De Havilland Doncaster

de Havilland

Industry	Aerospace
Headquarters	United Kingdom

Template:EngvarB Template:More footnotes Template:Lowercase Template:Infobox aircraft The de Havilland DH.29 Doncaster was a British-designed high-wing monoplane intended for long-range flights, developed during the 1920s by de Havilland.

History

Commissioned by the British Air Ministry as an experimental aircraft for extended range, the DH.29 Doncaster featured a high-mounted cantilever wing without external bracing. Its wings were constructed from wood and covered with fabric, maintaining a straight, unswept design. The fuselage consisted of a wooden box structure topped with a single vertical fin. The two-person crew occupied an open cockpit positioned forward of the wing. Between 1920 and 1921, two units were assembled at Stag Lane Aerodrome. Initial flight trials of the first model (serial number J6849) prompted modifications to the engine setup. The second example, registered G-EAYO, was configured as a commercial airliner accommodating ten passengers. However, airline operators showed no interest, leading to the project's termination in favor of the biplane de Havilland DH.34. A military reconnaissance variant named DH.30 was planned but never materialized. Both aircraft concluded their operational testing at RAF Martlesham Heath, focusing particularly on evaluating the thick-section cantilever wing design. Notably, the Doncaster was pioneering in Britain as the first aircraft to utilize such wing construction.

Operators

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• Air Ministry

Specifications (military version)

File:De Havilland DH.29 Doncaster 3-view Les Ailes February 2,1922.png

De Havilland DH.29 three-view illustration from Les Ailes, February 2, 1922