Page 6 - Sept 2020
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Upon the outbreak of the World War II, many of the civil
Rapides were impressed into service with the Royal Air
Force (RAF) and Royal Navy. Referred to in military
service by the name de Havilland Dominie, the type was
employed for radio and navigation training, passenger
transport and communications missions. British training
aircraft had names with educational associations, and
dominie is a Scots term for a school teacher.
Hundreds of additional Dominies were also constructed
during the war. Other Rapides continued to be operated
by British airlines throughout the war under the auspices
The de Havilland DH.89
of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC).
Dragon Rapide is a
Postwar, many military aircraft were returned to civilian
1930s short-haul biplane service.
airliner developed and
produced by British The original 89 design was flown for the first time on
aircraft company de April 17, 1934 and quickly became known for its
Havilland. The Rapide is efficiency, reliability and versatility; some were flown on
a descendant of both floats and skis. Fred Hotson, in his book de Haviland
the D. H. 83 Fox Moth Story, suggests that the Rapide carried the airline
and the D. H. 84 Dragon. industry from the single engine to the twin engine stage
and proved to be one of the first real money making
Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved
aircraft in the business. Several were assembled by de
an economical and durable craft, despite its relatively Haviland at Downsview, Ontario for Canadian use and
primitive plywood construction.
were operated by Canadian Airways, Quebec Airways,
The Dragon was developed in response to a request Matane Air Services, Central North Airways, Queen
from a Fox Moth operator for a twin engined Charlotte Airways and others.
passenger aircraft for service between southern
The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sauly Ste.
England and Paris. The Dragon Rapide was essentially
Marie, Ontario’s deHavilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide, C-
a smaller, twin-engined version of the four-engined FAYE, known as Lady Faye, was built in England in 1944.
DH.86 Express, and shared a number of common
features, such as its tapered wings, streamlined It was imported to Canada and eventually obtained from
fairings and Gipsy Six engines. First named the the Lemay family of Calgary in 1999.
"Dragon Six", the type was marketed as "Dragon Restored
Rapide" and later simply known as the "Rapide". Registration: C-FAYE
Upon its introduction in summer 1934, it proved to be
Model: deHavilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide
a popular aircraft with airlines and private civil
Operator: private
operators alike, attaining considerable foreign sales in Wingspan: 30' 10" Length: 26'
addition to its domestic use. The slab sided plywood
Engines: (2) Gipsy 6 inline
box assembly used successfully on the Fox was
adapted for the Dragon. The Rapide evolved from the
Dragon with more power and greater overall
performance. The D. H. 89 Rapide design was
modified in March 1937 by the addition of small
trailing-edge flaps fitted to the lower wings outboard
of the engine nacelles. This modification became
known as the D. H. 89A.
