DW Image # 89: Tail skid of De Havilland DH-4 (Neg #D52), circa 1918

Tail skid of the De Havilland DH-4 at the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company. The photograph shows the tail skid of the De Havilland DH-4 at the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, circa 1918. The tail skid was a steerable unit that attached to the bottom of the fuselage near the tail. The skid was usually made of a single piece of ash or oak and encased in steel that had lightening holes cut into it. The unit would be mounted on a shaft that entered the fuselage and attached to a socket. The socket had two heavy duty springs on a bell crank arm that hooked onto the rudder post. The springs helped absorb the shock of landing and protect the rudder. A large bungee would also be attached to help soften the landings. The negative is labeled as D52.