Until when were surplus D.H.9s kept in storage?

Short answer

Until the end of 1930: the British Aircraft Disposal Company still held large quantities of surplus wartime D.H.9s in its stores at that point, and over the following year they were scrapped and burned. Hundreds of aircraft with the 220 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza engine remained in service, some as late as 1940.

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

Until when were surplus D.H.9s kept in storage?

Rutan Voyager

The Aircraft Disposal Company's stock

At the end of 1930, the British Aircraft Disposal Company still held large quantities of surplus wartime D.H.9s in its stores, and over the following year they were scrapped and burned.

An international career

The type saw service in numerous countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Greece, India, the Irish Free State, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and South Africa. Nine served with the RNZAF between 1923 and 1930. The South African Air Force received a total of 48 D.H.9s and used them intensively, including against the 1922 Rand Revolt. Hundreds of aircraft fitted with the 220 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza engine remained in service, some as late as 1940.

A variety of powerplants

A wide range of engines were fitted to the D.H.9: the 186 kW (250 hp) Fiat A-12, the 216 kW (290 hp) high-compression Siddeley Puma, the A.D.C. Nimbus and the 224 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Fg, the 321 kW (430 hp) Napier Lion and the 324 kW (435 hp) Liberty 12A.