OZ e flyer Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Hi everyone. I’m seeking any knowledge I can find on a glider that was made fleetingly for the Aussie airforce during wwII. I know very little about the DH2 other than it was designed and manufactured in Australia by Dehaviland. The Australian airforce (RAAF) is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year and there are people looking for information on this glider far and wide as it seems there is very little info on it. Any help would greatly appreciated. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Can’t find anything about a De Havilland DH2, do you mean the DHA-G2? Edited By MattyB on 24/05/2020 03:35:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ e flyer Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Yep I think that’s the one. I believe it had an experimental suction airfoil wing design though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 There is mention here of the " suction " at number 52, another model of the DHA G2 Edited By Denis Watkins on 24/05/2020 11:46:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ e flyer Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Many thanks guys. I’ve been able to find a little more info now. Very short lived machine. 8 made only but it was 1952 when the project finished. A most curious design that “suction wing”. It appears there was a suction fan in it as well and when operating (suction on) it appears the stall speed was slower. Amazing stuff. Couple more photos below if you’re interested. thanks again for your help. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eflightray Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Number 28 -- Ford Mercury V8 engine ? Perhaps they should have used the engine for propulsion. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Posted by eflightray on 24/05/2020 18:55:35: Number 28 -- Ford Mercury V8 engine ? Perhaps they should have used the engine for propulsion. . As the link above notes only one glider was converted this way to test the suction wing. The gliders were never used in service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Posted by eflightray on 24/05/2020 18:55:35: Number 28 -- Ford Mercury V8 engine ? Perhaps they should have used the engine for propulsion. I know, what were they thinking carrying around that additional weight in order create a device to fractionally reduce the stall speed?!! Errr.... 😂 Edited By MattyB on 24/05/2020 22:13:03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Clark 2 Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 Posted by MattyB on 24/05/2020 22:12:44: Posted by eflightray on 24/05/2020 18:55:35: Number 28 -- Ford Mercury V8 engine ? Perhaps they should have used the engine for propulsion. I know, what were they thinking carrying around that additional weight in order create a device to fractionally reduce the stall speed?!! Errr.... 😂 Edited By MattyB on 24/05/2020 22:13:03 The whole thing's barmy. The one in the cutaway is an observation aircraft, pilot, observer, and some cameras. What use is an 'glider' observation aircraft that has to be towed to the desired location? And it's the enemy you observe, not your own side. So the plane, the crew, and the film, will fall into enemy hands every time. The people who sent it won't ever get to see the pictures they wanted taken so what's the point? And as for that cast iron mooring block of an engine, even with the suction on the stalling speed is higher than the Victa Airtourer me and a mate used to own. Leave that heavy weight out and the stalling speed would probably be less than the stalling speed with all that junk running anyway. Nuts Edited By Richard Clark 2 on 25/05/2020 10:12:21 Edited By Richard Clark 2 on 25/05/2020 10:21:35 Edited By Richard Clark 2 on 25/05/2020 10:23:43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 The idea was that the low pressure created at the trailing edge, Forced air to pass over the main wing, making this a very slow flying camera platform. Able to loiter over a target I think we can be pretty sure that this didn't work so well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ e flyer Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 I have to admit it was certainly a pretty strange idea. What started as a cargo carrying glider becomes a spy glider. Strange. I guess they were trying to achieve something for a reason. The aussie airforce was and I guess still is, very small so bang for buck becomes vital and innovation can sometimes provide that cutting edge advantage......not always though. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ e flyer Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ e flyer Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Was the use of gliders ever really successful from a military perspective? I know they are using drones now that are almost gliders but I'm curious as to how effective they were during conflicts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 I think we are misinterpreting the suction aerofoil, there was only one glider fitted out and this was to investigate this. It was a research aircraft it was never the intent to fit this as standard to the gliders, it just happened to be a spare aircraft which could be repurposed to test this. Quite common to use existing aircraft to test new ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 The principle of sucking the turbulent air to promote laminar flow has be known for some time with various experiment performed in both the UK and even more so in the US. In theory the power required to do this is relatively small and the benefit great but the practicality of doing so has proved to be difficult. Probably the most extreme being the two Northrop X-21A (a highly modified Douglas WB 66D) which proved the concept worked giving improved range but the maintenance requirements (the highly polished wing surface had to be kept spotlessly clean) proved impractical for service use. OZ e flyer I think if you research the use of gliders in WWII they proved to be effective in specific circumstances by providing the ability to land a concentration of fully equipped troops in a small area. A role that is now taken over by helicopters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 The whole suction wing thing sort of evolved into the blown flap, as per Buccaneer and Mig 21 amongst others: **LINK** "Was the use of gliders ever really successful from a military perspective?" "Man carrying kites" middle ages thru early 1900 **LINK** Troop drops, WW2 **LINK** Can't think of many others to be fair. Does the U2 almost count as a glider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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