De Havilland Flamingo

infobox Aircraft
name=DH.95 Flamingo
type= Airliner
Troop-carrier
Communications aircraft
manufacturer=de Havilland


caption= de Havilland Flamingo c. 1943
designer=
first flight= 22 December 1938
introduced= 15 July 1939
retired=1950
status=
primary user= Royal Air Force
more users= BOAC
produced=
number built=14
unit cost=
variants with their own articles= The British de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo was a high-wing, twin-engined monoplane passenger airliner of the Second World War period, also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a troop-carrier and for general communications duties.

Design and development

The Flamingo was designed by de Havilland, lead by their chief designer, as an all-metal twin-engined civil airliner, the first all metal aircraft built by de Havilland. The metal framework was mostly metal-covered with fabric covered,control surfaces. Two pilots were seated side-by-side with a radio operator behind them in the cockpit, with the cabin accommodating 12-17 passengers. It featured a retractable undercarriage, slotted flaps and variable pitch propellers, and was considered a highly promising sales prospect for the de Havilland company capable of competing with the American Douglas DC-3 and Lockheed L-10 Electra.

The first prototype flew on 22 December 1938, Jackson 1987, p. 399.] powered by 890 hp (660 kW) Bristol Perseus engines. Even with these, performance was excellent with a takeoff at maximum weight in 750 ft (230 m) and the ability to maintain height or climb at 120 mph (190 km/h) on a single engine. Testing was successful, with the Flamingo being granted a certificate of airworthiness on 30 June 1939,Green and Swanborough 1986, p. 4.] with an initial production run of 20 aircraft being laid down.Green and Swanborough 1986, p. 5.]

Operational service

The prototype was delivered to Jersey Airways in 1939 for evaluation and became the first revenue-earning Flamingo. It was later transferred to RAF duties. A further order from Jersey was frustrated by the outbreak of war, but with BOAC denied the credit needed to buy the Douglas DC-5 it ordered eight Flamingos instead. The BOAC Flamingos were based in Middle East throughout the war. A further five aircraft were delivered to the RAF and one to the RNAS. Flamingos were mostly withdrawn from service by 1950, the last was scrapped in 1954.

A single military transport variant was built to specification 19/39 as the DH.95 Hertfordshire. It had oval cabin windows instead of rectangular ones, and seating for 22 paratroopers. A proposed order for 40 was cancelled to leave de Havillands free to produce Tiger Moth trainers. The sole Hertfordshire crashed with the loss of 11 lives at Mill Hill, Hertfordshire on 23 October 1940, apparently due to jamming of the elevator.

Production

*Flamingo to Specification 21/39 for use by the King's Flight (VIP transport) - two
*Flamingo to Specification 20/39 for use by No. 24 Squadron RAF as communications aircraft - one
*Flamingo civilian specification - 11, three for No. 24 Sqdn and FAA, remainder to BOAC

Operators

Military operators

* Royal Air Force
** No. 24 Squadron RAF
* Fleet Air Arm

Civilian operators

* BOAC
* Jersey Airways

pecifications (de Havilland Flamingo)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=3
capacity=17 passengers
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 50 ft 7 in
length alt=15.4 m
span main=70 ft
span alt=21.4 m
span sweep=
height main=15 ft 3 in
height alt=4.7 m
area main= 651 ft²
area alt= 60.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 12,020 lb
empty weight alt= 5,450 kg
loaded weight main= 17,600 lb
loaded weight alt= 7,980 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=Bristol Perseus XVI
type of prop=piston
number of props=2
power main= 930 hp
power alt=690 kW
power original=
max speed main= 239 mph at 6,500 ft
max speed alt= 385 km/h at 1,980 m
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=1,345 miles
range alt=2,160 km
ceiling main= 20,900 ft
ceiling alt= 6,370 m
climb rate main= 1,470 ft/min
climb rate alt= 450 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=*none
avionics=*Sperry Automatic Pilot

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Bain, Gordon. "De Havilland: A Pictorial Tribute". London: AirLife, 1992. ISBN 1-85648-243-X.
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "De Havilland's War Orphan". "Air Enthusiast". Number 30, March-June 1996. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press. pp. 1—10.
* Jackson, A.J. "De Havilland Aircraft since 1909". London: Putnam, Third edition 1987. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.

External links

* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/DE%20HAVILLAND%20DH95%20FLAMINGO%20and%20HERTFORDSHIRE.htm British Aircraft of WW2]