DH-4M2
DH-4 Mail plane in the movie
“Spirit of St. Louis”
One of Robertson’s DH-4s
Original DH-4M2
Project as received
The DH-4 was the only U.S. manufactured aircraft to engage in combat in WW I. With the 400hp Liberty engine (the most powerful engine of its time) and a wing span of 42 1/2 feet and 30 feet long it could perform quite well at a gross weight of 4400 pounds and cruising speed of 125 MPH at sea level. Lightly loaded it was faster than the German fighters of the time, right up to the closing days of the war. It was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft. When the production was terminated in March 1919, a total of 4,846 had been built. Due to its excellent performance and “always being there”, it dominated the post war service until the late 1920’s. In 1920, a steel tube fuselage was created using the other parts of the DH-4B. The steel fuselages were safer and were in service as late as 1932. Boeing Company built 180 DH-4M-1s and later another 150, while Fokker American’s Atlantic Aircraft Corp. built 130 DH-4M-2s. The M-2 fuselage is made of larger, heavier tubing.
Assembly line at Atlantic Aircraft showing DH-4M2’s and 5 Fokker Tri-motors in the background of the left picture.
Many DH-4s were used by the Postal Service during the 1920’s, and many of the later ones were M models, after they were released from the military. This unit, being built up for the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, is an M-2, and will be converted to a Mail Plane as used by Robertson flying Service on the C. A. M. 2 route between Chicago and St. Louis. Charles Lindbergh was a mail pilot for Robertson, and one of his log book entries refers to a metal DH-4. That particular aircraft was actually an M-1, but the sketchy records still available indicate that Robertson did have a few M-2’s sometime after Lindbergh left the company.
Now on permanent display in the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum.
DH-4M2 heading for the shop
Old fabric coming off
Liberty engine exposed
On blocks and ready
Flying surfaces ready
Fuselage at the factory 1922
Fuselage at the shop 2004
Top sheet metal fitted
Top cowl nearly finished
Shawn Miller donating his magic hammer to finish the cowl bumps
Single seat mail plane
Front cockpit for rides
Firewall fitted
Ready to set up the engine
Will it fit?
It does!!
Fabricating the manifolds
Manifold pipes finished
Exhaust pipes finished
Fuselage ready for fabric cover
Fabric on aft portion
Final color
Cockpits installed
Time for some side panels
Making the side panels
Panel fitted
Silver is on
Left side
Instrument panel finished
Cockpits are finished
Cross-wind landing gear
New shoes!!!
Pounding louvers on the side cowl
Kenny deburring the louvers
Louvers are cool
RM RMM RRMM RRRMM RRRRMMRRR
Starting the wings
Starting the wings
Wing covered (almost)
Riblacing going on
Brandyn covering an aileron
Brandyn covering the elevators
Finish tapes going on last wing
Wings covered
Attaching the wings to make new brace wires
Pink Wings??? …………..Nah….
Prepping the Wings for Silver
Skyler sanding an aileron
Don sanding another aileron
Wings almost on
Wings installed and rigged
Retractable gear DH-4 ?
Landing gear ready for color paint
Landing gear assembled
Landing gear on and ready to roll
Ready to run
Will it start?
It actually runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All together but unpainted
ROOAARRR!!
Out where it belongs
Not so loud out away from the hangars
Fast taxi test
First flight take off
Here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAHOO!!!!
Sounds like a diesel truck on the highway
That was fun!!!!
The only flyable one in the world!!
John Murray welding the gas tank leak
Final color?
Robertson’s color scheme
First time out of the pattern
Just cruisin’
Wish I had some letters up front
Sounds like a herd of Harleys back there
Even a month later and a new nose paint job the Harleys are still back there
Maybe they will stop at the river
Still back there….OH well
The Dec,1 2006 ice storm glued the hangar doors shut.
More pictures will be added after the ice clears a bit.
Photo crew.
Expert photo pilot Tim, DH-4 tester Glenn, and camera wielder Don
Cockpit view
New modern radiator core being fabricated by Proliance International.
Formerly G&O Mfg.Co., the original manufacturer of the DH-4 radiators.
Ready to ship
Building the tanks
Lining the hole for the prop shaft
Finished ready to install
Back in the air again
I guess it is time to go back to the airport
Al takes a ride
Fly-by
Al (smiling) Stix and Glenn
Test flight by Authentic DeHavilland test pilot Desmond Penrose
Desmond came all the way from England to see this aeroplane.
His smile indicates that his unexpected test flight went well
Now some serious flying. Off to OSHKOSH 2007
First stop for some (a lot) gasoline and a bit of water
It starts easy if the starter would work
Pictures of the repairs to the generator, water pump and re-repair of the starter seem to have been forgotten
The 4 hour trip was made in 4 flights
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday
Finally made it to OSH
Well received
THANK YOU ALL !!
If you believed that, well…. then…………………
AirVenture Oshkosh 2007
Judges Choice Award
Wonderful, uneventful trip all the way home
4 hours in 3 flights on the SAME day to get home.
Now if I can land it one more time.
It’s Never the same…
( the pictures might seem so )
Go for a ride
Skyler gets the first ride up front
Don’s ride
You might want to be standing somewhere else
Turning final
Short final
For a short video go to
Flying the Dh-4 Around the Patch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHCzpzeZDiY&feature=related
Off on another GREAT adventure
2008 Antique Fly-in at Blakesburg, Iowa
Together with best friends
Charles Lindbergh’s Air Mail Pilot Certification
Glenn Peck’s Air Mail Pilot Certification
Flying the U.S. Mail along with the Boeing 40
Actual U.S. Mail carried on DH-4 Flight
Antique Airplane Association 2008
Sweepstakes Award
Wonderful article from New Zealand
Lots of memories now