| DH.16 | |
|---|---|
 DH.16 of Aircraft Transport & Travel | |
| General information | |
| Type | commercial biplane |
| Manufacturer | Airco |
| Primary user | Aircraft Transport and Travel |
| Number built | 9 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1919 |
| First flight | 1919 |
| Retired | 1923 |
TheAirco DH.16 was an early Britishairliner designed byGeoffrey de Havilland, the chief designer atAirco. It accommodated a pilot plus four passengers, and was operated from 1919 to 1923.
The DH.16 was a redesignedAirco DH.9A light bomber biplane with a widerfuselage, accommodating an enclosed cabin seating four passengers, plus the pilot in an open cockpit. In March 1919, the prototype first flew atHendon Aerodrome. Nine aircraft were built, all but one being delivered to Airco's subsidiaryAircraft Transport & Travel Limited (AT&T).[1]
AT&T used the first aircraft for pleasure flying, then on 25 August 1919 it was with this type of aircraft that AT&T operated the first regular (daily) international service in the world, from London-Hounslow Heath Aerodrome toParis–Le Bourget Airport.[2]
On 17 May 1920, an AT&T DH.16 (G-EALU) flew the firstKLM service betweenCroydon Airport andAmsterdam Airport Schiphol.[2][3]
In December 1920, AT&T closed down. One aircraft was sold to the River Plate Aviation Company inArgentina, to operate a cross-river service betweenBuenos Aires andMontevideo,[2] and the other aircraft were stored. Two were later used for newspaper delivery flights, but on 10 January 1923 one of these suffered a fatal crash, and the remaining DH.16s were withdrawn and scrapped.[4]
The first six aircraft were powered by a 320 hp (239 kW)Rolls-Royce Eagle inlinepiston engine; the last three aircraft were fitted with the more powerful 450 hp (336 kW)Napier Lion engine.
Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909[5]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
