De Havilland DH.50

de Havilland

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1920s (1920s)
Founder	Geoffrey de Havilland
Headquarters	Edgware , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft, including the DH.50 biplane

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The de Havilland DH.50 was a large, single-engine biplane transport aircraft developed in Britain during the 1920s by de Havilland. It was manufactured at the company's Stag Lane Aerodrome facility in Edgware, with additional production carried out under licence in countries including Australia, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia.

History

During the early 1920s, Geoffrey de Havilland identified the need to replace surplus military aircraft from World War I, prompting his firm to design a four-passenger cabin biplane named the DH.50. This design drew upon knowledge acquired from the earlier de Havilland DH.9. The prototype DH.50, registered as G-EBFN, took to the skies in August 1923 and shortly thereafter was flown by Alan Cobham to secure a reliability award during trial flights conducted between Copenhagen and Gothenburg. While only 17 units were directly produced by de Havilland, the remainder were constructed under licence agreements. These aircraft featured a diverse range of engine installations.

In 1924, Cobham piloted G-EBFN to victory in the King's Cup Race, achieving an average speed of 106 mph (171 km/h). He undertook multiple extended-distance flights with this initial model before transitioning to the second aircraft in the series. This second airframe, bearing registration G-EBFO, was equipped with an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine and re-designated as the DH.50J. Cobham utilized this variant for a notable 16,000 mi (25,750 km) journey from Croydon Airport to Cape Town between November 1925 and February 1926. Subsequently, it was fitted with twin floats—manufactured by Short Brothers at Rochester—for an aerial survey mission across Australia in 1926. During the outbound leg from England to Australia, Cobham’s engineer, A.B. Elliot, was tragically killed while flying over the desert region between Baghdad and Basra. Sergeant Ward, an engineer from the Royal Air Force, was authorized by his commanding officer to join and continue supporting the expedition. Additionally, in 1926, a DH.50A floatplane participated in the Royal Australian Air Force's inaugural international flight. The mission involved the Chief of Air Staff, Group Captain Richard Williams, accompanied by two crew members on a three-month, approximately 10,000 mi (16,093 km) round trip departing from Point Cook, Victoria to destinations within the Pacific Islands.

Licence production

The aircraft gained considerable popularity in Australia, prompting de Havilland to authorize local manufacturing, which resulted in the construction of 16 units. Qantas produced four DH.50As and three DH.50Js, Western Australian Airlines assembled three DH.50As, and Larkin Aircraft Supply Company completed one DH.50A. In Brussels, Belgium, SABCA manufactured three DH.50As equipped with Puma engines for SABENA to operate on routes within the Belgian Congo. The final example remained in service until 1937. Meanwhile, Aero built seven aircraft in Prague, then part of Czechoslovakia. The British-made QANTAS DH.50 (G-AUER/VH-UER) underwent modifications in Longreach, Queensland, adapting it for use by the Australian Inland Mission as an air ambulance. This aircraft, named Victory by the Rev. J Flynn, was the inaugural plane utilized by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Tragically, one Australian-built model stalled and crashed in 1940, resulting in the death of pilot and aircraft designer Robert McConachy.

Variants

• DH.50 : A single-engine biplane designed for light transport duties.

File:De Havilland aeroplane DH50 G-AUEK "Bellbird".jpg

DH.50A Bell Bird (G-AUEK)

• DH.50A : Equipped with a 240 hp (179 kW) inline Siddeley Puma engine.
• DH.50J : The Qantas fleet in Australia featured a 450 hp (287 kW) Bristol Jupiter Mk IV radial engine. Other radial powerplants were also installed in various DH50J units.

Operators

Australia

• Australian Aerial Services Ltd
• Holdens Air Transport

File:DeHavilland DH50 biplane.jpg

Qantas DH.50J Atalanta (VH-UHE)

• Qantas
• Rockhampton Aerial Services Ltd
• Royal Australian Air Force
• West Australian Airlines Ltd

Belgium

• Sabena

Czechoslovakia

• ČSA

Iraq

• Iraq Petroleum Transport Company Ltd

New Zealand

• Royal New Zealand Air Force

United Kingdom

• Air Taxis Ltd
• Brooklands School of Flying Ltd
• Imperial Airways Ltd
• North Sea Aerial and General Transport Company Ltd
• Northern Air Lines Ltd

See also

Bibliography

• (issued in parts 1982–85)
• Grant, James Ritchie. "Anti-Clockwise: Australia the Wrong Way". Air Enthusiast, No. 82, July–August 1999, pp. 60–63. Template:ISSN

External links

• Photograph of the DH.50S fitted with floats