De Havilland Dragon Rapide

de Havilland Dragon Rapide
Description
Role	Passenger transport / trainer
Crew	2
Passengers	8
First Flight	April 17, 1934
Entered Service
Manufacturer	de Havilland
Dimensions
Length	34ft 6in	10.5 m
Wingspan	48ft 0in	14.6 m
Height	10ft 3in	3.1 m
Wing Area	340 ft²	31.6 m²
Weights
Empty	3,230 lbs	1,460 kg
Loaded	5,500 lbs	2,490 kg
Maximum takeoff	lbs	kg
Powerplant
Engine	2 × de Havilland Gipsy Six
Power (each)	200 hp	150 kW
Performance
Maximum speed	157mph @ 1,000ft	253km/h @ 300m
Combat range	573 miles	920 km
Ferry range	km	miles
Service ceiling	16,700 ft	5,090 m
Rate of climb	867 ft/min	260 m/min
Wing loading	16.2 lb/ft²	78.8 kg/m²
Power/Mass	0.073 hp/lb	0.12 kW/kg

The de Havilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide was a successful British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s. Designed as a successor to the DH 84 Dragon, it featured the tapered wings and streamlined undercarriage fairings of the four-engined DH 86 Express.

In 1936 General Franco was carried in a DH 89 on his escape from Africa to Spain at the start of the Civil War.

At the start of World War II many Dragon Rapides were impressed by the British armed forces and together with fresh RAF orders served under the designation de Havilland Dominie. As well as passengers duties they were used for radio navigational training.

731 Rapides were built and they have proved astonishingly durable with many still flying into the 21st century.

Related content
Related Development	de Havilland Dragon - de Havilland Express
Similar Aircraft
Designation Series	DH 86 - DH 87 - DH 88 - DH 89 - DH 90 - DH 91 - DH 92
Related Lists	List of aircraft of the RAF

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