Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Single-seat light sport monoplane

Power Plant:

One 19 kw (26 hp) [750 cc] Blackburn Tomtit two-cylinder inverted air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The de Havilland DH.53 was a low-wing monoplane and was probably the first really practical ultralight aeroplane. Two examples were built in 1923 for the Daily Mail Lightplane competition, both powered by a converted 750 cc Douglas motor-cycle engine. It was of a light frame structure covered with three-ply wood. The wings were built up on two box spars with spruce flanges and three-ply walls. It had quite large ailerons. The wings could be folded for storage.

Coming onto the market in 1923, the type proved quite popular, and was known unofficially as the ‘Humming Bird’. The first two were taken to Lympne in Kent for trials in October during which the de Havilland test pilot, Hubert Broad, achieved 50.08 miles per gallon over a 161 km (100 miles) course; and the other aeroplane flown by Major H Hemming achieved 59.3 mpg over a 623 km (387 mile) course.

On 7 December 1923 one of the test aircraft G-EBHX (c/n 98) was flown from Lympne to Brussels in Belgium, a distance of 241 km (150 miles) in four hours. Shortly after the British Air Ministry ordered eight for light communications duties (serials J7268 to J7273), and some of these aircraft were demonstrated at the 1925 RAF Pageant at Hendon in Greater London.

No civil orders were immediately forthcoming but the eight RAF aircraft were disposed of, most ending up with civil operators. One went to Russia and another to Czechoslovakia.

The prototype G-EBHX has survived with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire. This aircraft had a number of owners over the years, and at one stage was fitted with a 30 kw (40 hp) ABC Scorpion engine.

A second machine (J7326/G-EBQP) has been restored by Skysport Engineering in Bedfordshire. In 2017-2018 this aircraft, which in October 1925 was used for launching experiments from a trapeze installed on the airship R-33, was restored at Salisbury Hall for the de Havilland Aircraft Museum in London Colney. The 24 kw (32 hp) Bristol Cherub III two-cylinder engine was fitted to some production aircraft.

Three DH.53s came to Australia. The first two G-AUAC and G-AUAD (c/ns 103 and 104) were delivered to the Australian Civil Aviation Authority for the First Light Aeroplane Competition at Richmond, NSW in 1924. They later became VH-UAC and VH-UAD. One was flown by Capt E J James. On 8 January one was flown in the Australian Aerial Derby at Richmond by Sqdn Ldr Anderson.

VH-UAC first flew in the United Kingdom on 31 March 1924. It had a Bristol Cherub engine fitted in March 1928 at the Munitions Branch at Maribyrnong, VIC, and, ownership was transferred to the Australian Aero Club, NSW Section on 10 January 1931 from the Civil Aviation Branch. In September ownership was transferred to B H Goodson of Rockhampton, QLD, and then to Keith Caldwell of Roseville, NSW in 1935. It was sold to J Bower of Aleipata, Samoa on 17 May 1937 and was shipped from Sydney, NSW on 20 May but is not believed to have flown again.

VH-UAD first flew at Stag Lane, Edgeware, Middlesex on 12 May 1924. It was registered to the Civil Aviation Branch initially, and then went to the Australian Aero Club, NSW Section on 10 January 1930. It also had the Bristol Cherub Mk III engine installed in place of the Blackburn Tomtit. Subsequent owners included V V Cerche, c/o Hart Aircraft Service of Essendon, VIC; F B Mueller c/o Ansett Airways of Hamilton, VIC; R O Suhrs of Cavendish, VIC; and M C Boutcher of St Kilda, VIC who owned it in July 1947 but it was unregistered and un-airworthy. The aircraft was destroyed in the 1950s and later there were discussions about it being rebuilt but this did not occur. It is believed some parts have survived.

A DH.53 (thought to be c/n 118) was ordered from the United Kingdom by Harry Butler who at the time was operating a motor garage at Minlaton in South Australia. However, he suffered major injuries in the crash of an Avro 504K on 11 January 1922, and subsequently died on 30 July 1923. Subsequently the aircraft was offered for sale for $750 (£375) and sold to the local medical practitioner at Wyndham, WA, Dr Clyde Fenton. The aircraft was assembled and an attempt was made to fly it from a local airstrip but a wing was damaged when it swung on take-off on mudflats at the port and ran into a hillside.

The aircraft was taken to the local meatworks for repair and was soon sold to Arthur Herbert, a local mechanic who repaired the damage. It was test flown by Edward Sutcliffe but had problems with the Blackburn Tomtit engine, which included a split crankshaft. It was then dis-assembled and placed back in its crate.

In 1934 Dr Cato became the resident medical officer in Wyndham, having learned to fly with the RAAF at Laverton, VIC as a reservist, and became the areas flying doctor with the Australian Aerial Medical Service when it began operations in July 1935. The first flight was made on 19 August 1935 by the Service, the pilot being Willis Reeve.

Dr Cato obtained the DH.53 from Mr Herbert and obtained drawings from de Havilland in the United Kingdom. The aircraft was slowly rebuilt in the MacRobertson-Miller hangar at the Six-mile aerodrome, the engine being replaced by a 30 kw (40 hp) Aeronca four-cylinder unit, a new propeller being obtained via W S Shackleton, which unit had previously been fitted to a Mignet Pou de Ciel. A new 86 litre (19 Imp gal) fuel tank was built and fitted behind the cockpit next to the original tank. Parts of the fuselage and wing were repaired. Drawings and stress calculations were sent to the Civil Aviation Board and approval received, the aircraft work being approved by the local MMA engineer at Wyndham.

Dr Cato (who changed his name to Coto at some stage) made a 3,138 km (1,950 miles) flight from Wyndham to Perth in six and a half days, covering the distance in 30 hours 5 mins at an airspeed of 105 km/h (65 mph), the flight being completed on 30 May 1937. It seems the aircraft was not flown thereafter and was placed in storage.

In about 1938 -1939 the airframe was taken to the Fremantle Technical College for instructional purposes, being placed in a shed. A couple of years later it was taken out and left to the elements. In about 1965 it was destroyed when workers burning off grass let the fire get to the aircraft. The engine mount and a strut have survived in a museum at Daglish in Perth.