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Century Aviation completed this replica 1918 DeHavilland DH-4 for The Vintage Aviator Limited in 2008. It has an original Liberty V-12 engine restored to running order by TVAL. Other work by TVAL included the instruments, fabric covering and painting, manufacture of the the propeller, wheels and tires. It is expected to make it's public flying debut later in 2016
The aircraft is finished in the markings of the 50th Observation Aero Squadron, USAS. The unit was formed August 6, 1917 at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas and went through a number of commanding officers even before departing for Liverpool, England on January 9, 1918. After training in England for about six months, they were shipped to France on Bastille Day and arrived at their first base at Amanty where new U.S.-built DeHavilland DH-4 “Liberty Planes” were delivered. There, the final Commanding Officer, First Lieutenant (later Captain) Daniel Morse, was assigned on July 27, 1918 and the unit began the final training for the conduction of offensive patrols.
It was soon discovered that the Liberty engines of the DH-4 were causing numerous problems due to poorly made spark plugs. The aircraft were also found to have weak tires that blew out on rough landings, causing overturning and serious damage to the machines. Once a suitable source of spark plugs was found, and the tires switched over to the type used on Breguet and Salmson aircraft, the squadron made greater progress, although many pilots still showed a surprising lack of skill in flying the DH-4s.
The first operational missions were flown on September 12, 1918 in support of the U.S.-led St. Mihiel offensive, and the squadron suffered its first casualties due to enemy action, losing one of the DH-4s and its crew. The squadron fared no better the next day, Friday the 13th, when one of the observers was hit by ground fire while over the front and died before his pilot could get him back for medical help.
By September 24th, the unit had moved to Remicourt to prepare for the imminent Meuse-Argonne offensive and it was during this operation that the 50th achieved “immortality”. The support of the offensive included contact-patrols where the aircraft would stay in contact with ground forces.
On October 5th, elements of the U.S. 77th Infantry Division: the 307th, and 308th Infantry, and the 306th Machine Gun Battalion (soon to collectively be referred to as the “Lost Battalion”) were cut off and surrounded on a heavily forested hillside northeast of the town of Binarville. The U.S. Army's first-ever attempt to resupply a unit from the air was assigned to the men of the 50th.
During attempts to locate the men, the 50th lost 1st Lt. Harold Goettler and 2nd Lt. Erwin Bleckley on their second flight of the day on October 6th when they were shot down by withering German ground fire. Both men died and were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross that was upgraded in 1922 to the Medal of Honor.
While normally U.S. units did not apply a unit insignia until after 30 days of operations, due to the activities of this squadron in the first hectic days of the offensive, it is believed it was at this time that they were given the official go-ahead to paint the Dutch Girl on the sides of their aircraft.
#5 DH-4, as depicted by the TVAL replica, was flown by Lt. William D. Frayne and observer Lt. Howard C. French.
During their time on at the front, the 50th flew 343 missions and six Distinguished Service Cross citations were awarded, with two of them becoming the Medal of Honor. They encountered enemy aircraft on 42 occasions and were credited with at least one confirmed kill. The squadron returned home in April 1919.
The squadron adopted the Dutch Girl insignia, trademark of Old Dutch Cleanser. To the fliers of the 50th Aero Squadron, the Dutch Girl meant one thing: "Clean up on Germany." The insignia was painted on the aircraft, and squadron members wore matching pins above the right breast pocket on their uniforms
Twin Marlin machine guns
Twin Lewis machine guns for the observer
Wind-driven electricity generator the the radio
It is rigged with wire cables not streamlined RAF wire
