The Maharaja's Bomber

The early architecture of strategic airpower is brought vividly to life. Captured from a breathtaking head-on perspective, this Airco DH.9 biplane showcases the raw, functional exposure of its mechanics, highlighted by the intricate, open-air cylinders of its inline engine. The sunlight glints brilliantly off the taut, silver-doped wings and complex wire rigging, creating a striking contrast with the modern, geometric lines of the solar farm and agricultural fields far below. With the pilot clearly visible behind the wind deflector and the propeller rendered as a smooth, kinetic blur, the photograph perfectly balances precise technical execution with the visceral, wind-swept reality of early 20th-century aviation.

Historical Background:

Constructed in 1918 by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, this Airco DH.9, bearing the serial number E8894, was originally designed as a strategic day bomber.

Despite being built for the First World War, it likely saw no combat and was instead placed in storage.

After the war, the aircraft was shipped to India and presented to the Maharaja of Bikaner as part of the Imperial Gift Scheme to help establish a local defense force.

The bomber lay largely unused for decades and was eventually discovered resting in a disused elephant stable.

Recovered around the year 2000, the heavily degraded and termite-damaged airframe was brought back to the UK by the Historic Aircraft Collection.

Following an exhaustive restoration by Retrotec, which included fitting an original 230 hp Siddeley Puma engine, the aircraft made its first post-restoration flight in May 2019.

Today, E8894 holds the remarkable distinction of being the only original First World War bomber flying anywhere in the world.