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weight and performance calculations for the Airco D.H.5 WWI fighter biplane
Airco D.H.5
role : fighter
importance : ***
first flight : august 1916 operational : may 1917
country : United-Kingdom
design : Geoffrey de Havilland
production : 552 aircraft
general information : Negative stagger for better view. Disadvantage was blind spot to
the rear. Performance above 3000m mediocre. Lost height rapidly in a dogfight.
It had only one machine gun while enemy aircraft had already two machine guns.
Its strong construction and good low-level performance made it well suited for ground-
attack and in this role it was used in the battle of Cambrai in autumn 1917. For this
purpose it could carry four 25 lb Cooper bombs.
The Sopwith Camel and RAF SE5 proved superior and when these aircraft reached
the front in quantities the unpopular DH5 was quickly withdrawn
Gap : 1.45 m chord : 1.37 m total area of tail (empennage) :3.17 m2 area of elevators :
0.57 m2 area of rudder : 0.59 m2 area of fin : 0.20 m2 airscrew diameter : 2.59 m
pitch : 2.54 m tank capacity : 25 gallon = 114 litre landing speed : 80 km/u
users : RFC
crew : 1
armament : 1 Vickers 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) machine-gun
engine : 1 Le Rhone 9J air-cooled 9 -cylinder two-valve rotary engine 110.0 [hp](80.9 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 7.82 [m], length : 6.71 [m], height : 2.78[m]
wing area : 19.7 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 677 [kg]
empty weight operational : 459 [kg] bombload : 40 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 164 [km/u] op 3048 [m]
climbing speed : 245 [m/min]
service ceiling : 4877 [m]
estimated endurance : 3.0 [hours]
estimated action radius : 221 [km]
description :
1-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.67 [ ]
diameter airscrew 2.59 [m]
angle of attack prop : 22.16 [‘ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1100 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.48 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 156 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.26 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.21 []
gap : 1.45 [m]
gap/chord : 1.15 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 146 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 4.9 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 21.0 [kg/hr] (28.6 [litre/hr]) at 58 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 7.04 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 97 [litre] (71 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 147.0 [kg] = 1.82 [kg/KW]
weight 21 litre oil tank : 1.8 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.6 litre oil : 0.5 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.4 [kg]
weight 12 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.8 [kg]
weight cowling 3.2 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 172 [kg](25.5 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.89 [cm]): 60 [kg]
bracing : 2.8 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 8.5 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 2.7 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 5.4 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 2.8 [kg]
weight 85 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 6.8 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 4 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 92 [kg](13.6 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 13 [kg]
total weight ribs (44 ribs) : 40 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 879.8 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 250.7 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 31 [kg]
weight wings : 84 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.25 [kg]
weight 4 interplane struts & cabane : 9.9 [kg]
weight cables (40 [m]) : 2.0 [kg] (= 49 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 2.8 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (0.7 [m2]) : 3.1 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (2.2 [m2]): 9.6 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 108 [kg] (16.0 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 15.9 [kg]
weight ammunition magazine(s) :1.8 [kg]
weight synchronizing system : 1.0 [kg]
weight Aldis gunsight : 0.8 [kg]
weight armament : 19 [kg]
********************************************************************
wheel pressure : 338.5 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (720 [mm] by 80 [mm]) : 15.6 [kg]
weight tailskid : 3.8 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 17.7 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 37.0 [kg] (5.5 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 429 [kg](63.4 [%])
weight oil for 3.6 hours flying : 17.5 [kg]
weight ammunition (400 rounds) : 13.6 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 464 [kg] (68.5 [%])
published operational weight empty : 459 [kg] (67.8 [%])
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weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 31 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 576 [kg](85.1 [%])
bomb load : 40 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 616 [kg]
fuel reserve : 40 [kg] enough for 1.90 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 21 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 677 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 677 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 7.12 [kg/kW]
total power : 80.9 [kW] at 1100 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.9 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 4.5 [g]
design cycles : 375 sorties, design hours : 900 [hours]
operational wing loading : 287 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 203 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.50 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.70 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 2.32 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.13 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.31 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0085 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0411 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0326 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 73 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 88 [km/hr]
min.drag speed (max endurance) : 117 [km/hr] at 3048 [m](power :40 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 124 [km/hr] at 3048 [m] (power:42 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 107.8 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 148 [km/hr] op 3048 [m] (power:52 [%])
design speed prop : 159 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 164 [km/hr] op 3048 [m] (power:64 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 316 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 189 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.17 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 5300 [m] with flying weight :538 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4925 [m] with flying weight :576 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 4150 [m] with flying weight :656 [kg]
published ceiling (4877 [m])
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 5.32 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 13.24 [min]
max.dive speed : 386.4 [km/hr] at 3150 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 2.04 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 51 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.7 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.40 [hours] with 1 crew and 61 [kg] useful (bomb)load
published endurance : 3.00 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 69
[kg]
action radius : 395 [km] with 1 crew and 20[kg] bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 204 [litre] fuel : 1051 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 78 [kg]
production : 11.55 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.23 [kg]
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notes :
IMPORTANTIE : 3
Literatuur : praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 202
Jane’s FAWOI page 42fd
Fighters 1914-19 page 68
DISCLAIMER above calculations are based on published data, they must be regarded as indication not as facts
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program
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(c) B van der Zalm 30 november 2018 contact : bvanderzalm@ziggo.nl python 3.4.1