Today was spent getting more familiar with the RE8, under dual control with Lt Thomas, and doing some consolidation solo work in the DH.6 – despite being forced down by storm:
Log book entry
Date: 2.4.18
Hour: 8.45
Instructor: Lt Thomas
Machine type and No.: RE3551
Passenger: Self
Time: 35 min
Height: 2500
Course: Aerodrome
Remarks: Dual. Turns & landings
Date: 2.4.18
Hour: 10.10
Instructor: –
Machine type and No.: DH7670
Passenger: –
Time: 10 min
Height: 1000
Course: [Aerodrome]
Remarks: Left hand flying. Forced down by storm
Date: 2.4.18
Hour: 11.15
Instructor: –
Machine type and No.: DH7670
Passenger: –
Time: 25 min
Height: 1000
Course: [Aerodrome]
Remarks: Landings (3)
Two flights for Greg today, both in a DH.6, which was his principal basic training aircraft:
Flight’s log book entry
Date: 15.3.18
Hour: 10.30
Instructor: [Thomas]
Machine Type and No: DH7666
Passenger: CE Gregory
Time: 50 min
Height: 1200
Course: [Aerodrome]
Remarks: Dual
Flight’s log book entry
Date: 15.3.18
Hour: 5.10
Instructor: [Thomas]
Machine Type and No: DH7666
Passenger: CE Gregory
Time: 25 min
Height: 1200
Course: [Aerodrome]
Remarks: Dual
So today was the first day of instruction proper, as opposed to air experience.
Quite possibly it was today that the photograph that’s used for the main image for this blog was taken:
Greg in student’s seat in Airco DH.8 at Yatesbury. Image: Greg’s War Collection
This seems to a posed shot taken of student pilots generally. Greg’s co-student Albert Gertrey is seen here in the same pose, and probably the same aircraft.
2nd Lt. Albert Gertrey in Airco DH.6. Image: Greg’s War Collection
The DH.6 was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, who had moved to The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (‘Airco’). Airco’s successor in business today is BAE Systems, who have this to say about it:
The DH6 was first flown in late 1916 and was an angular tractor biplane with a resolutely rectangular wing plan-form allowing the individual wing panels to be interchangeable. As a result, the 1919 edition of Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft conferred the following description: ‘it has rather the appearance of having been built by the mile and cut off to order’. Performance was limited by the low power and the high drag of the rather crude engine installation.
Most aircraft used the Royal Aircraft Factory 1A engine but supply shortages led to the 90hp Curtiss OX-5 and 80hp Renault engine being used is some production batches.
The two prototypes A5175 and A5176 were fitted with fins and rudders of the archetypal de Havilland shape, whereas production machines featured a more angular rudder, without an aerodynamic balance.
The type also featured a heavily cambered wing leading edge to ensure benign stalling characteristics. This (and possibly the low performance) led to the type acquiring the soubriquet ‘Clutching Hand’ although many also considered this appropriate due to its forgiving nature when flown by inexperienced pilots. Other nicknames included ‘skyhook’ and ‘flying coffin’ (the latter not on account of its safety record, but rather because of the shape of the cockpit opening). In fact some maverick instructors actually claimed it to be useless as a trainer because it was too easy to fly.
At least 2,282 DH6 were built, including those sub-contracted to the following companies: The Gloucestershire Aircraft Co. Ltd; The Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd; Harland & Wolff; Kingsbury Aviation Co. Ltd; Morgan & Co. Ltd; Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries Ltd; and Savages Ltd.
In 1917, the training role within the RFC was revamped with the aim of making flight instructors into specially trained pilots. After initial use of the DH6, it was replaced with the much larger Avro 504K and surplus aircraft were transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service as anti-submarine patrol aircraft. It was in this role that the DH6 found another surprising accolade as it was found that in the unfortunate occurance of an enforced ‘ditching’, the aircraft remained afloat for up to 10 hours.
However, it was severly underpowered which resulted in the majority of convoy escorts being flown solo, a complicated arrangement considering most air to ship communication was via an Aldis lamp. By the end of the conflict over 1,000 aircraft were still in service albeit in second-line roles.
Greg’s first flight was an air experience trip in a BE2e.
Flight’s log book entry
Date: 14.3.18
Hour: 3.10
Instructor: Thomas
Machine Type and No: BE8646
Passenger: CE Gregory
Time: 20 min
Height: 1500
Course: Aerodrome
Remarks: Air experience.
BE2e
The BE2e shown in the photograph below, A1358, was also at Yatesbury, and Greg was to fly this particular machine later in his training.
BE2e A1358 at Yatesbury. Image: Greg’s War Collection
The BE2 (Blériot Experimental 2) series of biplanes began life to a design by Geoffrey de Havilland at the Royal Balloon Factory, which by early 1918 was known as the Royal Aircraft Factory. Following the formation of the Royal Air Force in April, the Royal Aircraft Factory was renamed again as the Royal Aircraft Establishment so as to avoid a confusion of initials. The last major iteration of the BE2 series was the BE2e, which had been hoped to improve upon the BE2c, but did not fulfil its promise: even that version had been withdrawn from active service on the Western Front by 1918. Although BE2cs/BE2es were very stable in the air, the price of this stability was a lack of manoeuvrability and a consequent vulnerability, which was the subject of much criticism.
