John William Dunne: D.1

Note: This is a sub-section of John William Dunne.

The Dunne D.1 (later rebuilt as the D.4) was an experimental aircraft built in the UK at the School of Ballooning in 1907.

It was a biplane glider of highly unorthodox design, being entirely tailless. Two chevron-shaped wings of equal size were braced together with conventional struts. The upper and lower wings were fitted with elevons controlled by a lever on each side of the pilot's seat.

Assembled in great secrecy at the Army Balloon Factory, it was taken to Blair Atholl by a team of Royal Engineers to be tested in July. It flew in this form piloted by Col J. E. Capper and was later adapted to be powered by two Buchet engines. To assist in take-off, a wooden ramp was built, but during a test in October, the aircraft slipped sideways off it and was severely damaged.

Sources of Information

• [1] Wikipedia