A remarkable and exceedingly rare aircraft, the 1918 Airco DH.9, serial number E-8894 (registered G-CDLI), is being offered for sale. This biplane is the worldʼs only airworthy original First World War bomber.
The DH.9, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, was conceived as a strategic day bomber, an intended improvement upon its predecessor, the DH.4. A key design modification was the repositioning of the pilotʼs cockpit closer to the observer/gunnerʼs station, rectifying a communication issue that hampered the DH.4. The DH.9 was also one of the first British-designed bombers to feature an internal bomb bay. Despite these advancements, the aircraftʼs operational career was beset by the shortcomings of its intended powerplant, the 230hp Siddeley Puma engine. Ordered straight from the drawing board, the Puma proved unreliable and underpowered, which meant the DH.9ʼs performance was often inferior to the very aircraft it was meant to replace. Nevertheless, over 2,000 DH.9s were produced, and they saw extensive service on the Western Front, in the Middle East, and in anti-submarine patrols.
The post-war history of E-8894 is as remarkable as its wartime origins. As part of the Imperial Gift Scheme, the aircraft was sent to India, a fate that ultimately secured its survival. For decades, rumours circulated among aviation historians of First World War aircraft stored in India. In the late 1990s, Guy Black of Aero Vintage Ltd confirmed the existence of three DH.9s in the princely state of Bikaner, Rajasthan. Two of these, including E-8894, were discovered dismantled in a former elephant shed at Junagarh Fort.
Aero Vintage undertook the ambitious project of recovering two of the aircraft, a process that involved years of negotiation. The two machines were returned to the UK for restoration by the respected Retrotec workshops in East Sussex. The sister ship to the airworthy survivor, D-5649, was restored to static display condition and is now a prized exhibit in the AirSpace hangar at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
The restoration of E-8894 to flying condition was a meticulous and lengthy undertaking, completed in late 2018. The challenge was immense, particularly given the scarcity of original drawings. The project relied heavily on the surviving remnants of the aircraft and a handful of DH.4 plans. A significant hurdle was sourcing an original and operational Siddeley Puma engine.
E-8894 made its post-restoration maiden flight on 13 May 2019 at Duxford. Since then, it has graced the skies at major UK airshows, including the Flying Legends Airshow at Duxford, offering a unique and evocative sight and sound for thousands. Its first public appearance, albeit static, was at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in July 2017.
The sale of this historic aircraft is being managed by Platinum Fighter Sales.