The World’s Only Flying WWI Bomber Is Up for Sale

A piece of living aviation history has just hit the market. Platinum Fighter Sales has listed the Airco DH.9, the world’s only original World War I bomber still flying — a one-of-a-kind aircraft that bridges the dawn of strategic air power with the present day.

A Bomber That Changed History

The Airco DH.9 was one of Britain’s first purpose-built strategic bombers. Designed around the 200 hp Siddeley Puma engine, it was meant to improve on the successful DH.4. While the Puma proved temperamental, the DH.9 still became one of the most widely produced aircraft of the Great War, with more than 2,000 built.

During the conflict, these bombers flew raids over Germany and the Western Front, patrolled against U-boats, and served in far-flung theaters like the Middle East and India. After the Armistice, their rugged versatility saw them repurposed as airliners and couriers across the British Empire.

A Rare Survivor

Despite their widespread use, almost no DH.9s remain today. That’s what makes E-8894, now registered G-CDLI, so extraordinary. Rescued from India after years of negotiation and painstakingly restored by Retrotec in East Sussex, this aircraft returned to the skies in 2018 with its original engine intact. It is the only airworthy WWI bomber in existence — and the last surviving flyer of Britain’s postwar Imperial Gift Scheme.

Its sister aircraft, D-5649, was preserved in a non-flying state and now rests in the Imperial War Museum’s Airspace hangar. Together, they represent a remarkable recovery effort led by Aero Vintage, ensuring the DH.9’s legacy endures.