This is the introduction of my build thread for entering the WWI Centenary SiG build. I plan on building the Eduard "Weekend Edition" Airco DH-2 that includes three firsts for me;
1) My first Eduard kit
2) My first ever Bi-Plane build
3) My first time attempting rigging
A brief History of the Airco DH-2
The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat biplane "pusher" aircraft which operated as a fighter during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The DH.2 was the first effectively armed British single-seat fighter and enabled Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to counter the "Fokker Scourge" that had given the Germans the advantage in the air in late 1915. Until the British developed a synchronisation gear to match the German system, pushers such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b carried the burden of fighting and escort duties.
Operational Service
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 (although the DH.2 was recovered and repaired by the Germans).[6] No. 24 Squadron RFC, the first squadron equipped with the DH.2 and the first complete squadron entirely equipped with single-seat fighters in the RFC, arrived in France in February 1916.[7] The DH.2 ultimately equipped seven fighter squadrons on the Western Front[8] and quickly proved more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker. DH.2s were also heavily engaged during the Battle of the Somme, No. 24 Squadron alone engaging in 774 combats and destroying 44 enemy machines.[7] The DH.2 had sensitive controls and at a time when service training for pilots in the RFC was very poor it initially had a high accident rate, gaining the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator",[9][10] but as familiarity with the type increased, it was recognised as very manoeverable and relatively easy to fly.[11] The rear mounted rotary engine made the DH.2 easy to stall, but also made it highly maneuverable.[3]
The arrival at the front of more powerful German tractor biplane fighters such as the Halberstadt D.II and the Albatros D.I, which appeared in September 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in turn. It remained in first line service in France, however, until No. 24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC completed re-equipment with Airco DH.5s in June 1917, and a few remained in service on the Macedonian front, “A” Flight of No. 47 Squadron and a joint R.F.C. / R.N.A.S. fighter squadron [12] and X” Flight [13] in Palestine until late autumn of that year. By this time the type was totally obsolete as a fighter, although it was used as an advanced trainer into 1918. DH.2s were progressively retired and at war's end no surviving airframes were retained.
In 1970, Walter M. Redfern from Seattle, Washington built a replica DH.2 powered by a Kinner 125-150 hp engine and subsequently, Redfern sold plans to home builders. Currently a number of the DH.2 replicas are flying worldwide.[14]
Ace Pilots Whilst Flying This Aircraft:
Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross winner Lanoe Hawker (seven victories), who was the first commander of No. 24 Squadron and Alan Wilkinson. 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.[8] James McCudden became an ace in DH.2s to start his career as the British Empire's fourth ranking ace of the war.[15] 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, Erwin Böhme. Fourteen aces scored five or more aerial victories using the DH.2; many went on to further success in later types also.
Lanoe George Hawker V.C., D.S.O., commanding officer of No. 24 Squadron flying a DH. 2 was shot down by Manfred von Richthofen of Jasta 2 flying an Albatros D.II.
Pilot Victories
Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne=10
Alan Wilkinson=10
Selden Long=9
Arthur Gerald Knight=8
Eric C. Pashley=8
John Oliver Andrews=7
Sidney Cowan=7
Lanoe George Hawker=7
Hubert Jones=7
William Curphey=6
Stanley Cockerell=5
Henry Evans=5
James McCudden=5
Robert Saundby=5
Harry Wood =5
Aircraft Operators:
United KingdomRoyal Flying Corps:
No. 5 Squadron RFC
No. 11 Squadron RFC
No. 17 Squadron RFC
No. 18 Squadron RFC
No. 24 Squadron RFC
No. 29 Squadron RFC
No. 32 Squadron RFC
No. 41 Squadron RFC
No. 47 Squadron RFC
No. 111 Squadron RFC
DH-2 Specifications:
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 25 ft 2½ in (7.69 m)
Wingspan: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
Height: 9 ft 6½ in (2.91 m)
Wing area: 249 ft² (23.13 m²)
Empty weight: 942 lb (428 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,441 lb (654 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Gnôme Monosoupape rotary engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 93 mph (150 km/h) at sea level
Range: 250 mi (400 km)
Service ceiling: 14,000 ft (4,265 m)
Rate of climb: 545 ft/min (166 m/min)
Wing loading: 5.79 lb/ft² (28.3 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.069 hp/lb (110 W/kg)
Endurance 2¾ hours
Climb to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) 24 minutes 45 seconds
Armament = 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun using 47-round drum magazines
The kit that I'm building is based on the plane flown by Ace Pilot Robert Saundby who scored 5 aerial victories. His aircraft serial # 5967 was one of the No. 24 Squadron RFC "A" Flight, France, July 1916.
Robert Saundby
Air Marshal Sir Robert Henry Magnus Spencer Saundby KCB, KBE, MC, DFC, AFC (26 April 1896 – 25 September 1971) was an RAF officer whose career spanned both World War I and World War II. He distinguished himself gaining five victories during World War I, and was present during the air battle when Lanoe Hawker was finally shot down and killed by Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron". He is chiefly remembered for his role as Deputy AOC in C Bomber Command under Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris during the latter part of World War II.
World War I
Robert Henry Magnus Spencer Saundby was born on 26 April 1896.[1] He was the son of Professor Robert Saundby, and was born in Birmingham.[2] He left school in 1913 and joined the Traffic Department of the London and North Western Railway.[citation needed] He joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment,[3] Territorial Force at the outbreak of war in 1914 as a private soldier.[citation needed] Upon completing officer training in June 1915, he spent time at the front line[citation needed] until January 1916 when he joined the Royal Flying Corps. He became a qualified pilot and joined Britain's first single-seater fighter squadron, No. 24 Squadron RFC, in its original complement[3] under famous Major Lanoe Hawker VC, flying the Airco DH2 on the Western Front.[4] His initial successes began on 31 July 1916; he drove down a Fokker Eindekker out of control, and was slightly wounded in the process.
Saundby transferred from 24 Squadron to 41 Squadron on 26 January 1917. On 4 March, while flying FE.8 Serial No. 6431, he shared a victory over an Albatros.[5] Following this win, he transferred to Home Defense in Britain. By 1917 he was at Orford Ness RFC Experimental Station, England, and on 20 February 1917 he became a Flight Commander, No 11 Training Squadron RFC Scampton.[citation needed] He ended the war in this role.
On 17 June 1917 he was flying one of three aircraft, one of 37 Squadron RFC and two others from the Experimental Station that intercepted the Zeppelin L48 after she got lost trying to bomb London. As a result of their attacks, L48 crashed near Theberton. The victory was shared among the three air crews.[1] Saundby not only became an ace with this win, he was awarded the Military Cross.[6]
The Inter-War Years
Between 1919 and 1925, Robert Saundby moved slowly through the ranks of the newly formed RAF, whilst gaining experience of command. Between 1922 and 1925 he served as a Flight Commander in No. 45 Squadron, stationed in Iraq, flying the Vickers Vernon transport aircraft. He flew as co-pilot for the then Squadron Leader Arthur Harris, when the latter developed a locally improvised bombing capability for the Vernon[7]
His move towards the upper command ranks of the RAF was initiated when he joined No 58 Squadron as a Flight Commander on 15 October 1926 flying the Vickers Virginia at RAF Worthy Down. His Squadron Commander was Wing-Commander Arthur Harris, and the Squadron concentrated on developing night bombing techniques such as target-marking in their 70 mph machines. The other squadron at Worthy Down at the time, No 7, was commanded by Wing-Commander Portal, later to become Chief of Air Staff during World War II and the direct superior and sometimes opponent of Harris.
After one year, Saundby attended RAF Staff College, Andover, and became an RAF Staff Officer, becoming Deputy Director of Operations in 1937.
World War II
By 1940, Saundby had become Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO), HQ Bomber Command. He served under Air Marshal Richard Peirse and then became Deputy AOC in C under Harris in 1943.
He was a supporter of the strategy of area bombing against German civil population and he very much became a right-hand man for Harris throughout the remainder of the war. On behalf of Harris he elected 94 German towns which were "fitted" for carpet bombing and gave codenames to each of them known as 'Fish code'; for example Nuremberg was codenamed Grayling and Berlin was Whitebait. It is thought that he chose this coding because he was a keen fly fisherman.[8] He retired on medical grounds from the RAF on 22 March 1946.
He was awarded the Order of Leopold II with Palme and Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palme, Commander class for services in the liberation of Belgium.
Retirement
He devoted much of his retirement to his role as Vice-Chairman, Council of Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association, for which he was awarded his KCB. He had many hobbies, and wrote several books on differing subjects including his role in the RAF during the war (Air Bombardment, The Story of its Development, How the Bomber and the Missile Brought the Third Dimension to Warfare) and Steam Engines (Early British Steam 1825-1925 The First 100 Years). He lived at Burghclere in Hampshire where he died on 25 September 1971.
Honours and Awards
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - 2 January 1956 (CB - 11 June 1942)
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 January 1944
Military Cross - 5 July 1917
Distinguished Flying Cross - 22 January 1926
Air Force Cross – 1 January 1919
Mentioned in Despatches - xx xxx 191?, 24 Sep 1941, 1 January 1942, 1 January 1946
Legion of Honour, Officer (France) - 1945
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) - 7 March 1947
Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II with Palms (Belgium) - 27 June 1947
Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palms (Belgium) - 27 June 1947
Deputy Lieutenant (Berkshire) - 9 May 1960
Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Out came the E-Z Line and the rigging began on the Wing Struts first....
