Thede Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haulbiplaneairliner developed and produced by British aircraft companyde Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its plywood construction.
Developed during the early 1930s, the Dragon Rapide was essentially a smaller, twin-engined version of the four-enginedDH.86 Express, and shared a number of common features, such as its tapered wings, streamlined fairings andGipsy Six engines. First named the "Dragon Six", the type was marketed as "Dragon Rapide" and later simply known as the "Rapide". Upon its introduction in summer 1934, it proved to be a popular aircraft with airlines and private civil operators alike, attaining considerable foreign sales in addition to its domestic use.
Upon the outbreak of theSecond World War, many of the civil Rapides were pressed into service with theRoyal Air Force (RAF) andRoyal Navy. Referred to in military service by the namede Havilland Dominie, the type was employed for radio and navigation training, passenger transport and communications missions. British training aircraft had names with educational associations, anddominie is aScots term for a school teacher.
Hundreds of Dominies were also constructed during the war. Other Rapides continued to be operated by British airlines throughout the war under the auspices of theAssociated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). Postwar, many military aircraft were returned to civilian service. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, thede Havilland Dove.
During summer 1933, thede Havilland aircraft company commenced work upon an aircraft to meet anAustralian requirement, producing a four-engined faster passenger aircraft capable of seating ten passengers, theDH.86 Dragon Express.[2] An important feature of the DH.86 was the newly developed and powerfulGipsy Six engine, a six-cylinder variant of the four cylinderGipsy Major engine. The DH.86 would serve as the a key starting point for the later DH.89.[2]
During late 1933, a team at de Havilland, led by aircraft designerArthur Ernest Hagg, began working on a new design, intended to be a faster and more comfortable successor to the earlierDH.84 Dragon. The new aircraft was, in effect, a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the four-enginedDH.86 Express.[2] It shared many common features with the earlier DH.86 Express, including its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and fuselage, as well as the same Gipsy Six engines.[2] However, the DH.89 demonstrated none of the operational vices of the Express.
Cabin
On 17 April 1934, the prototype conducted itsmaiden flight atHatfield Aerodrome,Hertfordshire.[2] Flown by senior de Havilland test pilot H.S. Broad, it was powered by a pair of 200 horsepower (150 kW) Gypsy Six engines. Even prior to the prototype's first flight, plans to proceed with serial production of DH.89 had already received the go-ahead from management.[2] During May 1934, airworthiness trials commenced atRAF Martlesham Heath using the prototype; during one such flight, upon attaining a speed of roughly 175 miles per hour (282 km/h), the tip of the aircraft's nose buckled. In response to this event, a maximum permissible speed of 160 mph (260 km/h) was implemented for all DH89s.[2] Upon the conclusion of trials, the prototype was sold.[2]
By November 1934, series production of the Rapide had reached full swing.[3] Originally referred to as the "Dragon Six", the aircraft was first marketed as the "Dragon Rapide", although the type later came to be popularly referred to as simply the "Rapide".[2] Prior to the outbreak of theSecond World War, 205 aircraft were manufactured for airlines and other private owners all around the world. The Rapide is perhaps the most successful British-built short-haul commercial passenger aircraft to be produced during the 1930s.
In response to the issuing ofSpecification G.18/35 by the BritishAir Ministry, de Havilland decided to design and produce a single prototype of a modified Rapide for undertaking coastal reconnaissance.[3] Trials using the prototype,K4772, were performed between April and June 1935 at RAF Martlesham Heath andRAF Gosport. However, it ultimately lost out to its rival, theAvro Anson.[3] K4772 was later used by theRoyal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in automatic landing trials before being broken down for spares. Work on a militarised version of the Rapide was not wasted as multiple sales were soon completed with other military customers, the first of which being to the Spanish government in December 1935.[3]
Sensing demand for the type, de Havilland continued to modify the Rapide's design following its entry to service, creating both refinements and entirely new derivatives as a result. Aiming to produce a faster version of the Rapide, a smaller, lighter and externally cleaner version, designated as theDH.90 Dragonfly, emerged; first flying in August 1935, the DH.90 failed to achieve a similar rate of sales to the Rapide and production was terminated in 1938 after 67 aircraft had been completed.[4] In November 1935, the 60th airframe to be produced,G-ADWZ, was modified and used by de Havilland as a trials aircraft. Fitted with elongated rear windows, cabin heating, thickened wing tips, and a strengthened airframe to allow for an elevated gross weight of 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg), G-ADWZ later participated in trials at Martlesham Heath, after which the higher gross weight was cleared for service.[4]
In response to the announcement of an air race between Britain andJohannesburg,South Africa, de Havilland's design team produced a specialised variant of the Rapid, designated as theDH.92 Dolphin.[4] This one-off derivative featured a retractableundercarriage, an expanded wingspan of 53 feet 7 inches (16.33 m), a modified nose section, and an increased all-up weight of 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg); however, flight tests in August 1936 revealed there to be no performance improvement over the standard Rapide, leading to the sole Dolphin being scrapped months later.[5]
In November 1936, in response to suggestions that the addition offlaps would aid in landing, a single Rapide was modified in order to explore their functionality.[6] Based on this performance, in February 1937, de Havilland announced that flaps would be fitted to all production aircraft from that year onwards, while other improvements such as a downwards-facing recognition light and metal propellers could be fitted as options. From 1937, to signify the fitting of improvedtrailing edge flaps, aircraft thus equipped were accordingly re-designated asDH.89A; earlier-built Rapides were commonly retrofitted to this standard during their service life as well.[6]
During July 1934, the first production Rapide,G-ACPM, performed the type's public debut at Hatfield with its entry into the 1934King's Cup Race.[2] While having achieved an average speed of 158 MPH, G-ACPM had to be withdrawn from the race during Heat 9 of Round 2 when the wing sustained damage caused byhail while flying overWaddington, Lincolnshire. Another purpose-built Rapide,ZK'-ACO, was entered into the 1934MacRobertson Air Race; fitted with three additional fuel tanks within the fuselage to extend the aircraft's range to 1,000 miles, the aircraft, flown by Squadron Leader J.D. Hewett and Mr C.E. Kay, took sixth place in the handicap race and fifth place in the speed race.[7]
In the summer of 1934, the type entered service with UK-based airlines, with Hillman Airways Ltd being first to take delivery in July.TheAnglo-Persian Oil Company was another early company to purchase the Rapide; used for quick communications purposes between individual oil fields spread out over vast distances, the aircraft quickly became popular in the oil industry, with theIraq Petroleum Company and theAsiatic Petroleum Company also procuring their own Rapides.[3]
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".[8]Isle of Man Air Services operated a fleet of Rapides on scheduled services fromRonaldsway 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.
During late 1935, the first of an initial batch of 16 Rapides were shipped to the manufacturer's Canadian branch,de Havilland Canada, for modification and re-sale purposes.[3] Canadian aircraft received various changes, including an extended dorsalfin and a modified undercarriage arrangement, allowing for either wheels, skis, orfloats to be interchangeably installed, dependent upon usage and weather conditions.[3] The sole Canadian prototype,CF-AEO, was sold ontoQuebec Airways in June 1935. Further Rapides were delivered to other customers in Canada, such asCanadian Airways, who used it on theirWest Coast and maritime routes.[9]
On 30 January 1942, the majority of major Canadian operators were amalgamated intoCanadian Pacific Air Lines, who continued to use the type.[4] Further Canadian sales of the Rapide would occur both during and after the end of theSecond World War.
During 1938, British operatorAirwork Limited placed an initial order for nine Rapides to serve as navigation trainers.[6] The order had been motivated by policy changes within the British Air Ministry, which sought to expand this capability. Repeat orders were placed by Airwork in the lead up to the Second World War, upon which point the firm's fleet of Rapides were all taken on by theRoyal Air Force (RAF).[6]
Edward,Prince of Wales (laterEdward VIII), owned a single Dragon Rapide (G-ADDD), which he frequently used for carrying out his royal duties. He flew this aircraft to London on his accession as king in 1936, making him the first British monarch to fly.[10]
At the start of theSecond World War on 3 September 1939, all British civil transport aircraft were requisitioned by theMinistry of Aircraft Production. A number of Dragon Rapides were used to provide internal flights under the control ofNational Air Communications (NAC).[6] Perhaps one of the most significant early uses of the Rapide during the war occurred during the crucial weeks of May–June 1940 during theBattle of France, Rapides of24 Squadron acted as aerialcouriers between Britain and France; out of 24 aircraft, 10 Rapides were lost.[6]
Following the closure of the NAC network, Dragon Rapides continued to fly for British airlines during the war as part of theAssociated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). Upon the outbreak of war, all civil services had been halted but some routes were returned to operation as and when they were deemed of value to the war effort or found to be in the national interest.[12] The AAJC co-ordinated the majority of UK's wartime scheduled services, which were entirely operated on over-water routes.[13] Other Dragon Rapides were pressed into service with the British armed forces as communications aircraft and training aircraft; Australian Rapides were also requisitioned by theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF).[12]
The final production Rapide was completed in November 1941, de Havilland instead produced the military Dominie variant.[13] Over 500 Dominies were manufactured for military use, powered by improvedGipsy Queen engines; by the end of production in July 1946, 727 aircraft (Rapides and Dominies) had been manufactured.[14] During the war, Dominie production was performed by de Havilland andBrush Coachworks Ltd, the latter being responsible for the greater proportion of the work. The Dominies were mainly used by theRoyal Air Force (RAF) andRoyal Navy for radio and navigation training. Other duties they were used for included passenger and communications missions.[13]
During the war, civilian Rapides were replaced by Dominies as the type became available in greater quantities.[13] Rapides were either dispatched to perform passenger operations or occasionally converted for other purposes, such asAir Ambulances; by the end of the conflict, only nine requisitioned Rapides were restored to their civilian registrations. These were joined by many Dominies which had been deemed to be surplus to requirements.[13]
Postwar, the Dominie continued to be used for some time by Royal Naval air station flights as communications aircraft.[15] By 1960, the Royal Navy still had a fleet of 14 Dominies, although under normal circumstances only three were in use and the others were stored atRAF Lossiemouth,Moray,Scotland. The last of the Navy Dominies had been phased out of service during 1963; thirteen aircraft were subsequently sold on via publictender, a number of which having been converted to civil Rapide configurations.[15]
Many ex-RAF survivors had quickly entered commercial service after the war according to aviation author Peter W. Moss, a typical Dominie-to-Rapide conversion performed by de Havilland involved the repainting of the exterior (replacing the wartimecamouflage scheme) and the installation ofsound proofing,upholstered seats and a new décor within the cabin area.[16] Third party companies performed conversion schemes, includingField Aircraft Services, Airwork Limited,Air Enterprises,W.A. Rollason Limited and theLancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC).[17] By 1958, 81 examples were recorded as still flying on the British register.
In the Netherlands, airlineKLM, keen to restart operations, set about procuring a handful of Rapides prior to the end of the war, commencing the first of its re-launched services during September 1945.[17] Various British airlines also became prolific users of the type;British European Airways (BEA), formed on 1 January 1946, took over 39 Rapides during February 1947. BEA used many across its fledgling network, later focusing upon services within the Scottish,Scilly, andChannel Islands while gradually selling on displaced and excess aircraft via Airwork.[17] Small independent British airlines that chose to resist pressure from the British government tomerge into BEA also commonly operated the Rapide.[17]
Better to distinguish different standards of Rapides available after the war, de Havilland established a basic mark number system.[17] Mk 1 aircraft were those constructed pre-war, while Mk 2 and Mk 3 Rapides were ex-military conversions to a six-passenger cabin and eight-passenger cabin respectively. Those Rapides that were re-engined with a pair ofde Havilland Gipsy Queen engines, were referred to as Mk 4s. These had an improved climb, cruise speed and single engine performance but an increased all-up weight of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg).[17]
By 1966, use of the Rapide had gone into decline and several large operators had stopped using the type.[18] Due to the declining stocks of spares, Rapides were broken up to scavenge parts to maintain other active aircraft. Demand for such an aircraft was still relatively strong, according to Moss.[15]
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, while operators including Classic Wings and Plane Heritage, offer pleasure flights in them to the general public. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, thede Havilland Dove.
30 December 1936, G-AEGS of the Iraqi Petroleum Petrol Transport Company overturned in a forced landing inPalestine, two killed.[56][57]
21 August 1937, CF-BBG Registered 10.6.37 toThe Globe and Mail Ltd, Toronto. Named "The Flying Newsroom" and equipped with floats. Destroyed by fire whilst refuelling Toronto Air Harbour, Toronto, Ontario 21.8.37. Registration cancelled 21.8.37 (same day)[58]
20 July 1944, VH-UBN owned by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation, but leased toGuinea Airways, crashed at Mount Kitchener, South Australia, probably as the result of pilot disorientation in cloud, killing all seven on board.[61]
6 February 1945, SU-ABP ofMisr Airwork crashed in Egypt, seven killed.[56]
30 August 1946, X7394 a Dominie of the Royal Navy crashed atScafell Pike,Cumberland, England in bad weather during an ambulance flight, five killed.[56]
10 June 1948, G-AIUI ofHargreaves Airways crashed atCronk 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.[64]
11 November 1948, G-AKOF ofMannin Airways flying fromDublin, Ireland and unable to land at Ronaldsway diverted to Speke but ran out of fuel and crashed inRiver Mersey off Liverpool, England,[65][66] eight killed.[56]
14 September 1952, G-AIZI crashed shortly after takeoff fromCroydon Airport atWallington, Surrey following a loss of power from the starboard engine. The pilot, the only person on board, was killed.[68]
30 August 1953, VP-RCP, registered to the Northern Rhodesian Government, Department of Civil Aviation (Lusaka),[69] crash-landed near the Munyamadzi River, at a village named Lambwe in Chief Nawalya’s area, Mpika District (then Northern Rhodesia), close to the Rhodesia/Nyasaland border and roughly 100 miles from Lundazi. Four occupants were injured (including fractures to the pilot); all reached Lundazi Boma by 2 September 1953 after a bush rescue.[70]
29 June 1957, G-AGUE ofIsland Air Services crashed on takeoff fromRamsgate Airport, Kent on a local pleasure flight. The aircraft was written off, but all on board escaped uninjured.[72]
F-AZCA is preserved in France (Amicale Jean Baptiste Salis at La Ferté Alais) Used for a double transatlantic flight in the late 1980s as an advertising vehicle forBlueway cigarettes. It is scheduled for restoration.[76]
G-ACPP, on display at theReynolds-Alberta Museum Fame inWetaskiwin Alberta. The fifth D.H.89 built, and started its career with Railway Air Services Ltd of Croydon, UK on 2 Feb. 1935 with the name 'City of Bristol'. It is the oldest surviving D.H.89.[77]
G-ACYR, in Olley Air Service Livery, used to fly Franco from the Canary Islands in the first days of the Spanish Civil War, based atMuseo del Aire (Madrid).[78]
G-ADDD (was G-ACZE, N1934D), a DH89A currently undergoing restoration to flying condition at theMilitary Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[80]
G-AEML / EC-AAY, a DH89A in the livery ofIberia, is airworthy and operated by the Fundación Infante de Orleans in Spain.[81]
G-AGJG, a DH89A, in the colours of Scottish Airways, is airworthy and in the hands of private owners at Duxford Airfield, Cambridge, England.[82]
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