Airco

Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) was established at The Hyde in Hendon, north London, England, during 1912 by George Thomas. Geoffrey de Havilland joined two years later as the chief designer. His designs were marked with his initials DH. The first success was a pusher engine fighter DH.2 of 1916, that helped to repel the "Fokker Scourge". More than 2,280 examples of the DH.6 trainer were built. The DH.4 and DH.9A were outstanding light bombers of World War I. The company's DH.16 and DH.18 types were operated by Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, the first airline established in the United Kingdom, that was also owned by George Holt Thomas.

Following the cessation of hostilities the company's undue reliance on military orders became a handicap however and the company became bankrupt in 1920. Its assets were bought by the Birmingham Small Arms Company which did not pursue aviation-related business. The aviation related assets of the company were bought by Geoffrey de Havilland and he formed the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1920.

List of Aircraft

• Airco DH.1------------- (1915) Two-seat biplane fighter with single pusher propeller
• Airco DH.2------------- (1915) One-seat biplane fighter with single pusher propeller
• Airco DH.3------------- Two-engine biplane bomber. Two prototypes built; not produced
• Airco DH.4------------- (1916) Two-seat biplane day bomber with single tractor propeller
• Airco DH 5------------- (1916) One-seat biplane fighter with single tractor propeller
• Airco DH.6------------- (1916) Two-seat biplane training aircraft with single tractor propeller
• Airco DH.7-------------never built
• Airco DH.8-------------never built
• Airco DH.9------------- (1917) Two-seat biplane day bomber with single tractor propeller
• Airco DH.9A------------ (1918) Development of DH.9 with more powerful engine and greater wingspan
• Airco DH.10------------ (1918) Two-engine biplane bomber. First prototype used pusher propeller; second prototype and production aircraft used tractor propellers
• Airco DH.11 Oxford- (1919) Variant of DH.10 with radial engines. One prototype built; not produced
• Airco DH.16------------ (1919) Variant of DH.9A with cabin for four passengers. Used as airliner
• Airco DH.18------------ (1920) Single-engine biplane airliner. Cabin for eight passengers

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Airco".