03/31/2013. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Characterized by the pronounced negative stagger of its mainplanes, which resulted from an attempt on the part of Geoffrey de Havilland to combine the performance of the tractor biplane with the cockpit visibility of pusher aircraft, the prototype D.H.5 (s/n A5172) was flown late in 1916, and entered service in May 1917.

Immensely strong and possessing docile handling qualities, but easily out-flown by contemporary fighters at altitudes above 10,000 ft (3,050 m), the D.H.5 was of wooden construction with plywood and fabric skinning. Power was provided by a 100 hp Le Rhône 9J nine-cylinder rotary and armament consisted of a single 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers gun.

Some 550 were built, 200 by Airco (Aircraft Manufacturing Company), 200 by Darracq Motor Engineering, and 50 by British Caudron (all three in London, UK), while the balance was built by March, Jones and Cribb of Leeds. However, the D.H.5 was deemed to be of limited success, only 483 went into service with the RFC, and these had been withdrawn from operations by the end of January 1918."