Photograph:
de Havilland DH.104 Devon VH-KTT (c/n 04324 – ex NZ1808) at Wanaka, New Zealand (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Description:
Twin-engine military navigation and radio trainer
Power Plant:
[C Mk 1]
Two 246 kw (330 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70 six-cylinder in-line air-cooled engines
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 17.37 m (57 ft)
- Length: 11.99 m (39 ft 4 in)
- Height: 4.06 m (13 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 31.12 m² (335 sq ft)
- Max speed: 378 km/h (235 mph)
- Cruising speed: 261 km/h (162 mph)
- Service ceiling: 6,615 m (21, 70 ft)
- Range: 1,891 km (1,175 miles)
- Empty weight: 2,985 kg (6,580 lb)
- Loaded weight: 4,060 kg (8,950 lb)
History:
The de Havilland DH.104 Devon was a development of the de Havilland Dove for military operation, the prototype of the Dove (G-AGPJ) having first flown at Hatfield in Hertfordshire on 25 September 1945 in civil guise. It proved to be a very successful small transport in the immediate post-war period with a total of 544 examples being completed.
To meet a British Air Ministry specification C.13/46 the Dove was developed for the RAF as the C Mk 1 with two 246 kw (330 hp) Gipsy Queen 71 engines and in the Devon C Mk 2 was fitted with 298 kw (400 hp) Gipsy Queen 175 engines.
An initial batch of 30 aircraft was ordered (serials VP952 to VP981) and these were used by No 32 [Metropolitan Communications] Squadron at Hendon in Greater London. Five were allotted to British Embassies overseas. Many of the C Mk 1s were converted to C Mk 2 standard, this model being equivalent to the civil Dove 8. Two examples were used by the Empire Test Pilots School at Farnborough in Hampshire and later at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.
A variant was developed for the Royal Navy as the C Mk 20 and was used as a navigation / radio-ship trainer and crew ferry. These aircraft were used extensively by Nos 728, 750, 765, 771 and 781 Squadrons operating scheduled services and special flights abroad, particularly to Malta. They were replaced by Sea Herons in 1961.
A number of overseas air forces obtained examples, including the Belgian Congo, Ceylon, Egypt, Eire, India, Iraq, Lebanon, South Africa and New Zealand.
Thirty examples of the Devon (serials NZ1801 to NZ1830) were obtained in 1952 by the RNZAF for communication duties, navigation training, VIP duties, etc. The first NZ1801 (c/n 04050) at one stage carried the registration ZK-AQV. The others (NZ1802 to NZ1830) had c/ns from 04169 to 04428 but not consecutively.
The Devon continued in service until the late 1970s when it was replaced by Cessna 414s. The Devons were, when in service, attached to Nos 40 and 42 Squadrons based at Wigram. NZ1801 and NZ1802 were used for VIP transports and were delivered in 1948. NZ1803 to NZ1808, and NZ1830, were used as navigation trainers and the remainder for communication duties. NZ1813 was fitted out for photography work and all at various times were used for multi-engined pilot training. Deliveries took place between 1948 and 1955.
Seven were written off in accidents whilst in service, the others being sold on retirement in New Zealand and overseas. Two were gifted to Malaysia in 1968, these being NZ1823 and NZ1825 which became FM1056 and FM1057. Others converted for civil use in New Zealand have included NZ1802 which became ZK-UFO; NZ1812 which became ZK-UCO; NZ1821 which became ZK-UDO; and NZ1826 which became ZK-UEO. Still others have survived in museums.
Three were imported to Australia, NZ1814 becoming VH-CJX; NZ1818 becoming VH-CJY with Murchison Air Charter; and NZ1801 becoming VH-MGT.