DH-4M2
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DH-4 Mail plane in "Spirit of St. Louis" |
One of Robertson's DH-4s |
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Original DH-4M2 |
Project as received |
The DH-4 was the only U.S. manufactured aircraft to engage in combat in WW I.
With the 400hp Liberty engine (the most powerful engine of its time) and
a wing span of 42 1/2 feet and 30 feet long it could perform quite well at
a gross weight of 4400 pounds and cruising speed of 125 MPH at sea level.
Lightly loaded it was faster than the German fighters of the time,
right up to the closing days of the war.
It was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft.
When the production was terminated in March 1919, a total of 4,846 had been built.
Due to its excellent performance and "always being there",
it dominated the post war service until the late 1920's.
In 1920, a steel tube fuselage was created using the other parts of the DH-4B.
The steel fuselages were safer and were in service as late as 1932.
Boeing Company built 180 DH-4M-1s and later another 150, while
Fokker American's Atlantic Aircraft Corp. built 130 DH-4M-2s.
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Assembly line at Atlantic Aircraft showing DH-4M2's and 5 Fokker Tri-motors in the background of the left picture. |
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Many DH-4s were used by the Postal Service during the 1920's,
and many of the later ones were M models.
This unit, being built up for the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, is an M-2,
and will be converted to a Mail Plane as used by Robertson flying Service on the
C. A. M. 2 route between Chicago and St. Louis.
Charles Lindbergh was a mail pilot for Robertson,
and one of his log book entries refers to a metal DH-4.
That particular aircraft was actually an M-1,
but the sketchy records still available indicate that Robertson did have a
few M-2's sometime after Lindbergh left the company.
