De Havilland DH89A RAPIDE 4 Dragon Rapide

1 aircraft

The de Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide was Britain's most successful short-haul airliner of the 1930s, revolutionizing regional passenger transport by achieving profitability without government subsidies. First flown on April 17, 1934, it was a twin-engine biplane powered by two 200-horsepower de Havilland Gipsy Six engines and could carry eight passengers at speeds up to 160 mph. Spanning 48 feet with a length of 34 feet 6 inches, the aircraft demonstrated that smaller operators could compete economically on regional routes. The de Havilland Aircraft Company produced between 727 and 731 examples from 1934 to 1945.