NEVILLE DENTON COLLECTION
No. 6463. de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide (G-AIYR c/n 6676)
Photographed at Strathallen, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland, UK, by Neville Denton

de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide

05/31/2007. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "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.


Created May 31, 2007