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| Designed and built in response to an
Australian government requirement for
a multi-engined aircraft to be used by
QANTAS for service across the Timor
Sea, between Singapore and Australia,
the de Havilland D.H.86 was
awarded its Certificate of Airworthiness
on 30 January 1934, only four months
after a start of work on the project. The
aircraft was of wooden construction
with fabric covering, and powered by
four de Havilland Gipsy Six engines. The
first flight was made on 14 January 1934
at Stag Lane, in the hands of Hubert
Broad, and certification trials were conducted
at Martiesham. The prototype
and two identical aircraft were equipped
for single-pilot operation. The latter were
used by Railway Air Services from 21
August 1934 on a new Croydon-Birmingham-
Manchester-Belfast-Glasgow
route. A second crew member (navigator/
wireless operator) was carried,
accommodated behind the pilot. However,
QANTAS and Imperial Airways required
that two pilots should be seated
side-by-side, and in August 1934 the prototype
re-emerged from the Stag Lane
factory with a longer and wider nose to
provide the necessary accommodation.
The first of 29 production examples was
one of four flown by Holyman Airways in
Australia, and other operators comprised
QANTAS (six), Imperial Airways
(five), Jersey Airways (six), Misr Airwork,
Egypt (four), Hillman's Airways (three)
and Wrightways (one).
 | A three-view drawing (700 x 674) |
| MODEL | D.H.86B |
| ENGINE | 4 x de Havilland Gipsy Six inline piston engines, 149kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 4649 kg | 10249 lb |
| Empty weight | 2943 kg | 6488 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 19.66 m | 65 ft 6 in |
| Length | 14.05 m | 46 ft 1 in |
| Height | 3.96 m | 13 ft 0 in |
| Wing area | 59.55 m2 | 640.99 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 267 km/h | 166 mph |
| Cruise speed | 229 km/h | 142 mph |
| Ceiling | 5305 m | 17400 ft |
| Range | 1287 km | 800 miles |
| Hussar, e-mail, 13.04.2010 18:22 Do any DH 86 still exist? reply |
| Roy Scaife, e-mail, 29.09.2008 21:35 Were the Qantas aircraft fitted with flaps? reply |
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Hussar
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