Airco D.H.6

History

Flying first in 1916, the Airco D.H.6 was a dedicated military trainer biplane. At the end of the First World War a single example would be delivered to the Hellenic Naval Flying Corps, at the time distinct from the Army Aviation branch.

No operational records from this aircraft seem to have been preserved, so very little information  about it in Greek service is available.

Design

The D.H.6, as a purpose built trainer, was very simple and cheap to produce - featuring interchangeable square-cut wings. The fuselage too was square cut, along with the vertical stabiliser, for maximum ease of production.

Although slow, the aircraft proved incredibly easy to fly, and had extremely gentle flight characteristics. In fact, it was thought too docile to prepare pilots for fighter aircraft, which would be significantly harder to handle and much more punishing.