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05/31/2007. This aircraft was built by the Brush Coachworks at Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, UK, as a de Havilland D.H.89A Dominie Mk.I wireless and navigation trainer. Powered by two 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen Mk.III engines it was first flown in 1943 and with s/n HG691, it was delivered to 18 MU at RAF Dumfries, Scotland on December 11. On December 28 it was delivered to No.2 Radio School at Yatesbury, Wiltshire, England, coded 219. HG691 ended RAF service with 2 MU at Kemble, England, de-militarized and stored on August 16, 1945. It was sold to Reid and Sigrist on February 26, 1948 and was used for survey work registered as G-AIYR. In 1953 it was sold to Hunting Surveys, in 1971 the aircraft was sold to Westward Airways at St. Just's airfield at Lands End. In 1980 G-AIYR was flown to Capetown, South Africa and back by David and Cherry Cyster to commemorate the trail blazing flight by Alan Cobham of 1925-1926. Alan Cobham, engineer A.B. Elliott and photographer B.W.G. Emmett made a 16,000 mls (25.750 km) survey flight from Croydon, London, UK, via Cairo, Egypt to Capetown and back, between November 16, 1925 and Mach 13, 1926. The used aircraft was the second D.H.50 prototype G-EBFO (c/n 74); re-engined with an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine and fitted with additional fuel tanks it was redesignated DH.50J. After another survey flight to Australia in 1926, Cobham was knighted Sir Alan for his achievements. In 1982 G-AIYR was completely overhauled by British Aerospace to an eight passenger D.H.89A Dragon Rapide airliner and since 1991 it has been operated by Classic Wings (a subsidiary of Clacton Aero Club of Clacton on Sea, Essex), now based at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.