What s the greatest machine of the 1930s the de havilland dragon rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a 1930s British short-haul biplane airliner for 6–8 passengers. It proved an economical and durable craft, despite its relatively primitive plywood construction.
In late 1933, the Dragon Rapide was designed at the de Havilland company as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon. It was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the four-engined DH.86 Express. It shared many common features with the DH.86 Express, including its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and Gipsy Six engines but it demonstrated none of the operational vices of the Express and went on to become perhaps the most successful British-built short-haul commercial passenger aircraft of the 1930s.
Prewar operations
On 17 April 1934, the prototype aircraft first flew at Hatfield and 205 aircraft were built for airlines and other owners all around the world, before the outbreak of World War II. Originally called the "Dragon Six" it was first marketed as "Dragon Rapide", although later it was popularly referred to as the "Rapide". From 1936, with the fitting of improved trailing edgeflaps, they were redesignated DH.89As.
In the summer of 1934, the type entered service with UK-based airlines, with Hillman Airways Ltd being first to take delivery in July. From August 1934, Railway Air Services (RAS) operated a fleet of Dragon Rapides on routes linking London, the north of England and on to Northern Ireland and Scotland. The RAS DH.89s were named after places on the network, for example "Star of Lancashire".
Isle of Man Air Services operated a fleet of Rapides on scheduled services from Ronaldsway Airport near Castletown to airports in north-west England including Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester. Some of its aircraft had been transferred to it after operation by Railway Air Services.
Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), owned a Dragon Rapide (G-ADDD), which he used for royal duties. He flew this aircraft to London on his accession as king in 1936, being the first British monarch to fly.
One famous incident was in July 1936 when two British SIS agents, Cecil Bebb and Major Hugh Pollard, flew Francisco Franco in Dragon Rapide G-ACYR from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco, at the start of the military rebellion which began the Spanish Civil War. It is on display in the Museo del Aire, Madrid.
World War Two
At the start of World War II, many (Dragon) Rapides were impressed by the British armed forces and served under the name de Havilland Dominie, for passenger and communications duties. Over 500 more were built for military use, powered by improved Gipsy Queen engines, to bring total production to 731. The Dominies were mainly used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy for radio and navigation training. Postwar they were used as communications aircraft by Royal Naval air station flights.
Other civilian Dragon Rapides continued to fly for UK airlines as part of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). The AAJC co-ordinated the UKs wartime scheduled services which were entirely operated on over-water routes.
After the war, many ex-RAF survivors entered commercial service; in 1958, 81 examples were still flying on the British register. dominie production was by de Havilland and Brush Coachworks Ltd, the latter making the greater proportion.
Postwar operations
The DH.89 proved an economical and durable aircraft, despite its relatively primitive plywood construction and many were still flying in the early 2000s. Several Dragon Rapides are operational in the UK and several operators including Classic Wings and Plane Heritage offer pleasure flights in them. After the Second World War de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, the de Havilland Dove.
Variants
D.H.89
Twin-engined light transport biplane. First production version.
D.H.89A
Improved version, fitted with a landing light in the nose, modified wing tips and cabin heating.
D.H.89A Series 4
D.H.89A aircraft converted to two de Havilland Gipsy Queen 2 piston engines, fitted with constant speed propellers.
D.H.89A Mk 5
One D.H.89A aircraft, powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Queen 3 piston engines, fitted with variable-pitch propellers.
D.H.89A Mk 6
One D.H.89A aircraft fitted with Fairey X5 fixed-pitch propellers.
D.H.89M
Military transport version. Exported to Lithuania and Spain.
30 December 1936, G-AEGS of the Iraqi Petroleum Petrol Transport Company overturned in a forced landing in Palestine, two killed.
3 July 1938, G-AEBX Star of Scotia of Railway Air Services crashed at Sydenham, Northern Ireland, two killed.
20 June 1939, G-AERE operated by British American Air Services crashed in County Durham, England. John Crouch who was the king's jockey, the pilot and the wireless operator were all killed.
27 May 1941, R5929 a Dominie of the Royal Air Force near Devizes, Wiltshire, England, seven killed.
7 July 1941, R9563 a Dominie of the Royal Navy crashed in bad weather three miles North of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, six killed.
14 February 1942, R5927 a Dominie of the Royal Air Force hit a balloon cable and crashed near Colnbrook, Wiltshire, England, six killed.
6 February 1945, SU-ABP of Misr Airwork crashed in Egypt, seven killed.
1 April 1946, G-AERZ of Railway Air Services crashed in County Down, Northern Ireland, six killed.
30 August 1946, X7394 a Dominie of the Royal Navy crashed at Scafell Pike, Cumberland, England in bad weather during an ambulance flight, five killed.
15 April 1947, G-AHKR of British European Airways crashed into Slieu Ruy whilst operating a scheduled passenger flight from Speke Airport, Liverpool, Lancashire to Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man. There were only minor injuries amongst the six people on board.
10 June 1948, G-AIUI of Hargreaves Airways crashed at Cronk ny Arrey Laa, Isle of Man. Seven of the nine people on board were killed. The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Speke to Ronaldsway.
11 November 1948, G-AKOF of Mannin Airways flying from Dublin, Ireland and unable to land at Ronaldsway diverted to Speke but ran out of fuel and crashed in River Mersey off Liverpool, England, eight killed.
10 July 1951, G-ALXJ of the Air Navigation and Trading Company crashed into the Irish Sea off Laxey, Isle of Man, killing the pilot. The aircraft was operating a scheduled cargo flight from Squires Gate Airport, Blackpool, Lancashire to RAF Jurby instead of its normal destination of Ronaldsway Airport, which was fogbound.
14 September 1952, G-AIZI crashed shortly after take off from Croydon Airport at Wallington, Surrey following a loss of power from the starboard engine. The pilot, the only person on board, was killed.
29 June 1957, G-AGUE of Island Air Services crashed on takeoff from Ramsgate Airport, Kent on a local pleasure flight. The aircraft was written off, but all on board escaped uninjured.
16 July 1960, OY-DZY of Zonens Redningskorps crashed shortly after takeoff from Copenhagen Airport, Denmark. The aircraft was chartered by the Danish Football Association to transport soccer players to a test match in Jutland. All eight passengers were killed; the pilot survived but had one leg amputated.
Surviving aircraft
G-ADAH, a DH89A in the livery of Allied Airways, is on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England.
G-AEML / EC-AAY, a DH89A in the livery of Iberia, is airworthy and operated by the Fundación Infante de Orleans in Spain.
G-AGJG, a DH89A, in the colours of Scottish Airways, is airworthy and in the hands of private owners at Duxford Airfield, Cambridge, England.
G-AGTM, a DH89A, is airworthy and was operated by the Classic Air Force before it closed in 2016.
G-AHAG, a DH89A in the livery of Scillonia Airways, is airworthy and based at Membury airfield, Berkshire.
G-AIDL, a DH98A Mk 6, is airworthy and flown from the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum in Tangmere, West Sussex.
G-AKIF and G-AIYR, a pair of DH89A Dragon Rapides, are airworthy and based at Duxford, England airfield for tourist flights.
