Post by flyboy on May 25, 2018 17:33:16 GMT
The DeHavilland Dove, Devon and Sea Devon.
Considered to be one of the most successful post-war British aircraft designs the DH.104 Dove series saw more than 500 of the type manufactured between 1946 and 1967 including several military variants. Intended to be a successor to the Dragon Rapide the design came about from the Brabazon Committee report after the war which, amongst other aircraft, called for a short-haul feeder aircraft for airlines.
The Dove made use of an entirely metal construction and other innovations included constant speed propellers, flaps and a retractable tricycle undercarriage. Design features included variable seating options for between eight and eleven passengers and much thought was given to the ease of maintenance; components easily interchanged or replaced such as the rudder, elevators and power units the latter being mounted on four quick release pickup points. Other innovations included Redux metal-bonding adhesives which reduced the need for rivets which in turn reduced overall weight and lessened friction.
The Dove first flew on September 5th 1945 and from mid 1946 scheduled and charter airlines purchased large numbers which operated world wide. In excess of 50 aircraft were sold in the USA and a further 70 went to Argentina. The RAF took a batch of 30 Devons and a similar number went to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In contrast the Biafran Air Force operated a single aircraft during the Nigerian Civil War, the aircraft was lost and was subsequently found at the end of the war in 1970 on the premises of a school in Uli, Nigeria !
Specification:
Dove 7:
Crew 2
Capacity Variable up to eleven.
Length 39ft 3in. (11.96m)
Wingspan 57ft 0in. (17.40m)
Height 13ft 4in. (4.06m)
Wing Area 335sq ft. (31.1m2)
Weight Empty 6,325 lb (2,869 kg)
Weight Max Take off 8,950 lb (4060 kg)
Powerplants 2xGipsy Queen70 Mk3 6-cylinder inverted in-line
air cooled engines 400bhp (289kW) each.
Max Speed 230 mph (200 kts, 370 km/h)
Cruise Speed 187 mph (163 kts,301 km/h) at 8000ft (2440m)
Stall 74mph (64 kts, 119 km/h)
Range 880 mi (765 nm, 1415 km)
Service Ceiling 21,700 ft (6,610 m)
Rate of Climb 1,135 ft/min (5.8 m/s)
DH.108 Types noted at Blackbushe:
Reg c/n Operator Information Dates Noted
B314? ? Arab Legion Air Force 6.7.564
CR-CAD 4005 Cape Verde Aero Club 1.10.59, 26.12.59
CS-404 4497 Royal Ceylon Air Force 4.11.57 .
D101 4113 Arab Legion Air Force Delivery 9.9.54
D102 4288 --..-- --..-- 28.7.54
ET-T-23 4031 } Abyssinian Air Force 00.1.53
ETAF-801 --.-- } Ethiopian Air Force Delivery 29.7.53
ET-T-24 4053* Abyssinian Air Force 00.1.53
F-BGOA 4344 ? 25.10.58
G-AHRJ 4004 Airwork 10.6.50
G-AICY 4019 Iraqi Petroleum 29.12.56
G-AIWF 4023 } Dan Air Arr.B'Bushe in B170 G-AGVB 17.12.49.>
G-AIWF --.-- } --..-- 16.11.58,5.2.60,22.2.60,3.4.60.
G-AJBI 4026 Morton Air Services 8.8.58
G-AJGT 4034 } deHavilland Engines 3.2.57,28.5.57,31.5.57,5.9.57>
--..-- --..--} --..-- 00.1.58,29.8.58,5.9.58,8.3.59>
--..-- --..--} --..-- 10.3.59,10.9.59.
G-AJJF 4041 Iraqi Petroleum 3.1.58,18.1.58,13.4.58.
G-AJLV 4063 } MTCA 00.54,00.56,4.8.55,5.7.57>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- 2.9.58,31.5.59.
--..-- --..-- } deHavillands 6.4.60,4.5.60.
G-AJLW 4033 deHavillands 27.8.57,15.3.60.
G-AJMA 4053* } Ethiopian Air Force See Above 18.1.48
ET-T-24 --..--*} --..-- See Above Delivery 27.1.48.
G-AJOT 4051] Short Brothers 5.9.57,3.10.58,6.9.59, >
--..-- --..--] --..-- 10.9.59-12.9.59.
G-AKCF 4030 } BOAC 3.2.57,16.2.57,3.3.57,18.3.57,>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- 17.4.57,7.6.57,22.7.57,1.8.57>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- 20.8.57,2.9.57,4.11.57,>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- 30.12.57, 15.2.58.
G-AKET 4056 Westminster Airways 27.9.47,00.00.48,00.8.52.
G-AKJG 4071 Silver City 1.2.48 to Cape Town, 31.5.49>
--..-- --..-- --..-- 1.6.49-2.6.49,4.6.49.
--..-- --..-- Helliwells Ltd 15.5.56,22,7.56,3.9.56-4.9.56>
--..-- --..-- --..-- 14.3.57,27.4.57,14.5.59,6.9.59.
