The prototype de Havilland DH89 Dragon Six (E-4/CH-287) flew for the first time on 17th April 1934 and was essentially a twin-engined, scaled down version of the four engined DH86 Express. Designed to carry six to eight passengers, it became one of the most successful British built short range aircraft of the era and despite its primitive plywood construction, proved to be extemely durable.
It was the first new aircraft type to be flown at Hatfield after the de Havilland company moved its flying activities to Hatfield from Stag Lane. Production aircraft were known as Dragon Rapides or simply Rapides with the majority being the DH89A variant fitted with small trailing edge flaps.
The type was immediately successful in both the home and export markets, serving with a significant number of pre-war British operators including Hillman Airways, Railway Air Services, Olley Air Services, Northern & Scottish Airways and Jersey Airways.
It also boasted a royal connection as Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) owned a Dragon Rapide and on his accession he flew it to London, becoming the first British Monarch to pilot their own aircraft.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the type gained a new lease of life, entering RAF service as the Dominie Mk.1 and Mk.2 in navigational training and communication roles respectively. 731 Dominies were utilised by both the RAF and Royal Navy as well as a number in air ambulance and transport roles.
Post-war, the DH.89 became a mainstay of the Highlands and Islands routes of British European Airways (BEA), the company operating nearly 20 of the type as its ‘Islander’ class.
In total 728 DH89 Rapide and Dominies were built, 346 of which were Dominies built by Brush Coachworks in Loughborough, in addition to a combined total of 380 Dominies and Rapides built at Hatfield. Two more aircraft were also built from spares at Witney. Large numbers of Dominies were converted to civilian use post-war and the type is said to have been operated in almost every country in the world. The DH89, in all its variants, provided a durable, simple and forgiving light transport aircraft which was eventually superceded by the de Havilland Dove and Heron.