De Havilland Dragon Rapide
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| DH.89 Dragon Rapide/Dominie | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Short-haul airliner |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland |
| Maiden flight | 17 April 1934 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 731 |
- The correct title of this article is de Havilland Dragon Rapide. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s. Designed late in 1933 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 larger aircraft including its tapered wings, streamlined farings and the Gipsy Six engine, but it demonstrated none of the operational vices of the larger aircraft and went on to become perhaps the most successful British-built commercial passenger aircraft of the 1930s.
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[edit] Development and history
The prototype first flew on 17 April 1934 and 205 were built for owners all around the world before the outbreak of World War II. Originally designated the "Dragon Six" it was first marketed as "Dragon Rapide" although was later just called a "Rapide". With the fitting of improved trailing edge flaps from 1936 they were redesignated DH.89As.
One famous incident involving the use of a DH.89 was in 1936 when Francisco Franco escaped in one from Canarias to the Spanish Morocco, at the start of the Spanish Civil War.
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. They were used for passengers duties and radio navigation training. Over 500 more were built specifically for military purposes, powered by improved Gipsy Queen engines, to bring total production to 731. Many survivors entered commercial service after the war, and 81 were still flying on the British register in 1958. Dominie production was by both de Havilland and Brush Coachworks Ltd, the latter making the greater proportion.
The DH.89 proved a very durable aircraft despite its relatively primative plywood construction and many were still flying in the early 2000s. Several Rapides are still operational in the UK and several suppliers still offer pleasure flights in them. 2 Rapides are still airworthy in New Zealand
[edit] Variants
- D.H.89 Dragon Six :
- D.H.89A :
- D.H.89A Mk 4 :
- D.H.89A Mk 5 :
- D.H.89M : Military version.
- Dominie Mk I :
- Dominie Mk II :
- D.H.89B :
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil
- Aero Oy, Finland (2)
- Australian National Airways
- Canadian Airways
- K.L.M.
- Indian National Airways
[edit] Military
- Australia
- Finland
- Israel
- Lithuania - Two D.H.89M biplanes.
- New Zealand - RNZAF
- South Africa
- Spain - Three D.H.89M biplanes.
- United Kingdom - Fleet Air Arm, Royal Air Force
- United States
[edit] Popular culture
A de Havilland Dragon Rapide, the Sky Gypsy, appears in Out of Time an episode of the BBC Science Fiction television series Torchwood, in which one is accidentally flown through a "transcendental portal" and travels from 1953 over 50 years into its passengers future.
[edit] Specifications (Dragon Rapide)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 8 passengers
- Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.5 m)
- Wingspan: 48 ft 0 in (14.6 m)
- Height: 10 ft 3 in (3.1 m)
- Wing area: 340 ft² (32 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,230 lb (1,460 kg)
- Loaded weight: 5,500 lb (2,490 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× de Havilland Gipsy Six inline engine, 200 hp (150 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 157 mph (136 knots, 253 km/h) at 1,000 ft (300 m)
- Range: 573 mi (498 nm, 920 km)
- Service ceiling: 16,700 ft (5,090 m)
- Rate of climb: 867 ft/min (4.3 m/s)
- Wing loading: 16 lb/ft² (79 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.036 hp/lb (60 W/kg)
[edit] References
- A. J. Jackson. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II, 1988, London: Putnam (Conway Maritime Press).
[edit] Related content
Related development
Designation sequence
Related lists
Timeline of aviation
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