De Havilland DH.51

de Havilland

Industry	Aerospace
Headquarters	Edgware , United Kingdom

The de Havilland DH.51 was a British three-seat touring biplane from the 1920s, constructed by de Havilland at the Stag Lane Aerodrome located in Edgware.

Design and development

Conceived as an affordable touring biplane, the DH.51 utilized the 90 hp (67 kW) RAF 1A piston engine, which was sourced from surplus stocks remaining after the First World War. Its maiden flight occurred in July 1924, demonstrating promising performance; however, it lacked a dual-ignition system, resulting in the denial of its airworthiness certificate. Since certifying the aircraft with a single-ignition setup would have required a minimum of ten hours of flight testing, de Havilland opted to replace the engine instead. The plane was subsequently equipped with an ADC Airdisco air-cooled V8 engine, which significantly enhanced its performance but increased operational costs. Consequently, production was limited to just three units. The initial model featured single-bay wings and was designated as the DH.51A. This aircraft was exported to Australia and later modified into a floatplane configuration known as the DH.51B.

Operational service

The first DH.51 was shipped to Australia in 1927 and operated as a floatplane until it capsized in Sydney Harbour in January 1931. The second unit remained in the United Kingdom until it was dismantled in 1933. The third and final DH.51 was manufactured in 1925 and exported to Kenya in 1929, becoming the inaugural aircraft registered on the Kenyan civil register under VP-KAA. After serving for four decades, it was transported back to the UK via air freight in 1965, where Hawker-Siddeley Aviation at Hawarden undertook its restoration. Following refurbishment, it was registered in the UK as G-EBIR and entrusted to The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, where it remains maintained in flying condition today.

Surviving aircraft

The third DH.51 (registration G-EBIR, named Miss Kenya, built in 1925) is preserved in airworthy condition by the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, England. It is showcased at various flying events during summer months and continues to operate with its original Airdisco (Renault) 120 hp V-8 engine paired with a fixed-pitch four-bladed wooden propeller.

External links

• Image of a De Havilland DH-51 Moth