De Havilland Biplane No. 1

De Havilland Biplane No. 1

Industry	Aviation
Founded	1909 (1909)
Founder	Geoffrey de Havilland
Headquarters	Fulham , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft

De Havilland Biplane No. 1 refers retrospectively to the inaugural aircraft built by Geoffrey de Havilland, who both constructed and piloted it once in December 1909. De Havilland developed the project alongside his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law, Frank Hearle, funding the endeavour with £1,000 borrowed from his maternal grandfather as an advance on his inheritance.

The aircraft was designed as a three-bay biplane featuring an open-truss fuselage, with equal-span, unstaggered wings, and equipped with a four-wheeled undercarriage. Propulsion came from a 45 hp (30 kW) de Havilland Iris flat-four engine (specifically commissioned from the Iris Car Company for £220), which drove two pusher propellers located behind the wings. At the rear, the aircraft had a fin and stabiliser, while a large elevator was positioned at the front. Lateral control was managed through ailerons mounted on the upper wing. The wing surfaces were covered with linen, sewn by de Havilland's wife, Louise.

During construction at Fulham, de Havilland and Hearle sought a suitable location for flight trials. In the summer, a visit to Crux Easton led them to discover unused sheds on Lord Carnarvon’s estate at Seven Barrows, originally erected by John Moore-Brabazon. In August, de Havilland acquired these sheds for £150 and obtained Lord Carnarvon’s consent to conduct flights on the property.

By December, they moved the aircraft into the sheds and rented accommodations nearby. Following ground testing, de Havilland piloted the machine as it rolled down Beacon Hill. The aircraft briefly became airborne, covering approximately 100 ft (35 m) before structural failure of the left wing caused a crash. De Havilland sustained his most severe injury when one of the still-rotating propellers struck his wrist as he freed himself from the wreckage. The engine was recovered and subsequently installed in their next creation, the de Havilland Biplane No. 2, which achieved its first flight in September 1910 at Beacon Hill.

References

Bibliography

• Taylor M.J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation London: Studio Editions, 1989 p. 308
• Jackson, A. J. de Havilland Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1962
• Jackson, A. J. de Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.
• Munson - Pioneer Aircraft 1969

External links

• Details of the De Havilland machineFlight magazine 9 April 1910