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