de Havilland Dragon Rapide – Photos & Videos

Čaj 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.

Izvor: de Havilland Dragon Rapide on Wikipedia

De Havilland Dragon Rapide je bio dvotočkaš koji je prvi put leteo 1934. Razvila ga je britanska avionska kompanija de Havilland, a mogla je da prenese 6 do 8 putnika na kratkim rastojanjem. Imao je dva de Havilland Gipsy Six motora, što mu je dalo maksimalnu brzinu od 253 km/h i domet od 920 km. Dragon Rapide je napravljen od šperploče, koja je u to vreme bila zastareli materijal, ali je bila ekonomiиna i pouzdana.
Dragon Rapide su koristile mnoge civilne aviokompanije i vojne snage pre i tokom Drugog svetskog rata, kada je bio poznat kao De Havilland Dominie. Bio je to jedan od najuspešnijih britanskih kratkih aviona tridesetih godina prošlog veka.