New Standard D-25


The New Standard D-25 was a five-seat agricultural and joy-riding aircraft produced in the US from 1928.

Development

Designed by Charles H. Day, the D-25 was developed from his four-passenger D-24 which was equipped with a Hispano-Suiza E eight-cylinder radial engine and built in Paterson, New Jersey. This was underpowered, and production switched to a Wright J-5 engine, the new model being renamed the D-25. It received its type certificate in February 1929. The retail price was $9,750. Some of the existing D-24s were converted to D-25 specification, including one by its owner, famous barnstormer Johnny Miller.

Construction

The D-25 was constructed primarily from Duralumin and wood. Duralumin stringers were used for the fuselage, with duralumin sheets riveted onto them. Unlike the fuselage, the wings were mostly of wood, with a main spar made of spruce, basswood for the stringers, and plywood for reinforcement, along with fabric coverings for the wing area and control surfaces. The D series was quite distinctive in having sesquiplane wings with the upper wing, of much bigger span and chord, supported on tall cabane and interplane struts.

Operational use

Seating for four passengers was provided in the open front cockpit, described as "chummy", with the pilot in the single seat open rear cockpit. Variations in seating arrangement reflected the role of the different variants. The rugged structure gave the New Standard Ds a long-life, leading to the respectable number that survived the abuse of joy-riding, mail carrying and crop dusting for many years. New Standard ceased trading in 1930 but production restarted with around nine being built from 1933 through 1937, most of these being used for crop dusting.
Two D-25As that had been confiscated from smugglers were acquired by the US Coast Guard in 1935, designated NT-2.

Variants

Gates-Day GD-24 - precursor to New Standard D series 3 built.New Standard D-24 - production version of GD-24 4 built + 2 converted from GD-24.New Standard D-25 - 5-seat "joy-rider"
  • * New Standard D-25A - 225 hp Wright J-6
  • * New Standard D-25B - 300 hp Wright J-6 crop-duster produced by White Aircraft Co. 1940
  • * New Standard D-25C - alternative designation of D-29S
  • * New Standard D-25X - modified D-25 construction number 203.
  • * New Standard NT-2 - 2 x D-25 impounded from whiskey smugglers, donated to US Coast Guard.New Standard D-26 - 3-seat business/executive transport.
  • * New Standard D-26A & D-26B - D-26 with 225 hp Wright J-6.New Standard D-27 - single seat mail/cargo carrier
  • * New Standard D-27A - D-27 with night flying equipmentNew Standard D-28 - floatplane conversion of D-26New Standard D-30 - floatplane modified D-25New Standard D-25 - New production of modified D-25As

Operators