Re: Photos Airco
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay are two photos of Airco DH.9 aircraft as follows:


A machine of 103 Squadron:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/12484395676...cAAOSwMPZgcy-N


An unusually marked aircraft:


https://www.ebay.it/itm/294349406049...QAAOSwdQVhITML


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay are two photos of Airco DH.4 A7661 of 55 Squadron at:


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234261778...YAAOSwIPFhfDk5



and a photo of Airco DH.6 A9567 of 52 TDS (?) at :


https://www.ebay.com/itm/36360344314...oAAOSw91tec9im



Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

A7661 was shot down by Friedrich Ehmann (Jasta 33) 24/3/1918.
The DH9 with the white stripes was flown by an American pilot (note US star) one of several; Classic Planes used to do a decal set but can't remember the serial, it was D****.
Nick

Re: Photos Airco
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of Airco DH.4 A8060 of 55 Squadron at:


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234318278...MAAOSwRfJhq4na


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of an Airco DH.9 B7661 of 211 Squadron at:


https://www.ebay.de/itm/194637457496...0AAOSw6dlhv1CK


https://www.ebay.de/itm/194637462294...cAAOSwr0Rhv1Dz


https://www.ebay.de/itm/194637459891...IAAOSwANNhv1DM



Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

B7661 was lost 21 May 1918 on a raid on Varssenaere a/f near Bruges (as it was a DH9 possibly engine failure), crew of 2/Lts Tansley / Harris POW. MFJ1 claimed 2 "DH"s in the area, B7604 also from 211 was damaged by AA but not lost.
The photos were from Schusta II's photo dept. according to the captions.
Nick

Re: Photos Airco
 

Nick

I believe both these 9s were hit by aircraft (and possibly by Archie as well).
The British report from the raid state 211 Sq was indeed harassed by at least five EA.

Metcalfe and Bradley were lucky to force land just behind their own lines.
B7604 had to be rebuilt and was given a new s/n F5847 one month later.

If there was any way possible to infer that an aircraft had been hit by AA-fire all sides immediately chose that option.
Still works today....

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Airco
 

That's true.

The back of the photos say B7661 came down at "Ouitkerke" this is probably Uitkerke where FlgMt. Wagner (MFJ1) claimed a DH; must be this one not B7604. MFJ1 was at Coolkerke (Bruges) in May and the target was also a Marine airfield.
According to the Grub St. books the second DH was claimed by Sachsenberg near Mariakerke close to Ostend but obviously got home though force-landed. There was certainly some serious AA in the coastal areas.
Very nice photos too (Clint must be pleased to see a good clear serial).



Nick

Re: Photos Airco
 

I am quite pleased too.... :D

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Airco
 

I think we're all fairly pleased:)


Probably not as much as the seller though,as the one with the visible serial went for more than three times the cost of the other two.Which is good if it encourages more ebay sales with aircraft showing serials..



Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

Currently on ebay a photo of a overturned Airco DH.6 C7843


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204805009...Bk9SR5CCguD2Yw


Regards,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of a DH.9 immediately post war with,to myself at least,unusual markings


https://www.ebay.com/itm/37569026627...Bk9SR6jsibbLZA



Reagrds,


Clint

Re: Photos Airco
 

Never seen anything like that before Clint

Making some guesses here, I would prefer if the aircraft was D5808.
The inserted W.2. might have something to do with the base, Westward Ho!
Best guess I can come up with there is the similarity between the pronounciation between Ho and Two.
Perhaps some local joke?

Checking the base, it was a very short lived one where 260Sq had just been formed in August
1918 out of 502 (SD) and 503 (SD) Flights. When formed its DH-6s were supplemented with
some DH-9.

The base itself seems to have been abandoned after 19 Feb 1919 since no other units are listed
post that date.

It is unfortunate that nothing is known with regard to the aircraft itself.

Anyone else with a better solution?
Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Airco
 

Stig. The "W2" has been added to the D-serial as it has been to the DH9 in Duxford Museum ( D5649); this has "W2 5649" in black under the cockpit with normal rudder serial. One of 2 presented to India under the Imperial Gift Scheme and recovered and restored, the other being airworthy E8894. This one hasn't got the W2 added though.
I don't know the significance but both D5808 and D5649 were sub-contracted to Wells Aviation in London from Waring and Gillow.


Regards
Nick

Re: Photos Airco
 

Interesting Nick

How do you know that Wells was the manufacturers of exactly those two aircraft D5808 and D5649.
According to Air Britain's book D5551 - D5850 were contracted to Alliance Aeroplane Co/Waring & Gillow
Ltd who in their turn only sub-contracted 50 to Wells Aviation. None of these 50 are specified.

Since I don't follow museum artifacts any more, the return of two aircraft from India was a surprise.
Incidentally I have at least one more Imperial Gift to India, E8882.

Why was there an Imperial Gift of aircraft to India in the first place? All units in India 1918 were RAF.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Airco
 

My mistake, I thought this block was contracted-out; the "W2" probably has nothing to do with manufacturer. The Scheme wasn't approved by Govt. until May 29 1919 and all 5 major Dominions were offered surplus aeroplanes; India didn't use their allocation to set up their own Air Force.

This is the distribution of them, some to the RAF but most civilian. The Duxford DH9 D5649 was found by a back-packer in Bikaner State.
Regards
Nick



http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/ImperialGift-India.html

Re: Photos Airco
 

Thanks Nick

Cheers
Stig

Re: Photos Airco
 

Stig--Clint a little more trivia on the DH9; Westward Ho (Northam Burrows) was a coastal reconnaisance landing ground from Aug. 1918 to Feb. 1919 hosting a RNAS station and 260 Sqn. RAF (DH6s and DH9s in 2 Flights). The photo is dated December when DH9s were in use.
Nick

Re: Photos Airco
 

Thanks Nick.


Clearly great minds think alike as Stig provided me with essentially the same information off board. Proving that I am not a great mind, I remained sceptical to the last.


Regards,


Clint