1929 Davis D-1-W
Single-engine Single-seat Parasol Taildragger, U.S.A.

Archive Photos ¹

1929 Davis D-1-W (N532K, s/n 115) on display September 2003 at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Rhinebeck, New York (Photos by John Shupek)

Overview ²

• Davis D-1-W
• Role: light sports aircraft
• National origin: United States
• Manufacturer: Davis Aircraft Corporation
• Introduction: 1929
• Status: Some still flying
• Primary user: private pilot owners
• Produced: 1929-1930
• Unit cost: $2,965 with a 60-hp LeBlond in 1929

The Davis D-1 is an American light two-seat parasol-winged monoplane of the late 1920s.

Development and Design ²

The Davis D-1 was developed from the Davis V-3, which in turn was developed from the Vulcan American Moth. The Davis Aircraft Corporation had its factory at Richmond, Indiana. The D-1 is a parasol-winged aircraft of mixed construction with a two-spar wing and a rectangular welded steel-tube fuselage, the whole being covered by fabric. There are tandem open cockpits and it is fitted with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage which is attached by struts to the fuselage top and bottom. The wing is braced by struts from the lower fuselage. Various engines of between 60 to 125 hp (45 to 93 kW) have been fitted.

Operational History ²

The D-1 was used from 1929 by sporting pilots and by private pilot owners for leisure flying. In September 1930, Art Chester bought a Davis D-1-85 parasol, and flew it to victory in the 1930 National Air Races. A late model D-1W The Whistler II was built in 1933 for Davis with a canopy. It was raced in the 1934 Miami air race by Art Davis winning the category at 133.478 mph. It was later owned by movie star Richard Arlen, and restored to become a Grand Champion antique.

Most Davis aircraft were sold in the United States but at least one went to Argentina. Fourteen examples remained in 2001 in various states of airworthiness and several are still airworthy in 2011.

Variants ²

• D-1: 60 hp (45 kW) LeBlond 5D (23 built)
• D-1-166: 85 hp (63 kW) LeBlond 5DF (4 built)
• D-1-K: 100 hp (75 kW) Kinner K-5 (10-15 built)
• D-1-L: Prototype of the D-1-166 with 90 hp (67 kW) Lambert R-266 (1 built - also known as D-1-85)
• D-1-W: 125 hp (93 kW) Warner Scarab (8 converted from D-1-K)

Specifications (D-1-W) ³

Type

• Two-seat high-wing monoplane.

Wings

• High-wing braced monoplane.
• Center-section carried above fuselage steel-tube struts.
• Outer sections are braced to bottom fuselage longerons by Vee struts, one on either side, and taper both in thickness from point of bracing to wing-root and tip and in chord from root to tip.
• Göottingen 387 section at center, Clark Y at root and tip.
• Wing structure consists of two laminated spruce box spars with ribs of rounded channel-section duralumin, the whole being covered with fabric.
• The wing bracing struts are of round steel-tube, faired with wooden formers to an airfoil section and covered with fabric.
• Unbalanced tapering ailerons hinged to false spars.

Fuselage

• Rectangular welded steel-tube rigidly-braced structure, covered with fabric.
• Fuselage section at fireproof bulkhead is rectangular, changing to a trapezoidal section at the cockpits, which tapers to a vertical knife-edge at the rudder-post.

Tail Unit

• Normal monoplane type.
• Framework built up of steel-tube with sheet steel ribs, the whole being fabric-covered.
• Adjustable tail-plane.

Undercarriage

• Divided type.
• Consists of two Aerol oleo legs.
• The top ends are anchored to the top fuselage longerons and the bottom ends are hinged to the center-line of the underside of the fuselage by steel-tube Vees.
• Provision is made for installation of wheel-brakes.

Power Plant

• 1 × Warner Scarab 110-hp radial air-cooled engine on detachable steel-tube mounting.
• Fuel tank with 25 US gallons capacity in the center-section.
• Auxiliary tank with 10 US gallons in fuselage.

Accommodation

• Door on left side of front cockpit.
• Either control column may be removed and rudder pedals may be disconnected.
• Tandem open cut bits, with complete dual control.

Dimensions

• Wing span: 30 ft. 2 in. (9.19 m)
• Length: 20 ft. 4 in. (6.19 m)

Weights

• Weight empty: 925 lbs (420 kg)
• Pay load: 197 lbs (89 kg)
• Weight loaded: 1,461 lbs(663 kg)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 142 mph (227.2 km/h)
• Cruising speed: 122 mph (195.2 km/h)
• Landing speed: 40 mph (64 km/h)
• Initial rate of climb: 1,360 ft./min (414 m/min)
• Service ceiling: 14,800 ft. (4,514 m)

References

1. Shupek, John. The Skytamer Photo Archive, photos by John Shupek, copyright © 2002, 2003 Skytamer Images (Skytamer.com)
2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Davis D-1
3. Grey, C. G. and Leonard Bridgman. James All the Worlds Aircraft of 1933, Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., London, 1933, pg. 284c