Canadian Warplanes 2: de Havilland DH.89 Dragon and DH.90 Dragonfly

de Havilland DH.89 Dragon and DH.90 Dragonfly

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580898).

de Havilland DH.89 Dragon, 3 July 1935.

The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its relatively primitive plywood construction.

Developed during the early 1930s, the Dragon Rapide was essentially a smaller, twin-engined version of the four-engined DH.86 Express, and shared a number of common features, such as its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and Gipsy Six engines. First named the "Dragon Six", the type was marketed as "Dragon Rapide" and later simply known as the "Rapide". Upon its introduction in summer 1934, it proved to be a popular aircraft with airlines and private civil operators alike, attaining considerable foreign sales in addition to its domestic use.

Upon the outbreak of the Second Word, many of the civil Rapides were impressed into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy. Referred to in military service by the name de Havilland Dominie, the type was employed for radio and navigation training, passenger transport and communications missions. British training aircraft had names with educational associations, and dominie is a Scots term for a school teacher.

Hundreds of additional Dominies were also constructed during the war. Other Rapides continued to be operated by British airlines throughout the war under the auspices of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). Postwar, many military aircraft were returned to civilian service. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, the de Havilland Dove. (Wikipedia)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580899)

de Havilland DH.89 Dragon, 3 July 1935.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3642450)

de Havilland DH.89 Dragon, CF-AEO, 3 July 1935.

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7624).  It was a 1930s British twin-engined luxury touring biplane.

In 1936 seven de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly airframes were shipped to Canada, and erected by de Havilland Canada.  Two were flown by the RCAF, and two were flown by the RCMP to combat rum runners.  The remainder served a variety of small commercial operators.  At least one, Reg. No. CF-BFF, was fitted with Edo floats, and was flown commercially as a Dragonfly floatplane.  The RCAF eventually flew six, (Serial Nos. 7623-7628).

(de Havilland Photo via Brad Gossen)

Delivery of the first Air Service de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, Reg. No. CF-MPA, Downsview, Ontario, 4 May 1937.

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7624)

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7624)

(RCAF Photo via Francois Dutil)

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7624).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3390169).

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7623), Trenton, Ontario, 1 Oct 1940.  7623 was mainly used by No. 1 Air Command before going back to the civil registry as CF-BFF and was lost while taxing up to a campsite while on the iced over Ottawa River in Northern Ontario.  She remains in the water at the location to this day.  Bush pilots claim one can see her remains in the water.

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 7623), Trenton, Ontario, 1 Oct 1940.

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly (6), (Serial Nos. 7623-7628).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3657319)

de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly on Edo floats, Reg. No. CF-BFF, Toronto, Ontario.  This Dragonfly flew out of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, for the Gold Belt Air Service after it was purchased from de-Havilland Canada.  Seven airframes were shipped to Canada, and assembled by de Havilland Canada, where they served a variety of small commercial operators, as well as four with the RCMP to combat rum-runners, and two with the RCAF.  CF-BFF was fitted with Edo floats and flown commercially.

(Eric Bently Photo)

Eric Bently provided his mother's photo, taken by his father on the ice of Charlottetown Harbour. Picture taken in front of Canadian Airways Limited's de Havilland Dragon Rapide (CF-AVD), just before his parents embarked on a flight around the Island. I believe this was taken in 1938-9 (ish). Pilot on the right (I think) has just hand propped the starboard engine. Picture taken directly in front of Government House and my ancestor's old family home, Beaconsfield, would be directly behind the aircraft. After a pretty active history, I believe AVD was wrecked at Baie Comeau on the St Lawrence River in May 1944.

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