A.Jackson British Civil Aircraft since 1919 vol.1 (Putnam)

De Havilland D.H.16

   The D.H.16 was a cabin version of the war surplus D.H.9A, built for the Hounslow-Paris service of Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd. in 1919. Conversions were carried out by the Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd., who widened the rear fuselage to accommodate four passengers in facing pairs in a glazed cabin. Power was supplied by an Eagle VIII engine, and the D.H.16 was thus a larger yet more economical relative of the D.H.4A. The prototype, K-130, went into service in May 1919, two and a half months before the first D.H.4A, and was exhibited at the First Air Traffic Exhibition at Amsterdam in the following July. As G-EACT, the same aircraft flew on the 12.30 p.m. service to Paris, piloted by Capt. C. Patterson on 25 August, inaugural day of the London-Paris air route. By June 1920 nine D.H.16s had been constructed. One of these, G-EAQG, was sold abroad, and the final three, G-EAQS, ’RU and ’SW, were fitted with the more powerful Napier Lion engine. Although considered trickier to handle, they set up a high standard of reliability, and during one week in the summer of 1920 ’QS made seven return trips between Croydon and Paris in six consecutive days, making fastest time of the week in each direction. It was the Eagle-powered G-EALU, however, which H. ‘Jerry’ Shaw had the honour of piloting on the first K.L.M. flight ever scheduled between Croydon and Amsterdam. This took place in extremely bad weather on 17 May 1920 with two passengers and freight in a flight time of 135 minutes. The early K.L.M. services were thereafter all flown by A.T. & T.
   For reasons already outlined, the firm was forced to shut down in December 1920, when its aircraft, including seven surviving D.H.16s, went into storage in a Bessoneau hangar at Croydon. The D.H.9s were sold to K.L.M., and many ways were suggested for finding useful employment for the 16s. An air service to Le Touquet, Deauville and Dieppe was proposed, but their fate was finally sealed when the Casino authorities refused to subsidize it.
   During the summer of 1922 the D.H. Hire Service secured the early-morning newspaper contract to Ostend. The D.H.9C aircraft were based at Lympne to avoid the habitual low cloud in the Caterham Valley, and after delivering the papers, brought back casual passengers. So popular was the service that the best of the stored D.H.16s were pressed into use. The two selected were G-EALM and ’PT, which after overhaul at Stag Lane went straight on service. Four passengers were now brought back on each trip - good business at £3 a head. On 10 January 1923 the engine in G-EALM failed while on test flight near Stag Lane, the machine stalled on a turn and R. E. Keyes and a mechanic were killed. The survivor, G-EAPT, continued in service until scrapped in the following July, and when those at Croydon met the same fate, the type became extinct.

SPECIFICATION
Manufacturers: The Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Hendon, London, N.W.9. Power Plants: One 320-h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII.
One 450-h.p. Napier Lion.
Dimensions: Span, 46 ft. 5 7/8 in. Length, 31 ft. 9 in. Height, 11 ft. 4 in. Wing area, 489-9 sq. ft.
Weights: Tare weight, 3,155 lb. All-up weight, 4,750 lb.
Performance: Maximum speed, 136 m.p.h. Initial climb, 1,000 ft./min. Range, 350 miles.

Журнал Flight

Flight, August 21, 1919.

THE E.L.T.A. SHOW

THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITION

The British Section

THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING CO. (AIRCO),
   owing to lack of space, has not been able to show a complete machine, but this is to a great extent made up for by the astounding variety of exhibits displayed on this stand. The centre of attraction is formed by an Airco (D.H.) 16, which is minus its wings but otherwise complete. It is fitted with a Rolls-Royce engine which has seen a great amount of active service, although the casual onlooker would scarcely guess it, as the engine has been cleaned up and painted until it looks like new. The whole machine is very highly finished, what with polished aluminium, glossy enamel and plated fittings and exhaust pipes. The luxuriously finished cabin has seating accommodation for four passengers, the seats being arranged in pairs, of which the seats of each are facing, and staggered in relation to, one another. This feature of the Airco 16 was shown in a photograph published in FLIGHT recently. For communication with the pilot there is a small door in the front wall of the cabin, through which the foremost passenger can give his orders to the pilot. For flying at night the machine is provided with a generator which furnishes current for the navigation lights as well as for the bulbs illuminating the cabin.
   In addition to the Airco (D.H.) 16, there is shown on this stand a number of Airco metal fittings and other parts, and the rear portion of a. fuselage, showing the detail construction. A Napier "Lion" attracts a great deal of attention, as the "broad arrow" type of aero engine evidently is not a familiar sight in Holland.
   Another exhibit on the Airco stand which is greatly appreciated is a large glass case containing an excellent model of the Hendon Aerodrome, and a number of small-scale models of Airco machines and of a kite balloon. There is even a neat little scale model of a Hucks starter. A number of large coloured photographs of Airco machines completes the exhibits of this firm. On the aerodrome, however, there are two Airco machines, a 4A flown over by Capt. Saint and a 9 brought across by Mr. Lawford.


Flight, August 28, 1919.

THE LONDON-PARIS AIR SERVICE

   MONDAY last saw the inauguration of the daily air service between London and Paris organised by Messrs. Aircraft Transport and Travel, Ltd. Two Airco machines set out from this side and one machine from Paris.
   An Airco 4 machine, fitted with Rolls-Royce engine, left Hounslow at 9.10 a.m.; it was piloted by Lieut. E. H. Lawford, and carried Mr. G. M. Stevenson-Reece, of the Ereuing Standavd, as well as a full load, including a number of daily newspapers, a consignment of leather from a London firm to a firm in Paris, several brace of grouse, and a considerable number of jars of Devonshire cream. It arrived at Le Bourget, the Paris terminus, at 11.40.
   At 12.30 p.m. an Airco 16, fitted with Rolls-Royce engine, left Hounslow for the regular journey to Paris, the landing being made at 2.45 p.m. Major Cyril Patteson was the pilot, and four passengers were carried.
   One machine - an Airco 4A - left Paris at 12.40 p.m., and, piloted by Lieut. J. McMullin, with Lieut. Lawford and Mr. V. M. Console of the Daily Mail as passengers, it arrived at Hounslow at 2.45 p.m.
   Although the Handley Page service does not start its regular running until Monday next, a preliminary trip was made last Monday. The machine used was of the twin-engined type and the pilot was Maj. Foot, while the 14 passengers included Mr. L. A. Northend, of The Times; Maj. C. C. Turner, Daily Telegraph; Mr. E. A. Perris, of the Daily Chronicle; Mr. Harold Begbie, Daily Chronicle; Mr. Tourtell, Daily Express; Mr. Bartholomew, Daily Mirror; and Mr. Crosfield, Daily News.
   The machine started from Cricklewood at 8.20 a.m., called at Hounslow for Customs formalities, was away at 9.20 a.m., and landed at Le Bourget at 1.15 p.m. Owing to difficulty in obtaining petrol the return journey was postponed to the following day.


Flight, October 2, 1919.

THE "ARRIVAL" OF THE REGULAR AIR SERVICE

The D.H. (Airco) 16
   is a development of the original D.H. 9A. This machine also is fitted with a Rolls-Royce "Eagle," but is of considerably greater area and carries four passengers in addition to the pilot. One of these machines was exhibited at the E.L.T.A. show at Amsterdam, when we referred to it briefly. As in the Airco 4A the pilot sits between the planes, which are, however, staggered and project, in the case of the lower one, some little distance along the sides of the cabin. In this, which is formed similarly to that of 4A, are housed four passengers. The seats are slightly staggered in relation to each other, the first passenger facing aft, the second forward, the third aft, and the fourth forward. The weight of this machine is approximately 3,000 lbs. empty but including water, while with full load of pilot, 4 passengers, and fuel for about 3 hours, the total weight is about 4,400 lbs., or 10 lbs. per sq. ft.
   In addition to the 4A and 16, a certain number of D.H.9's are also used. These are of the open type, and in the main differ from the original D.H.9 in that three seats are fitted instead of two. The engines fitted are Siddeley "Pumas."


Flight, December 18, 1919.

THE PARIS AERO SHOW 1919

PRELIMINARY REPORT ON BRITISH SECTION

The Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Airco)

   The main exhibit on this firm's stand will be the new Airco (D.H.) 16. Machines of similar type are, of course, already familiar from extensive use on the London-Paris air route, but the show machine will differ in several respects from the standard type. The chief alteration will be found in the engine unit, which, in the show machine, will be a 450 h.p. Napier Lion instead of the Rolls-Royce with which the standard machine has been doing such excellent work. The fitting of the Lion has necessitated a slight alteration to the nose of the machine, as the new engine is of the "broad arrow" type instead of the usual Vee. The result is a slightly shorter and somewhat differently shaped nose, as shown in the accompanying silhouette. The radiator is no longer fitted in the nose of the fuselage, but is placed some distance back, and protrudes through the floor of the body, much in the same manner as that of the Airco 9R on which Capt. Gathergood recently established a series of British records. The employment of the higher-powered engine has naturally resulted in a considerably increased performance. The machine is to be shown in full "show finish," with white body, polished aluminium cowl and nickel-plated exhaust pipes, black undercarriage struts and tail skid, and cream wings and tail surfaces.
   The cabin, as in the standard Airco 16, is designed to accommodate four passengers, two facing forward and two facing aft. It is most luxuriously finished, and will give visitors an excellent idea of air travel de luxe.
   In addition to the complete Airco 16, there will be shown on this stand a series of coloured photographs, similar to those shown at the E.L.T.A. exhibition at Amsterdam, which were greatly appreciated, as well as an entirely new series taken on the London Paris air service route. A small section of the stand will be devoted to aerial photography, a new branch of the varied interests of this firm. Not the least interesting exhibition this stand will be a small scale-model of Hendon aerodrome, with the Airco works in the background, machines of different types standing about on the aerodrome, and one having its engine started by the Hucks starter.
   On this stand Messrs. Airships, Ltd., will also exhibit, among other items, the aeroplane flotation gear upon which this company is specialising, as well as a model of one of their small non-rigid airships, or "aerial yachts."