| D. H. 86 Express | |
|---|---|
 A D. H. 86B of the RAF |
|
| Type | Passenger transport / trainer |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland |
| Maiden flight | 14 January 1934 |
| Introduced | 1934 |
| Primary users | Imperial Airways Qantas Royal Air Force Royal Australian Air Force |
| Number built | 62 |
The de Havilland Express was four-engined passenger aircraft from the 1930s manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The de Havilland Aircraft Company (less commonly spelled de Haviland was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1934: Events January January 10 - 11 - A flight of six US Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The de Havilland Aircraft Company (less commonly spelled de Haviland was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey
Contents |
Development
During 1933, talks between the governments of United Kingdom, India, Malaya, the Straits Settlements and Australia resulted in an agreement to establish an Empire Air Mail Service. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian Government called for tenders on 22 September 1933 for the Singapore-Australia legs of the route, continuing as far south as Tasmania. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Singapore Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass On the following day Qantas, anticipating success in contracting for the Singapore-Brisbane leg, placed an order with de Havillands for an as-yet non-existent aircraft to be designated the de Havilland 86, the prototype to fly by the end of January 1934. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Singapore Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland This order was soon followed by one from Holymans Airways of Launceston, Tasmania to operate the Bass Strait leg of the service. Australian National Airways (ANA was Australia 's predominant carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Bass Strait (bæs is a sea Strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland ( Victoria in particular The D. H. 86 was initially styled the Express or Express Air Liner although the name was soon discontinued.
The D. H. 86 was conceptually a four-engined enlargement of the successful de Havilland Dragon, but of more streamlined appearance with tapered wings and extensive use of metal farings around struts and undercarriage. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The most powerful engine made by de Havilland, the new 200 hp Gipsy Six, was selected. Design and development The de Havilland company had hoped to produce a version of the basic engine capable of utilising a hydraulically actuated variable pitch For long-range work the aircraft was to carry a single pilot in the streamlined nose, with a wireless operator behind. Maximum seating for ten passengers was provided in the long-range type, however the short-range Holyman aircraft were fitted with twelve seats.
The prototype D. H. 86 first flew on 14 January 1934, but the Qantas representative Lester Brain immediately rejected the single pilot layout because he anticipated pilot fatigue over long stretches, and the fuselage was promptly redesigned with a dual-pilot nose. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Only four examples of the single-pilot D. H. 86 were built, and of these the prototype was rebuilt as the dual-pilot prototype. When she entered service in October 1934 the first production aircraft, Holymans' single-pilot D. H. 86 Miss Hobart, was the fastest British-built passenger aircraft operating anywhere in the world. Despite de Havilland's predictions to the contrary, the dual pilot type with its lengthened nose proved to be even faster.
Investigations in 1936 following a series of fatal crashes resulted in late production aircraft being built with additional fin area in the shape of vertical "Zulu Shield" extensions to the tail planes to improve lateral stability - these aircraft were designated D. fin is a surface used to produce lift and Thrust or to steer while traveling in Water, air or other Fluid media The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal H. 86Bs.
Operational History
Dual pilot D. H. 86s were built for Imperial Airways and given the class name Diana. Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to They were used on European and Empire air routes including the run from Khartoum to Lagos. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. Lagos ( pron ˈleɪgɒs or /ˈlɑːgoʊs/ overseas is the most populous Conurbation in Nigeria with
D. H. 86s were also built for New Zealand's Union Airways, flying between Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For Union Airways New Zealand see Union Airways of NZ Ltd Union Airways of South Africa was the first South African commercial airline The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country Palmerston North (Te Papa-i-oea is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. Wellington (ˈwælɪŋtən is the Capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area, the During World War II, the New Zealand aircraft were fitted with bomb racks and used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force to hunt German raiders and Japanese shipping. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The survivors served with NAC post war. National Airways Corporation was the national domestic airline of New Zealand formed in 1947 by a government forced take over of Union Airways and a number of other
A total of 15 D. H. 86s, D. H. 86As and D. H. 86Bs operated commercially within Australia and New Guinea up to the outbreak of World War II. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Eight D. H. 86A and D. H. 86B aircraft were impressed into the Royal Australian Air Force and served as A31-1 to A31-8 during the War. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. Some served as air ambulances in the Middle East, while others did sterling work as transport aircraft and air ambulances in Australia and New Guinea[1]. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.
A total of 62 D. H. 86s of all types were built. Most of those still flying in Europe at start of World War II were also taken into military service, mostly for communications and radio navigational training. Few survived the war.
Technical Deficiencies
This section is largely sourced from the book Air Crash, Volume One by Macarthur Job[2].
Seriously lacking in directional stability, the D. H. 86s were frequently in trouble. On 19 October 1934 Holyman's VH-URN Miss Hobart was lost in Bass Strait with no survivors. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Flotsam that may have been wreckage from the aircraft was seen from the air three days later but surface ships failed to locate it in rough seas; the aircraft had effectively vanished. At the time Miss Hobart disappeared the design of the aircraft was not suspect, and it was thought that an accident may had occurred when Captain Jenkins and the wireless operator/assistant pilot Victor Holyman (one of the proprietors of Holymans Airways) were swapping seats in mid flight. However following the loss of Qantas' VH-USG near Longreach four weeks later while on its delivery flight, it was found that the fin bias mechanisms of the crashed aircraft and at least one other were faulty, although it is doubtful that this had any direct bearing on the accidents other than perhaps adding to the aircraft’s lack of inherent stability. Longreach is a Town located in central western Queensland, Australia and is approximately 700 kilometres from the coast west of Rockhampton Further investigation revealed that VH-USG had been loaded with a spare engine in the rear of the cabin, and that one of the crew members was in the lavatory in the extreme aft of the cabin when control was lost. It was theorised that the aft centre of gravity condition that thus existed resulted in a loss-of-control at an altitude insufficient for recovery (the aircraft was at an estimated height of 1,000 feet prior to the crash).
On 2 October 1935 Holyman's VH-URT Loina was also lost in Bass Strait, again with no survivors. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This time a significant amount of wreckage was recovered from the sea and from beaches on Flinders Island. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia Investigation of the wreckage revealed a section of charred carpet on a piece of cabin flooring from just ahead of the lavatory door. It was thought possible that a small fire from a dropped cigarette had led to someone running aft suddenly to stamp it out – the sort of sudden change in weight distribution that could set up a fatal loss of directional control while the aircraft was on a low-speed landing approach.
The Royal Air Force's Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment tested the D. The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992 H. 86 design in 1936 following three fatal crashes in Europe. It would be forty years before the report was published – one of the most damning indictments ever written on the design of a commercial airliner put into series production. The D. H. 86 had been rushed from design concept to test flight in a record four months to meet the deadlines set by the Australian airmail contracts, and a lot of attention to detail had been ignored. It was a big aircraft for its power, and as a result very lightly built. There was poor response to control movements in certain speed ranges, the wings were inclined to twist badly if the ailerons were used coarsely and, most seriously, the vertical tail surface was of inadequate area. The result was an aircraft that, although quite safe under normal conditions, could rapidly get out of control under certain flight regimes.
Although the control problems were overcome on later-manufactured D. H. 86Bs, the results of the tests do not appear to have been communicated to Australia and the D. H. 86s already in use were never modified to improve their safety. This lack of communication may have caused a number of later accidents including at least one of two further fatal disasters in commercial service. The mid-air break-up of Qantas' VH-USE Sydney in a thunderstorm near Brisbane in 1942 with the loss of nine lives was possibly unavoidable, however the fin was found almost a mile away from the main wreckage, which was burnt without an investigation being carried out. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland The accident involving MacRobertson Miller Airlines’ ex-Qantas aircraft VH-USF at Geraldton on 24 June 1945 most likely was entirely avoidable had the AaAEE report been communicated to Australia[3]. MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA was established in Australia in 1934, by pilot Horrie Miller with the backing of chocolate millionaire Sir Macpherson Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar On its first commercial flight for its new owners after military service, the pilot and a passenger were killed in a classic loss-of-control accident while taking off with a heavy load in gusty conditions.
Another D. H. 86, VH-USW (the former Holyman Airways Lepena), was bought by MacRobertson Miller Airlines at much the same time as VH-USF and was the last of the type to fly in Australia. MMA sold the eleven-year-old aircraft to an English company late in 1946; it was abandoned in India in an "unsafe state" while on her delivery flight. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Edgar Johnston, the Assistant Director General of the Australian Department of Civil Aviation, then had it scrapped at Australian Government expense to make sure that it never flew again[4][5].
The Political and Commercial Consequences
Following the first three fatal Australian D. H. 86 accidents and a forced landing to VH-USW Lepena on December 13, 1935 (a Friday) when the pilot believed his aircraft was about to break up in mid-air[6], the Australian Government temporarily suspended the type's Certificate of Airworthiness. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Airworthiness Certificate can mean Standard Airworthiness Certificate Special Airworthiness Certificate This caused outrage in Britain as it reflected on the whole British aircraft industry. In fact, the D. H. 86 had approached the limits to which traditional "plywood and canvas" aircraft construction could be taken, and was obsolete compared to all-aluminium stressed-skin aircraft like the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC-1 that were already flying before it was even designed (and the immortal Douglas DC-3 had its first flight just four days after the forced-landing of VH-USW). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Douglas DC-1 was the first model of the famous United States DC (Douglas Commercial commercial transport aircraft series WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Under pressure from Holymans and other companies, the Australian Government rescinded its ban on the import of American aircraft during 1936, and for the next 25 years most large commercial aircraft imported into Australia were of American manufacture.
Variant
- D. H. 86 : Four engined medium transport biplane. First production version with single-pilot cockpit.
- D. H. 86A : Improved version with wider cockpit for two pilots.
- D. H. 86B : Fitted with auxiliary endplate fins to the tailplane.
Operators
Civil Operators
Military Operators
- Royal Air Force
- No. 24 Squadron RAF
- No. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For Union Airways New Zealand see Union Airways of NZ Ltd Union Airways of South Africa was the first South African commercial airline The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Finnish Air Force (FAF ( Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. No 2 Squadron RNZAF was a Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. No 4 Squadron RNZAF was a New Zealand patrol bomber unit in the South Pacific during World War II. 42 Squadron of the RNZAF was formed at Rongotai ( Wellington) in December 1943 to provide a communications service around New Zealand, initially Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located PLEASE SCROLL DOWN IN ORDER TO EDIT THE ARTICLE--> No XXIV' or 24 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the C-130J Hercules C 117 Squadron RAF
- No. 216 Squadron RAF
Specifications (D. No 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1 KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton H. 86A)
General characteristics
- Crew: Two (pilot and co-pilot)
- Capacity: 10-12 passengers
- Length: 46 ft 1 in (14. 1 m)
- Wingspan: 64 ft 6 in (19. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 7 m)
- Height: 13 ft 3 in (4 m)
- Wing area: 638 ft² (59. 3 m²)
- Empty weight: 6,250 lb (2,830 kg)
- Loaded weight: 10,250 lb (4,650 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× de Havilland Gipsy Six inline engine, 200 hp (150 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 166 mph (267 km/h, 144 kts)
- Range: 748 miles (1,200 km, 640 nm)
- Service ceiling 17,400 ft (5,300 m)
- Rate of climb: 925 ft/min (280 m/min)
References
- ^ ADF Serials D.H.86 page retrieved on 2007-09-13. Design and development The de Havilland company had hoped to produce a version of the basic engine capable of utilising a hydraulically actuated variable pitch In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such The maximal total range is the distance an Aircraft can fly between Takeoff and Landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft or cross-country In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September
- ^ Job, Macarthur. Air Crash, Volume One, 1991, Canberra: Aerospace Publications.
- ^ Air Crash Vol. II pp107-111.
- ^ Air Crash Vol. II p111.
- ^ The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia VH-USW entry.
- ^ It was later found that only a metal fairing had worked loose and was fluttering in the airflow, but this incident demonstrates the lack of confidence in the design held within the Australian aviation industry at the time.
- Jackson, A. J. . British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II, 1988, London: Putnam (Conway Maritime Press).
- Job, Macarthur. Macarthur Job is an Australian Aviation writer and Air safety consultant Air Crash, Volume Two, 1992, Canberra: Aerospace Publications.
- Cookson, Bert. The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia (Pre War) G-AUAA to VH-UZZ. 1996, Toombul, Queensland: AustairData (privately published).
See also
Related development de Havilland Dragon - de Havilland Dragon Rapide
Related lists List of aircraft of the RAF
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