De Havilland Dragonfly

de Havilland Aircraft Company

Industry	Aerospace, Aircraft manufacturing
Founded	1920 in Hatfield, England
Headquarters	Hatfield , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft, including the de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly

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The de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly is a British luxury touring biplane from the 1930s, featuring twin engines and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company at Hatfield Aerodrome.

Development

While bearing a strong resemblance to the Dragon Rapide, the Dragonfly is more compact and incorporates wings with a higher aspect ratio and a slight sweepback. Unlike the DH.89, its lower wing spans less than the upper wing. The engine nacelles sit lower due to relocating the fuel tank to the thickened lower centre-section. The aircraft’s structure diverges notably, utilizing a newly designed preformed plywood monocoque fuselage with reinforced framing. Conceived as an upscale touring plane, it accommodated four passengers plus a pilot, with optional dual controls. The prototype, registered as G-ADNA, completed its maiden flight on 12 August 1935. Utilizing innovative construction techniques derived from the de Havilland Comet racer, the Dragonfly delivered impressive performance at low power settings but commanded a high purchase price (£2,650). It was marketed primarily as an executive transport for affluent private owners or their corporations.

Operational history

Deliveries commenced in May 1936. Out of the total production, approximately 36 new Dragonflies were acquired by private individuals and companies, around 15 served airlines or air taxi operations, and three were allocated to flying clubs. Military use included two aircraft each for the Danish and Swedish air forces, while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police employed four units for anti-smuggling patrols. Production ceased in 1938.

By 1939, several examples transitioned from private ownership to commercial roles, such as those operated by Air Dispatch Ltd at Croydon Airport, led by The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce. Her fleet of seven included former airline aircraft. These planes functioned as air taxis connecting various London airports and also served as night flying trainers for Army Cooperation units. Western Airways at Weston-super-Mare Airport utilized its Dragonfly on scheduled routes via Birmingham to Manchester.

Seven airframes were exported to Canada and assembled by de Havilland Canada, where they supported small commercial operators, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and two were used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. At least one example, CF-BFF, was equipped with Edo floats for commercial floatplane operations.

Around 1937, three Dragonflies were purchased by Romania for training purposes and appeared on their civil registry.

With the outbreak of World War II, approximately 23 Dragonflies were requisitioned into service with the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces; six remained operational through 1945. Overall, about thirteen were still flying that year.

File:DH.90 Dragonfly Blackbushe 1953.jpg

Dragonfly operated by Silver City Airways as an executive transport in 1953

Silver City Airways employed a Dragonfly registered G-AEWZ as an executive transport from 1950 until 1960. By roughly 1970, only two known airworthy examples remained active. In May 2018, Hertfordshire-based bus operator Uno named one of its bus fleets in honour of the Dragonfly aircraft.

The fuel tanks are situated within the thickened lower centre-section rather than directly behind the engines as on the Dragon Rapide. This design contributed to only one recorded loss due to fire. However, a frequent cause of accidents involved severe ground loops during takeoff or landing phases, often resulting in undercarriage destruction and damage to wing spars.

Variants

• DH.90 : Solely the initial prototype, equipped with two 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major I engines.
• DH.90A : Powered by two 142 hp (106 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C or D engines (postwar models nearly identical), or the earlier, closely related Major II in prewar versions.
• Dragonfly Seaplane : Featuring aluminium floats, reinforced mounting points, an additional cabin door, and a wing walkway, this variant’s empty weight rose to 3,110 lb (1,410 kg), while its top speed decreased to 125 mph (200 km/h).

Surviving aircraft

File:De Havilland DH.89 and DH.90.jpg

de Havilland DH.89 alongside DH.90

File:De Havilland DH.90A Dragonfly G-AEDU, Kemble, England arp.jpg

Dragonfly G-AEDU (manufactured 1937) at Kemble, England, in 2019

Two airworthy examples remain:

• DH 90A ZK-AYR (c/n 7508) is operated by the Croydon Aircraft Company in New Zealand for scenic and flight experience services. Initially registered as G-AEDT, it was transferred to Australia in 1938 as VH-AAD and used by Adastra Aerial Surveys until 1951; subsequently flown to the UK in 1963 and sold to the United States in 1964 under registration N2034. Between approximately 1988 and 1996 it flew again as G-AEDT before being relocated to New Zealand.
• DH 90A G-AEDU (c/n 7526) has been registered in the United Kingdom since 1992 and is currently part of Shipping and Airlines’ Historic Aircraft Collection at Biggin Hill. Formerly owned by the Norman Aeroplane Trust, it was originally delivered to Angola in 1937 as CR-AAB, later flying in South Africa as ZS-CTR. Returned to England in 1979, it adopted the British registration G-AEDU, previously assigned but unused on another Dragonfly. Exported to the United States in 1983 as N190DH, it was brought back to England in a damaged condition in 1992 and restored to flying status under the same registration.

Operators

Australia

• Qantas
• Royal Australian Air Force
• Adastra Aerial Surveys
• Connellan Airways
• Bush Pilots Airways

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• Belgian Air Force

Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force

Egypt

• Misr Airwork Ltd

India

• Air Services of India Ltd
• Royal Indian Air Force

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• King Faisal of Iraq
• Iraqi Air Force

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Laos

• Cie Laotienne de Commerce et de Transport (CLCT) – Operated two aircraft.

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• Dutch Army Aviation Group

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• Air Travel (NZ) Ltd – Owned two aircraft.

Peru

• Peruvian Air Force

Template:Country data Rhodesia

• Rhodesian and Nyasaland Airways

Romania

• LARES

South Africa

• South African Air Force

Spanish Republic

• Spanish Republican Air Force

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• Spanish Air Force – Post-civil war period
• Iberia Lineas Aéreas españolas

Sweden

• Royal Swedish Air Force

Turkey

• Turkish Airlines Turkish State Airlines (Devlet Hava Yollari)

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• PLUNA

United Kingdom

• Air Dispatch Ltd
• Air Commerce Ltd
• Air Service Training Ltd
• Air Taxis Ltd
• Anglo-European Airways Ltd
• Birkett Air Service Ltd
• British Continental Airways Ltd
• International Air Freight Ltd
• Plymouth Airport Ltd
• Royal Air Force – Fifteen civilian aircraft were requisitioned for wartime use in 1940
• Silver City Airways Ltd
• Western Airways Ltd

See also

• List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
• List of aircraft of the Spanish Republican Air Force

Bibliography

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). London: Orbis Publishing.
• Hayes, P., & King, B. de Havilland biplane transports. Coulsden: Gatwick Aviation Society (2003) ISBN 0-9530413-2-8
• Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 2. London: Putnam, 1973. ISBN 0-370-10010-7 or (1988 revision) ISBN 0-85177-813-5.
• Jackson, A. J. de Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1978 ISBN 0-370-30022-X
• Grey, C. J., and Bridgman, L. Jane's All the World's Aircraft (1938). London: Sampson Low Martin.