de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide Wallpapers

de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide Aircraft - photo wallpapers; Megawallpapers.org : The deHavilland DH89A [br]Dragon Rapide has a straightforward early history. DeHavilland's [br]chief designer wanted a 'bigger Tiger Moth' so that he could [br]transport himself and his family to Hamble on the weekends, in turn [br]so that they could maintain their position within British Clubland's [br]yachting set. His resulting airframe was the DH. 83 Fox Moth, [br]essentially the dynamic elements of the Tiger Moth wedded to a new [br]fuselage with pilot sitting out back, and a small passenger space [br]behind the engine, able to seat three people in relative comfort. Its [br]range was that of the Tiger Moth, and it quickly found favour with [br]the Clubland set, securing many sales, and having its fame boosted [br]somewhat by HRH the Prince of Wales buying one for his nascent Royal [br]flight in 1932. Mr. Hillman, owner of the successful Hillman's bus-lines, soon bought [br]a small fleet of Fox Moths to augment his bus business, in a sort of [br]air taxi service. Happy with his purchase, but feeling that it was [br]possible to do more with aeroplanes (since there was always demand [br]for more seats than he had Fox Moths), he approached deHavilland's in [br]early 1932, asking whether a 14 seat airliner based on the principle [br]of the Fox Moth (that is to say - simple to fly, comfortable ride, [br]and the same sort of engines that the Fox Moth used) could be built. [br]DeHavilland's replied in the affirmative, and work began at Stag Lane [br]to build and fly a prototype. This flew that year on the 24th of [br]November. After trials flights and some minor fettling, the first DH [br]84 Dragon was delivered to Mr. Hillman just before Christmas that [br]year, on the 24th of December 1932. The second was delivered in [br]February. By the middle of 1933, Hillman was doing roaring trade, and ordered a [br]third. Other small operators bought the Dragon, and soon these small [br]airliners were buzzing around England and Scotland, acting as [br]air-taxis, high-speed bus equivalents, and flying ambulances. The growing market, plus requests by Mr. Hillman for a bigger [br]aeroplane, led deHavilland's to the DH 86 Express, which today would [br]be considered a stretch of the basic design. The Express was not, [br]however, a stretch - but a completely new design with a more elegant [br]nose, tapered elliptical wings, and able to carry 10 people in [br]comfort over long distances. Used by Imperial Airways on its [br]Croydon-Brisbane route, the Express offered excellent over-water [br]safety by sporting four deHavilland Gypsy 6 motors. Streamlining [br]improved general speed. Sadly, there are no Expresses left today - [br]not even a non-flying airframe extant. [br] [br]An early development of the express was the DH.90 Dragonfly, which [br]can rightly claim to be England's first significant business-plane. [br]But that is another story. The true development of the Express, the Dragon Rapide , was a sort [br]of 'mini-Express'' designed to provide an improved service speed and [br]level of comfort compared to the earlier Dragon. The Rapide shared [br]with the Express the tapered elliptical wing planform, and the Gypsy [br]6 engines, giving a good deal more power. It also shared a slightly [br]lengthened nose contour, and the wheel fairings. Another amenity [br]shared was the inclusion of a toilet at the rear of the cabin. Hillman's Airways bought a total of seven. Many other operators bought [br]the elegant little airliner, and the Royal Air Force also placed [br]several large orders immediately before the War for aircraft [br]delivered as the Dominie.[br]Country of origin: GB [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Engines: two 200hp de Havilland Gipsy 6 in-lines [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Wingspan: 14.63 m (48ft) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Lenght: 10.52 m (34ft 6in) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Height: 3.12 m (10ft 3in) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Weight loaded: 2495 kg (5500lb) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Cruising speed: 214 km/h (133mph) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Service celling: 5944 m (19,500ft) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Range: 930 km (578 miles) [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________ [br]Passengers + crew: 6-8 + 1 [br]_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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