Dragon Rapide DH 89

At the beginning of the 1930s the company De Havilland built the last traffic and transport wooden aircraft with a fabric covering. Its wing span came to 14,63 meters with a wing size of 31,21 m². The planes were powered by two in-line engines with 203 hp each. The interior was designed to accommodate up to 8 passengers.

The prototype was called Dragon Six and undertook its first flight April 17th 1934. The following series was named Dragon Rapide. In 1937, a new type was developed which had additional small landing flaps on the lower wings. There are different versions of this type which was named DH 89 A.

Considering the time, the Dragon Rapide was especially reliable and efficient and was used in civil aviation worldwide. It was a very popular aircraft, especially with the rich and the famous. One machine, for example, was privately owned by Prince Edward VIII of Wales. Until production was discontinued in 1946 728 machines were sold. Biggest purchaser was the British Royal Air Force which used it mainly for civil flights up to the 1960s. The Dragon Rapide is a very durable aircraft. Reportedly some machines were still in use in 1991.