Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Light twin-engine commercial biplane

Power Plant:

Two 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major I four-cylinder in-line inverted air-cooled engines

Specifications:

History:

The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon was introduced to the de Havilland range of light aircraft in 1933, the prototype (E9 – c/n 6000 – later G-ACAN) having flown for the first time on 12 November 1932, later going to Hillman Airways Ltd at Maylands, WA. Designed by Arthur E Hagg, it was a two-bay biplane of high aspect ratio employing the well-proven de Havilland style of plywood-covered fuselage. The cabin could accommodate six passengers with a pilot in the cockpit.

Because of the success of the DH.83 Fox Moth, de Havilland could see the economies which could be achieved by an aircraft basically along the lines of a twin-engined DH.83. The DH.84 was a very successful aircraft, being able to cruise at 175 km/h (109 mph) with a pilot and six passengers, with 20 kg (45 lb) of luggage for each passenger, consuming fuel at 59 litres (13 Imp gals) per hour.

One G-ACFG (c/n 6027) was entered in the 1933 King’s Cup Race flown by Hubert Broad and achieved a speed of 213.55 km/h (132.7 mph). Another G-ACCV (c/n 6014 – ‘Seafarer’) was fitted with long-range fuel tanks and made an attempt on the world’s long-distance record, being flown by Jim and Amy Mollison. The machine left Pendine Sands in South Wales on 22 July 1933 and arrived at Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA 39 hours later, crashing on landing.

A second aircraft was obtained G-ACJM (c/n 6049 – ‘Seafarer II’) which was shipped to Canada but problems arose in attempting to take-off at a weight of 3,327 kg (7,334 lb) and the attempt was abandoned. The aircraft was sold to Messrs J R Ayling and L Reid with whom it became ‘Trail of the Caribou’ . It was flown non-stop in August 1934 from Canada to Great Britain in 30 hrs 50 mins.

A number of DH.84s were built for the Iraqi Air Force and these were fitted with racks for sixteen 9 kg (20 lb) bombs, two machine-guns in the nose and a mid upper gun position located just to the rear of the cabin. Subsequently further armed DH.84s were supplied to the air forces of Denmark and Portugal.

After 63 DH.84s had been produced, British production switched to the Dragon 2, the earlier machines becoming known as the Dragon 1, the Dragon 2 having individually framed windows and faired-in undercarriage struts. Some 70 were used by British internal airlines. With Australian production, a total of 212 aircraft was completed. To power these Australian-built aircraft some 225 Gipsy Major engines were delivered between June and October 1942 by General Motors Holdens in Australia.

A number of Dragons were imported by Australian operators before World War II, including VH-URF (c/n 6045) and VH-URG (c/n 6046) for Western Mining Corporation in the Kalgoorlie, WA goldfields; and VH-URW (c/n 6080), VH-URX (c/n 6081) and VH-URY (c/n 6082) for MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company Ltd  in Western Australia.

Others imported included VH-URD (c/n 6037) for Tasmanian Aerial Services; VH-URO (c/n 6068) for Western Australian Airways; VH-USA (c/n 6074) for W R Carpenter & Company; VH-URU (c/n 6088) for Butler Air Transport of Cootamundra, NSW; VH-URV (c/n 6089) also for Butler Air Transport; and VH-UVB (c/n 6102) and VH-UTX (c/n 6104) for W R Carpenter of Salamaua, PNG.

A total of 115 DH.84 Dragons was built at Stag Lane, Edgware in Middlesex and at Hatfield in Hertfordshire, including some DH.84M military Dragons with armament for Iraqi, and the Danish and Portuguese air forces. Examples were exported to Canada for Canadian Airways Ltd, a couple being fitted with floats.

At the beginning of World War II the need was seen in Australia for a twin-engine navigation trainer for the RAAF. The type entered production at Bankstown, NSW, where 87 aircraft were built, the first Australian-produced machine A34-12 (c/n 2001) flying on 29 September 1942 at Mascot, NSW. In RAAF service the DH.84 was operated by Nos 33, 34, 35 and 36 Squadrons, Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 Communications Flights, No 2 AAU (Air Ambulance Unit), and No 1 RCF/S (Remote Communication Facility). During war service some 42 were written off for various reasons, and 56 were made available after their retirement to civil operators.

Australian-built aircraft were serialled A34-12 to A34-98, and the serials A34-1 to A34-11 were allotted to British-built machines, which were impressed into military service from their civil operators at the beginning of the war.

In RAAF service the Dragon was operated all over Australia into the islands and in Papua New Guinea in support of ground forces. Some were used as trainers and were painted yellow on the fuselage sides and lower surfaces with camouflage on the upper surfaces. The DH.84 was used for a variety of other purposes, including freight and passenger transport, and for the delivery of fresh meat, butter, vegetables and mail to outlying bases. Those not used by training units were painted camouflage with light green, dark earth and sky blue under surfaces. Those used in the air ambulance role retained their camouflage and had a large red-cross on each side of the fuselage.

At the end of the war, as with most types, large numbers of DH.84 Dragons were released for sale to civil operators. Of these, 53 were subsequently registered and flown by operators such as Qantas, South Queensland Airways Pty Ltd, Butler Air Transport, Australian National Airways, MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company Ltd, Mandated Airlines Ltd, W R Carpenter & Company Ltd, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Adastra Airways, Namoi – Walgett District Ambulance Service, Queensland Aerial Ambulance and Taxi Service, Australian National Airlines Commission, Madang Air Charters, Schutt Airfarmers , Royal Aero Club of NSW, Catholic Mission of the Holy Ghost, and many others. For many years after World War II the DH.84 was the mainstay of many and varied operators throughout the Pacific region.

The number of operators of the Dragon in Australia was too large to deal with here but other operators included, to name a few, the Bush Church Aid Society, Commonwealth Department of Health, Connellan Airways, Flying Doctor Service, Marshall Airways, Northern Territory Medical Service, Newcastle Aero Club, Shark Patrol Service Company, Trans Australia Airlines, West Australian Airways Ltd, Victorian & Interstate Airways Ltd, Zinc Corporation, etc. One, believed to be ex-RAAF, was sold to the Portuguese East Timor Government where it became CR-ABT in 1946.

Two VH-AMN (c/n 2059) and VH-ASU (c/n 2079) were used by Schutt Airfarmers in the mid 1950s for spreading superphosphate, being able to spread 907 kg (2,000 lb) at a time. They later entered service in Queensland with Air Planters at Childers. VH-ASU later became VH-APJ² and was retired in 1964.

Only a few Dragons are still extant. VH-AQU (c/n 2048 – ex A34-59), owned by Marshall Airways at Bankstown for many years, was rebuilt at Murwillumbah, NSW to airworthiness. VH-AML (c/n 2081 – ex VH-BDS, A34-92), which spent many years in Western Australia, has been airworthy and is based at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, VIC. VH-AON (c/n 2019 – ex A34-30) was on display at Airworld, Wangaratta, VIC for some years and has been undergoing restoration. VH-SNB (c/n 2002 – ex VH-ASK, A34-13) was exported and has been under restoration in the United Kingdom.

Three others have undergone restoration at Murwillumbah, NSW, using new-build fuselages and using the identities of former Australian aircraft, the first of these becoming VH-UXG (c/n 6077 – ex G-ACRF), the second becoming VH-AQU (above) and the third being exported to the United Kingdom.

In 1935 in New Zealand, East Coast Airways commenced services with two DH.84s ZK-ADS (c/n 6091 – ‘Tui’) and ZK-ADR (c/n 6090 – ‘Huia’) flying between its home base at Gisborne and Napier, operating initially a four times a day service, this later being extended to Palmerston North. Chief pilot was ‘Tiny’ White. ZK-ADR had its registration changed to ZK-AES in December 1937. In 1938 the airline was acquired by Union Airways and the two Dragons were impressed by the RNZAF in 1939.

In 1944 after RNZAF service ZK-ADS was delivered to Air Travel (NZ) Ltd at Hokitika as ZK-AHT, seeing some service before being lost in a crash at Mount Hope in 1944 whilst on a flight from Westport to Nelson. As noted, the two civil aircraft were impressed during World War II as NZ550 (ex ZK-ADS – c/n 6091) and NZ551 (ex ZK-ADR – c/n 6090), being used for radio training and in the communications role, particularly in Fiji.

Four DH.84s have since appeared on the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register and one of these, formerly A34-68 with the RAAF, VH-AFE with Qantas, and ZK-AXI with Rolvin Airways, the Nelson Aero Club, and the Auckland Flying School, has been restored to airworthiness at Dairy Flat near Auckland.