Restoring a DH4

When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, it had no suitable combat aircraft so the British designed DH-4 was adopted and manufactured in volume in the U.S. Because the 400-HP Liberty engine was used, the American-made DH-4s were called Liberty Planes.
Very few survive to this day, but in this AVweb video shot at AirVenture, we offer a detailed tour of the airplane and how it's being restored.

[@mikebrown8065]

Wow, what a beautiful aircraft! My grandfather worked for the Liberty Aircraft Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey as a machinist building those engines! When he retired from the company they gave him a beautiful gold pocket watch, which my father still has. My grandfather also flew a DH-4 in WW1 and from what I understand bought it after the war and flew the U.S. mail out of Hadley Airport and Newark Airport in New Jersey. I am still trying to find the picture from the newspaper and article; One particular very cold December day he had to make an emergency landing on "Old Lincoln Highway " in Edison, New Jersey because the fuel line froze. In the picture you can clearly see the U.S. Mail Pouch handcuffed to his wrist while he was using an old blowtorch heating up the fuel line to unfreeze it!!!!

[@jenniferhunt7633]

This was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much. I'm writing a novel where one of the characters is flying this plane, and this was just what I needed.

[@humbledtrader760]

Wow! What a legacy. Would love a follow up video on its flight 🙏🏻

[@mrrcrogersjr]

My grandfather flew a British DH4 with the British forces at the Second Battle of the Marne, in which he was shot, but survived, according to his diary.

[@johnmajane3731]

This plane sadly crashed on May 2, 2020. Fortunately the pilot walked away.

[@m0ther_bra1ned12]

What a beautiful airplane. I love planes from the mid war period.

[@user-hn1tt8kr4m]

Thanks for the very clear explanation.

[@petercyr3508]

Watch Jimmy Stewart prop one of these in the movie Spirit of St Louis. Looks like he is really doing it.

[@robertlafnear4865]

Missed this at Oshkosh !, .... darn........This looks like a wonderful restoration of a grand bird....... I'll take an 8x10 glossy for my office (lol).

[@flycory]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤠👍💥 love this project

[@pimpompoom93726]

Interesting they call it a 'Mag switch', because didn't the Liberty engines have a distributor ignition like an auto-car? The US manufacturers didn't purchase the rights for a Magneto in time to introduce it on our Liberty engine. Am I wrong about that?

[@jeffgrave]

Nice classic plane! How long has it taken to restore this bird? The audio was unusable past 6 minute mark.

[@terryboyer1342]

Robert Ya too bad about the audio.

[@Fantazzim]

The gauges are cool

[@backyardgarage912]

4:10 Wasn't the first commercial passenger flown in a Benoist from St. Petersburg, FL to Tampa, FL?

[@DickGibson]

Spectacular!!

[@VoluntaryPlanet]

Should have mentioned the Alaska flying expedition, from New York to Noam. First airplanes to fly over Alaska.

[@NFlight]

Crappy audio....