A De Havilland DH2 aircraft in the desert, with skull and crossbones painted on the nose in front ...

A De Havilland DH2 aircraft in the desert, with skull and crossbones painted on the nose in front of the engine. The Airco DH2 was a single seat fighter aircraft which was powered by an engine fitted with a pusher type propeller designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, and fitted with a forward firing Lewis machine gun for operational purposes. It was built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) and the first flight was made in June 1915. After completion of flight trials in July 1915 a number of squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps were equipped with DH2 aircraft and went to France in February 1916 where they were highly successful in air combat against German aircraft. The DH2 was essentially an aeroplane of the early period of the war in the air, but in its day it was nevertheless one of the most effective aerial weapons of the First World War.