Mk 4 Mk 4 Aircraft powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Queen 2 piston engines. GAV 2268-236
The DH89 “Dragon Rapide” is the second of a familly of four members: the DH84 “Dragon”, DH86 “Dragon Express” , DH89 “Dragon Rapide” and the DH90 “Dragonfly”. Named after the twin-winged Dragon(fly) insect, those four planes greatly contributed to the developpment of airline travel with nearly all scheduled flight service in UK using one or several types of the Dragon familly. The was developed in 1933/34 as a light general purpose transport, the proto-type flying on April 17, 1934. Total of 728 built, including 206 as Dragon Rapide up to 1939 and remainder as RAF Dominies, noted below, all with 200 hp Gipsy Queen III engines. Deliveries includ-ed two to RAF in 1938 for communications to Specification 21/38, three as R/T trainers to Specification and two as VIP transports, plus two to RAAF for communi-cations. In 1939, 44 assigned to NAC in UK, of which 14 operated in civil guise for internal communications through-out war; 43 ex-civil examples impressed for RAF use, including ambulance duties, ATA ferry service and Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Units. About eight impressed in India, plus four ex-RAF Dominies civil-registered for use by Air India and then also impressed. Seven civil impressed in Australia for RAAF as radio/navigation trainers until 1944; six impressed for RNZAF, several for SAAF. A number of Dragon Rapides was operated during the war by the Luftwaffe. They included two ex-Latvian and two ex-Lithuanian aircraft originally captured by the Soviet forces, and then by the Luftwaffe. Dominie: Production of from 1939 onwards for military purposes; name Dominie adopted 1941, with Mk I for navigation and W/T training and Mk II for communications with six passengers and two crew. Production totals, 186 by DH at Hatfield and 336 by Brush Coachworks at Loughborough, to 1945. Some transferred to USAAF in Europe; nine to RNZAF, 18 to SAAF and others to Allied air forces for communications duties. Max sp
Size: 6027px × 4057px
Location: Dalcross Airport, Inverness. Highland Region. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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