de Havilland Dragon

DH.84 Dragon
Role	Passenger and military transport / trainer
Manufacturer	de Havilland
First flight	12 November 1932
Introduction	April 1933
Number built	202

The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon was a successful small commercial aircraft designed and built by the de Havilland company.

Design and construction

Following the commercial success of its single-engined De Havilland Fox Moth that had first flown in March 1932, that aircraft's original commercial operator Hillman's Airways requested that a larger twin-engined version be built. It was a simple, light design with a plywood box fuselage using the same type of engine and similar outer wing sections of the earlier single-engined aircraft. It was originally designated the DH.84 "Dragon Moth" but marketed as the "Dragon." The prototype became the first production example and entered commercial service in April 1933. It could carry 6 passengers each with 45 lb (20 kg) of luggage on the London-Paris route on a fuel consumption of just 13 gal (49 l) per hour. The wing panels outboard of the engines could be folded for storage.^[1]

Operational service

The inaugural service of the Irish Airline Aer Lingus was provided by a DH Dragon, EI-ABI "Iolar", which means "Eagle" in the Irish language. For the 50th anniversary of the airline in 1986, a replacement Dragon was acquired and restored as the "Iolar".

The "Dragon" proved very attractive as a short-haul low capacity airliner and was soon in service worldwide. From the 63rd aircraft late in 1933, the "Dragon 2" with improvements including individually framed windows and faired undercarriage struts was produced. Even though these changes were largely cosmetic the streamlining improved the aircraft's speed by about 5 mph (8 km/h), allowed 250 lb (113 kg) more payload to be carried and added 85 mi (137 km) of range.

British production of the DH.84 ended at the 115th aircraft, when it was replaced on the assembly line by the more powerful and elegant De Havilland Dragon Rapide. However, during World War II the DH.84 was put back into production at Bankstown, Australia as a navigational trainer for the RAAF, being preferred to the Rapide because its smaller engines were then being manufactured locally for De Havilland Tiger Moth production. A further 87 were built.

Following the end of the War, surviving DH.84s were released into commercial service and a number are still flying today.

DH84 Dragon G-ECAN at Woburn Tiger Moth Rally 2007

Accidents and incidents

• On 1 July 1935, G-ADED of Railway Air Services crashed on take-off from Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man injuring all seven people on board. The aircraft, which was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Ronaldsway to Ringway Airport, Manchester, Lancashire via Squires Gate Airport, Blackpool and Speke Airport, Liverpool, was destroyed in the subsequent fire.^[2]

Variants

• Dragon 1 : Twin-engined medium transport biplane.
• Dragon 2 : Improved version. Fitted with framed cabin windows and two faired main undercarriage legs.
• DH.84M Dragon : Military transport version. The DH.84M was armed with two machine guns, and it could carry up to sixteen 20 lb (9 kg) bombs. Exported to Denmark, Iraq and Portugal.

Operators

Military operators

 Australia

• Royal Australian Air Force

 Austria

 Brazil

• Brazilian Navy

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force - Two DH.84 Dragons

 Ethiopia

• Ethiopian Air Force

 Iraq

• Royal Iraqi Air Force - Eight DH.84M Dragons

 Ireland

• Irish Air Corps

 New Zealand

• Royal New Zealand Air Force
  • No. 42 Squadron RNZAF

 Portugal

• Portuguese Air Force - Three DH.84 Dragons

 South Africa

• South African Air Force

 Spain

• Spanish Air Force

 Turkey

• Turkish Air Force

 United Kingdom

• Royal Air Force - Seventeen aircraft impressed.^[3]
  • Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Units.^[3]
  • No. 24 Squadron RAF.^[3]

Civil Operators

 Brazil

• VASP

 Canada

• Canadian Airways

 Egypt

• Misrair

 Ireland

• Aer Lingus

DH.84 Dragon 1 of Air Navigation & Trading (UK) in 1956

 New Zealand

• Air Travel (NZ) Ltd
• East Coast Airways
• Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd

 Turkey

• Turkish Mapping Aviation

 United Kingdom

• Air Navigation & Trading
• Air Dispatch
• Commercial Air Hire
• Hillman's Airways
• Railway Air Services
• Scottish Motor Traction

Specifications (DH.84 Dragon 1)

Data from de Havilland Aircraft since 1909 ^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Capacity: 6-10 passengers
• Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
• Wingspan: 47 ft 4 in (14.43 m)
• Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
• Wing area: 376 ft² (34.9 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,300 lb (1,045 kg)
• Loaded weight: 4,200 lb (1,909 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted inline, 130 hp (97 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 128 mph (111 knots, 206 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 109 mph (95 knots, 167 km/h)
• Range: 545 mi (450 nmi, 833 km)
• Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 612 ft/min (3.1 m/s)

See also

Related development

• de Havilland Dragon Rapide
• de Havilland Express
  

References

1. ^ Jackson 1973, p. 122
2. ^ Poole 1999, pp. 12-13.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Hooks 2011, pp. 42-48.
4. ^ Jackson 1987, p.334.

Bibliography

• Hooks, Mike. "Civvies at War". Aeroplane (Cudham: Kelsey Publishing Group) (October 2011). 
• Jackson, A.J. (1987). De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 (Third ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0 85177 802 X. 
• A. J. Jackson (1988). British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II (1988 ed.). London: Putnam (Conway Maritime Press).  ISBN 0-85177-813-5
• Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. pp. 382. ISBN 0 370 10010 7. 
• Poole, Stephen (1999). Rough Landing or Fatal Flight. Douglas: Amulree Publications. ISBN 1 901508 03 X.