Can anyone identify this aeroplane?

Thanks for asking anyway, Adrian 🙂

Unfortunately the photo was a random one bought, so the occupants could be anyone.

I think, BTW, that there’s some nice pics of a DH9 that make a lot of the other points clear here: https://forum.keypublishing.com/forum/historic-aviation/3845195-duxford-diary-2019?p=3861607#post3861607

Adrian

Aha! Different coaming on the RH/port side then: that seals it!

I know this is a model but modelmakers tend be accurate with technical details,quite clearly shows the port vickers gun installation with the flatter/lower port cockpit coaming to allow access to the gun,also shows quite clearly the very distinctive Fuel Selector Knob + the cutaway on the stbd side of the windscreen for gunsight view.

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Cockpit coamings quite different; hence my request. Still not convinced it’s a DH.9a trainer: photos show a semi-circular side elevation to the DH.9a front cockpit coaming – quite different to the OP photo. So again – any photo comparison?

In post #3 – Versuch posted a picture of a DH9A Instrument Panel – good enough for a positive ID that the subject picture is indeed a DH9A – it is a very prominent and distinctive Fuel Selector Knob at Top Centre of instrument panel.

Does anyone have a good comparison shot of a DH.9a trainer?

The SA DH9 is not a standard production trainer,the OP picture is definitely a DH9A trainer.

So not a DH.9; is the DH.9a any different? So far the raised rear cockpit seems to be the defining feature.

Any info on the guys in the photo, Adrian? They’re very similar in looks.

I have asked the question, and will relay any answer.

Adrian

Aldis Sight cut out maybe ?

Why has the front windscreen got a semi circular cut out on the right side?

I’d go for the DH9A as well. The combing at the back of the rear cockpit on the Siskin DC was notably higher than the front, and the rear cabane struts were set at a sharp angle. Neither feature appears in this shot

Plus – I’m not aware of Siskins being operated much outside the Home squadrons (happy to be corrected). The occupant of the rear is wearing a Pith helmet so presumably a middle east or India location?

3 Siskins IIIAs of 4 FTS were used in Egypt. I’m still going DH.9 too though 🙂

Any info on the guys in the photo, Adrian? They’re very similar in looks.

Not a Siskin III panel and the upper wing chord appears to be too narrow, not the Siskin’s 7′ chord.

Regards
John

Westland Wapiti maybe? An oddity that differs from all DH9/9A pictures that I can find (and the Wapiti for that matter) is the straight front and cut down side to the front cockpit. Certainly the DH9 two-seater trainer in the Johannesburg military museum does not have cockpits like this, or the sloped-down decking from rear to front cockpit – though it was apparently a local modification to make it a two-seater trainer.

Nope – I’m wrong – front cockpit shape does fit the DH9A, as per the RAF museum example. So DH9A seems the best bet!

Australian War Memorial goes one better… also the original photo post 1,the top wing trailing edge appears not to be so close to the pilot as it would be for a Siskin.

For me it’s definitely a dual-control DH9A, the clinchers are the position of the control cables on the fuselage side and the rake angle of the cabane struts. On the DC Siskin, the external bell-crank and control cables are at the bottom of the fuselage side, rather than the higher position seen in the above photo. The Siskin also had splayed cabane struts, with the rear struts splaying rearward. In the pic above the struts are raked forward.

There was a 1920’s order placed for DH9A’s in several variants, including a number of dual-control examples.

I’d go for the DH9A as well. The combing at the back of the rear cockpit on the Siskin DC was notably higher than the front, and the rear cabane struts were set at a sharp angle. Neither feature appears in this shot

Plus – I’m not aware of Siskins being operated much outside the Home squadrons (happy to be corrected). The occupant of the rear is wearing a Pith helmet so presumably a middle east or India location?

Yes, very similar to Siskin IIIDC but I think, as well as the fuel selector, the bracket and cut-out on the left below the front cockpit points to the DH.9

Siskin IIIDC