Did a 1915 aircraft have air brakes?

Short answer

Yes: the prototype of the Airco D.H.1, which flew in January 1915 at Hendon piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland, carried aerofoils on the sides of the nacelle that could rotate 90 degrees to act as air brakes, an unusual feature for the time. They were soon removed.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Airco De Havilland DH 2

Rotating air brakes on the prototype

The D.H.1 prototype carried aerofoils fitted to the sides of the nacelle that could rotate 90 degrees to act as air brakes. It was an unusual feature for the time. They were soon removed. Geoffrey de Havilland piloted that prototype on its first flight at Hendon, in January 1915.

A two-seat pusher

Like the F.E.2, the D.H.1 was of pusher configuration and housed the pilot and observer in two open tandem cockpits in the nose. The observer's cockpit was stepped down below the pilot's and fitted with a machine gun.

Engines and production

The type was designed, like the F.E.2b, for the 120 hp (89 kW) Beardmore water-cooled in-line engine. All available Beardmores were needed for F.E.2b and R.E.5 production, so the 70 hp (52 kW) air-cooled Renault V8 was fitted instead. Total production was one prototype and 99 D.H.1s and D.H.1As, and all the production examples were built by Savages. The D.H.1 saw operational service only in the Middle East theatre, where six Beardmore-engined D.H.1As arrived in July 1916.