Gloster Survey
The de Havilland DH67 was provided for photographic reconnaissance aircraft of the British manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company in the late 1920s.
History
1926 investigated the Aircraft Operating Company a replacement for their antiquated, nor derived from wartime De Havilland DH9, which used them in the field of airborne photographic reconnaissance tasks. Was required a twin-engine design, with good performance results in the single-engine to avoid an emergency landing at an engine failure. The airframe should be performed to simplify maintenance, all-metal, since the use should often also occur in tropical zones and far from the usual workshop equipment. Added to this was the requirement for above-average visibility for both pilots, as carried out by the photographic tasks for the crew.
De Havilland was commissioned to design an aircraft complying with the requirements, and the resulting design study was the type number DH67. The design was very similar to the prototype of the DH66 Hercules, but should be powered by two Bristol Jupiter VI. The largest differences were in the open tandem cockpits and the underlying position for the past photographer who should operate the built- in camera hull bottom. The main cabin had three round windows for the oblique images. As a simple tail fin was chosen with rowing, unlike the triple tail of the DH66, which also a tailplane in " double-deck design" possessed. It attachment points for two interchangeable eight -meter-long swimmers were also provided.
In November 1927, the draft - was again heavily revised - now referred to as DH67B. So the total weight was unchanged at 7,000 lb. , The span was, however, dramatically magnifies as engines were Bristol Jupiter VIII provided. The tail with its double rudders was again approximated more of the DH66. Pilot and navigator sitting side by side should continue in open cockpits, while the camera operator should sit slightly below before these two in the stepped nose section. Ailerons were both above and below provided for the folding wings.
The practical implementation of the design including the missing detail design was then the Gloster Aircraft Company transferred because de Havilland was already busy with the production of Moth, Hercules and other works contracts. The resulting, modified in all dimensions Gloster AS31 showed only superficial accordance with the output design. The AS31 again had more resemblance to the DH67 as the DH67B, they had again a single rudder and ailerons only on the lower wing. The aircraft should be able to take over such diverse tasks as reconnaissance, bomb inserts, medical flights and missions as a seaplane.
Two prototypes were built, with the first ( aircraft registration G - Aado ), with in accordance with the original contract three camera positions, was delivered to the Aircraft Operating Company (AOC ). The first flight took place in Brockworth in June 1929. The AOC put the aircraft with great success in mapping of Northern Rhodesia. After further such missions in Central Africa, the machine was sold in May 1935, the South African Air Force and scrapped in December 1942 in Waterkloof.
The second prototype ( RAF serial number K2602 ) received the Air Ministry, which passed on the machine in November 1931 for experiments on wireless telegraphy to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE ). The last use is demonstrated in September 1936.
Construction
The AS31 was finally executed a mixed construction construction with wing spars of a high strength alloy steel and duralumin ribs. The fuselage structure was constructed of steel tubes, which was just like the wings covered with fabric.