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weight and performance calculations for the Airco D.H.2 WWI fighter biplane
Airco D.H.2
role : fighter
importance : *****
first flight : spring 1915 operational : Februar 1916
country : United-Kingdom
design : Geoffrey de Havilland
production : 450 aircraft
general information : The D.H.2 became the first effectively armed British single seat
fighter and it was capable of taking on the Fokker E.III.
With no synchronizing system available, De Havilland chose for a
pusher design to have a clear forward field of fire for a machinegun. Basically, it was a scaled down 2-seat D.H.1. The prototype, 4732 flew for the first time in the spring of 1915. In July 1915 it was sent to France for operational trials with no.5 sq. But was brought down over enemy territory on 9 august and its pilot killed. The Germans recovered the aircraft and repaired it, so gaining the possession of a brand-new allied aircraft. But here qualities were proven, and it was ordered for quantity production. Production rate was low at first, aircraft reaching the front by ones and twos in December 1915. December 1915 the first were delivered to 24 sq.RFC. The squadron went to France in February 1916 and settled in Bertangles. It was the first-ever squadron to be equipped entirely with single-seat fighters. Till then squadrons were a mix of reconnaissance planes, bombers and a few fighters.
The gun could be moved for aiming at first, but the pilots soon secured it with a clip in forward direction and aiming the whole airplane. This turned out to be more effective. Lanoe Hawker improved the gunsights for better aiming. At first the pilots had problems handling the agile DH2 leading to crashes and it gained the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator", but when they learned how to fly it, they appreciated the manoeuvrability and its strength.
On 25 April 1916 the squadron shoot down the first Fokker E.III. The DH2 can be accounted for overtaking the Fokker threat. James McCudden became ace flying the DH2. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees won the Victoria Cross flying
the D.H.2 for single handedly attacking a formation of 10 German two-seaters on 1 July 1916, destroying two.
They fought well till the arrival of new superior German fighters autumn 1916. On 23 November 1916 the famous Major L.G.Hawker, V.C., D.S.O., C.O. of no.24 sq was shot down by von Richthofen flying an Albatros D.II. Hawker had 7 kills but none with the DH2 ! The D.H.2 battled on at the front till March 1917. They were withdrawn from the front and sent back to the UK. The last leaving in June. But it was still operational in Palestine (no.11 sq) and Macedonia (no.47 sq) and used for training in the UK.
Robert Saundby viel op 17 juni 1917 met zijn DH2 zeppelin L48 aan boven de UK en kreeg hiervoor het MC.
Loses height in combat, especially at high altitudes.
Chord : 1.45m nagemeten koorde : 1.42m gap : 1.37m pitch : 2.35m diam.prop :2.44m
Total area of tail (empennage) : 5.25 m2 area of elevators: 0.63m2 area of rudder : 1.25m area of fin 0.22m2. landing speed: 72 km/u
Tank capacity: 22.4 gallon = 102 litre
users : RFC (24,29, 32 sq)
crew : 1
armament : 1 fixed 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun
engine : 1 Gnome B2 Monosoupape air-cooled 9 -cylinder Monosoupape rotary engine
100 [hp](73.6 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 8.54 [m], length : 7.68 [m], height : 2.91[m]
wing area : 21.18 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 599 [kg]
empty weight operational : 406 [kg] bombload : 0 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 150 [km/hr] at sea-level
climbing speed : 236 [m/min]
service ceiling : 4265 [m]
endurance : 2.98 [hours]
estimated action radius : 201 [km]
description :
2-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two open tailbooms
airscrew :
fixed pitch 4 -bladed pusher airscrew with max. efficiency :0.60 [ ]
diameter airscrew 2.44 [m]
angle of attack prop : 20.55 [ ]
reduction : none
airscrew revs : 1160 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.16 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 154 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.24 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.40 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.89 []
gap : 1.37 [m]
gap/chord : 1.10 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 191 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 8.1 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 22.0 [kg/hr] (30.0 [litre/hr]) at 66 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.13 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 102 [litre] (74 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 137.0 [kg] = 1.86 [kg/KW]
weight 34 litre oil tank : 2.9 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.6 litre oil : 0.5 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.4 [kg]
weight 13 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.9 [kg]
weight cowling 2.9 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 25.7 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 169 [kg](28.2 [%])
***************************************************************
weight tail boom : 16 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 4.87 [cm]): 47 [kg]
bracing : 2.7 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 7.2 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 2.3 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 5.7 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight 89 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 7.1 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 4 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 76 [kg](12.7 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 14 [kg]
total weight ribs (39 ribs) : 36 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 621.0 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 200.4 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 25 [kg]
weight wings : 74 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.49 [kg]
weight 8 interplane struts & cabane : 9.3 [kg]
weight cables (54 [m]) : 2.1 [kg] (= 39 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 2.5 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (0.8 [m2]) : 3.1 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (2.0 [m2]): 7.2 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 96 [kg] (16.0 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 12.7 [kg]
weight mounting : 1.5 [kg]
weight armament : 14 [kg]
********************************************************************
robust landing gear
wheel pressure : 299.5 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (670 [mm] by 75 [mm]) : 13.1 [kg]
weight tailskid : 1.5 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 16.2 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 30.8 [kg] (5.1 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 386 [kg](64.4 [%])
weight oil for 3.6 hours flying : 28.9 [kg]
weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (235 rounds) : 9.0 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 424 [kg] (70.7 [%])
published operational weight empty : 406 [kg] (67.8 [%])
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weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 33 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 538 [kg](89.8 [%])
estimated bomb load : 25 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 563 [kg]
fuel reserve : 36 [kg] enough for 1.64 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 599 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 93 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 599 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 7.31 [kg/kW]
total power : 73.6 [kW] at 1160 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.8 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 4.5 [g]
design cycles : 294 sorties, design hours : 700 [hours]
operational wing loading : 249 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 214 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.46 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.44 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 1.41 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.24 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0046 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0466 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0420 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 68 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 81 [km/hr]
min.drag speed (max endurance) : 95 [km/hr] at 2132 [m](power :42 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 104 [km/hr] at 2132 [m] (power:45 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 92.0 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 135 [km/hr] op 2132 [m] (power:67 [%])
design speed prop : 146 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 150 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 250 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 133 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 8.51 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4600 [m] with flying weight :507 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4275 [m] with flying weight :538 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3900 [m] with flying weight :577 [kg]
published ceiling (4265 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 6.80 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 17.56 [min]
max.dive speed : 290.9 [km/hr] at 2900 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 1.96 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 44 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.3 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.37 [hours] with 1 crew and 20 [kg] useful load and 99.7 [%]
fuel
published endurance: 2.98 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 29 [kg]
action radius : 228 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 141 [litre] fuel : 633 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 22 [kg]
production : 2.93 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 10.27 [kg]
_
°_I>-/
°
DH2 with 4-bladed airscrew
Literatuur :
Fighters 1914-19
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1
Warplanes WWI
Jane’s Fighting Aircraft WWI
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
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(c) B van der Zalm 13 december 2018 contact : bvanderzalm@ziggo.nl python 3.4.1