for almost two years, while numerous pilots became flying aces using the type. It became outclassed by newer German fighters, resulting in the DH.2's eventual withdrawal from first line service in France after RFC units completed
1500-718: The hands of the Soviet occupying forces in Germany. In 1930 the RAE developed the Robot Air Pilot, an autopilot that used a gyro and flight controls that functioned by compressed air. Aircraft that were developed or tested at the RAE included the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and Concorde . In the late fifties and through the sixties work proceeded at the RAE on several rocket projects – all of which were eventually abandoned The former RAE Farnborough site
1550-456: The last Westland Wessex left after 30 years of trials work. Between 1911 and 1918 the Royal Aircraft Factory produced a number of aircraft designs. Most of these were essentially research aircraft, but a few actually went into mass production, especially during the war period. Some orders were met by the factory itself, but the bulk of production was by private British companies, some of which had not previously built aircraft. Up to about 1913
DH.2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-459: The original gun installation proved to be inadequate. Although officially discouraged, pilots experimented with different gun arrangements, including a fixed twin-gun configuration. Furthermore, the original gun mounting was criticised for being loose and unstable, and it obstructed the stick when elevated. DH.2s were routinely flown with the guns fixed into position. The arrival at the front of more powerful German tractor biplane fighters such as
1650-576: The process of re-equipping with newer fighters, such as the Nieuport 17 and Airco DH.5 , in June 1917. By the outbreak of the First World War , aeronautical engineer Geoffrey de Havilland was already an experienced aircraft designer, having been responsible for the experimental Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.1 , Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 and Blériot Scout B.S.1 , the B.S.1 being the fastest British aircraft of its day. In June 1914, de Havilland left
1700-419: The prototype for the early B.E.2 but the B.E.2c was almost a completely new aeroplane, with very little common with the earlier B.E.2 types apart from engine and fuselage. On the other hand, the B.E.3 to the B.E.7 were all effectively working prototypes for the B.E.8 and were all very similar in design, with progressive minor modifications of the kind that many aircraft undergo during a production run. The B.E.8a
1750-507: The remaining 4 ft × 3 ft (1.22 m × 0.91 m) low turbulence wind tunnel. R52 Building had previously housed two early 10 ft x 7 ft low-speed tunnels in separate bays, which were replaced by the No. 1 11.5' and 4ft x 3ft tunnels respectively. The former remains in operation at the University of Southampton. R52 building also previously contained a 5 ft (1.5 m) open jet low-speed tunnel, originally built as
1800-449: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title formed as a letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DH.2&oldid=1233901601 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1850-507: The variety of engines used, the fuel system also differed between individual aircraft. Typically, a gravity-fed fuel tank was used, but it could be located on the upper wing central section, or either above or below the port side upper wing. After evaluation at Hendon on 22 June 1915, the first DH.2 arrived in France for operational trials with No. 5 RFC Squadron but was shot down and its pilot killed during early August 1915. This aircraft
1900-494: The volumes of War Planes of the First World War , by J.M. Bruce—MacDonald, London, 1965. The Superintendents of the School of Ballooning were James Templer (1878–1906) and John Capper (1906 – 1909). The following have served as Superintendents of the Royal Aircraft Factory / Establishment: After the end of the First World War, the design and development of aircraft types ended – although work continued on general research and
1950-659: The world's first grooved runway for reduced aquaplaning was constructed. In 1965, a US delegation visited to view the new surfacing practice and initiated a study by the FAA and NASA . On 1 May 1988 the RAE was renamed the Royal Aerospace Establishment. On 1 April 1991 the RAE was merged into the Defence Research Agency (DRA), the MOD 's new research organisation. Then, on 1 April 1995
2000-561: The wreck, in some cases, not even the engine. At the time of the " Fokker Scourge " in 1915, there was a press campaign against the standardisation of Royal Aircraft Factory types in the Royal Flying Corps , allegedly in favour of superior designs available from the design departments of private British firms. This slowly gained currency, especially because of the undeniable fact that the B.E.2c and B.E.2e were kept in production and in service long after they were obsolete and that
2050-416: The year's end. A total of 453 DH.2s were produced by Airco. The Airco DH.2 was a compact two-bay pusher biplane fighter aircraft. It had a wooden airframe, which was wire-braced and covered by fabric across most areas, except for the nacelle nose and upper decking. Both the upper and lower wings had ailerons fitted. The upper ailerons were spring-loaded to automatically return to a neutral position when
DH.2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-491: Was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions. The British Army Balloon Factory was established on Farnborough Common in the early 1900s. By 1912 it had come under civilian control and was the Royal Aircraft Factory ( RAF ) In 1918 it
2150-447: Was at least as different from the B.E.8 as the B.E.7 was. The S.E.4a had nothing in common at all with the S.E.4, while the S.E.5a was simply a late production S.E.5 with a more powerful engine. Several early RAF designs were officially "reconstructions" of existing aircraft because the Factory did not initially have official authority to build aircraft to their own design. In most cases, the type in question used no parts whatever from
2200-590: Was awarded the Victoria Cross after flying the D.H.2 for a solo attack on a formation of ten German two-seaters on 1 July 1916, destroying two. James McCudden became an ace in DH.2s and would become the British Empire 's fourth-ranking ace of the war. German ace and tactician Oswald Boelcke was killed during a dogfight with No. 24 Squadron DH.2s due to a collision with one of his own wingmen. Fourteen aces scored five or more aerial victories using
2250-501: Was dangerously obsolete as a fighter. The DH.2 was then used as an advanced trainer and for other secondary tasks, with the last recorded use of a DH.2 being a single example flying at RAF Turnhouse in January 1919. Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross recipient Lanoe Hawker (seven victories, though none in the DH.2), who was the first commander of No. 24 Squadron. The commander of No. 32 Squadron , Lionel Rees
2300-448: Was lost over the Western Front and was captured by the Germans. Despite the prototype's premature loss, the DH.2 was ordered into quantity manufacture. The production aircraft was generally similar to the prototype with the only major alterations being a fuel system and a revised gun mounting arrangement. Deliveries of the DH.2 commenced during the latter half of 1915 and a handful of aircraft were reportedly operating in France prior to
2350-472: Was one answer. As no means of firing forward through the propeller of a tractor aeroplane was yet available to the British, Geoffrey de Havilland designed the DH.2 as a scaled-down, single-seat development of the earlier two-seat DH.1. Aviation author J.M Bruce speculated that, had adequate synchronisation gear been available, de Havilland may have been less likely to pursue a pusher configuration. While it
2400-535: Was recovered and repaired by the Germans. The first squadron equipped with the DH.2, and the first RFC squadron completely equipped with single-seat fighters, No. 24 Squadron RFC , arrived in France early February 1916. The DH.2 eventually equipped seven fighter squadrons on the Western Front and proved more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker and the first DH.2 victory over an Eindecker may have been on 2 April 1916. DH.2s were heavily involved in
2450-590: Was renamed Royal Aircraft Establishment to prevent confusion with the newly created Royal Air Force. The first site was at Farnborough Airfield ("RAE Farnborough") in Hampshire to which was added a second site RAE Bedford ( Bedfordshire ) in 1946. On 1 May 1988 it was renamed the Royal Aerospace Establishment ( RAE ) before merging with other research entities to become part of the new Defence Research Agency in 1991. In 1904–1906
2500-584: Was renamed the Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF). Its first new designer was Geoffrey de Havilland who later founded his own company. Later colleagues included John Kenworthy who became chief engineer and designer at the Austin Motor Company in 1918 and who went on to found the Redwing Aircraft Co in 1930 and Henry Folland – later chief designer at Gloster Aircraft Company , and founder of his own company Folland Aircraft . One of
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