Airco DH-4 Swiss

AIRCO de HAVILLAND DH-4 PHOTO

This photo appears in the book Die Flugzeuge der schweizerischen Fliegertruppe seit 1914 (The Aircraft of the Swiss Air Force Since 1914) by by Jakob Urech et al 1975 and appears on page 90 as DH-9A, which it is not. Swiss serial number records (immatrikulation) do not list any DH-4 as being accepted and serialized. So this is a mystery aircraft.

AIRCO de HAVILLAND DH-4 3-VIEW DRAWING

This three-view drawing was taken from the Harleyford book Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. The DH-4 was Britain's purpose-designed single-engined tactical bomber and revealed a problem with the separation of the crew in distant cockpits which was corrected in the DH-9 series.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #1

28 February 2015

INTERIOR FINISH AND DETAILS: The wood sheet covering extended to the end of the observer's cockpit, the remainder of the airframe being fabric covered except for a small section at the tail end. The wood was dark-colored. The frame work was slightly tinted for contrast. Note the distance between the flight crew which was a major short-coming of the DH-4's arrangement. For reasons not thoroughly explained, it was thought that the fuel tank had to be located right behind the pilot's seat. Balance had a lot to do with this arrangement but the pity the poor pilot who crash-landed with the weight of the fuel tank pushing him forward.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #2

3 March 2015

FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY AND WINGS: The fuselage halves were glued aft of the observer's cockpit, there being no sturdy cross-members ahead. Immediately, the top decking was glued to the fuselage halves. This step is critical insofar as alignment goes. There is a tendency for the fuselage halves to bow inward causing the top decking to overhang the sides. Constant checking is necessary. These dried overnight. The lower wing was glued in place and required a little cutting away - very little. The front end was built up by first gluing the engine top deck. The same caution is used in this step as with the top decking to be sure that there is no overhang. The radiator is glued next and this firms up the model to this point. An underside panel finally provides sufficient strength. The three-part exhaust was glued less the rear pipe extension which will be glued later. The tail unit was prepared ahead of time using Eduard PE control horns. Then, the horizontal tail unit was glued on top of the rear fuselage. When dry, the vertical tail unit was glued. Lastly, the three-piece landing gear was carefully aligned while drying.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #6

20 May 2015

WING RIGGING: With the exception of the rigging wires crossing the front cabane struts and the wires attached to turnbuckles into the wing root, all of the remaining wires are 1) inserted into and through holes in the bottom wing; 2) clamped; super glued in place; and, 4) when dry, cut flush with the underside of the bottom wing.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #7

22 May 2015

DRAG WIRES: At the front of the model, just behind the line separating the radiator from the fuselage and down at the bottom, is the attachment point for two drag wires. Both wires go to the forward edge of the wings at the front inboard strut. One wire is attached to the top wing and the other to the bottom wing.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #8

22 May 2015

ASSEMBLY COMPLETE: This DH-4 is being built for a collector who has elected to apply his own decals. So, I am done.

FINISHED PHOTO #9

LEFT FRONT VIEW

FINISHED PHOTO #10

RIGHT FRONT VIEW

FINISHED PHOTO #11

RIGHT REAR VIEW

FINISHED PHOTO #12

LEFT REAR VIEW

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Blue Rider. Fliegertruppe - Aircraft of the Swiss Air Force 1914-1936 (CD-ROM). London: Blue Rider Publishing, 2002.

Bruce, J. M. Airco DH4 Windsock Datafile Special. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK: Albatros Productions, 2000.

Lamberton, W. M., compiler and E. F. Cheesman, editor. Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Los Angeles: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1962.

Urech, Jakob (editor) and Emil Hunziker (drawings). Die Flugzeuge der schweizerischen Fliegertruppe seit 1914 (Swiss Air Force Aircraft since 1914). St�fa: Verlag Th. Gut & Co., 1975.