A tailless swept-wing biplane, it was designed by J. W. Dunne and built by Short Brothers at Leysdown for his company, the Blair Atholl Aeroplane Syndicate Ltd. Like its military predecessors it was driven by twin pusher propellers, but it had a considerably more powerful engine.

On leaving the Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough in 1909, J. W. Dunne set up the Blair Atholl Aeroplane Syndicate Ltd., to continue developing his unusual tailless swept-wing aircraft, none of which had yet flown under power.

The D.5 was his first design for them and it followed the general layout of the earlier D.4 Army machine in having a tailless, swept biplane wing with pronounced wash-out and endplates, and driven by twin pusher propellers.

Construction of the main airframe was contracted to Short Brothers, who occupied sheds alongside the Syndicate's at the Aero Club of Great Britain's new flying ground at Shellbeach on the Isle of Sheppey.

[2] Following construction at Leysdown, the D.5 was taken to Eastchurch, the new site of the (now Royal) Aero Club and the Syndicate located a short distance away on Sheppey.

Two demonstration flights were made for the Royal Aero Club in December 1910, officially witnessed by the visiting Orville Wright and by Griffith Brewer.