What's the Greatest Machine of the 1930s...the de Havilland Dragon Rapide?

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Introduced in 1934, the de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was one of the world's first completely 'streamlined' airliners. Designed as a short haul specialist between England and Europe (well, in reality, Scotland, Ireland and France), the plane was powered by two air-cooled inline-6 Gipsy Queen engines, each of them capable of 200 horsepower.
Underneath the sleek skinned exterior the Rapide is built mainly from lightweight plywood. Up to eight passengers had to be weighed alongside their luggage before they were allowed on.
Brilliantly combining form and function, every detail of this beautiful aircraft is streamlined, making it an iconic aerodynamic pioneer with a range of 578 miles (at a leisurely132 mph). Central London to central Paris took 3 hours and 40 minutes - easily the fastest way to go at the time.
What makes it great… the DH.89 set a new benchmark in streamlining, decades ahead of modern aerodynamics.
Time Warp… A one way ticket to France cost £4 back in the mid 1930s, which equates to around £350 today. So, a bit more than Easyjet, but what a way to travel!
This film features actor/comedian/petrolhead Chris Barrie overcoming his fear of flying to enjoy the Dragon Rapide.
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Опубликовано:

28 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 48

@joeletaxi821 2 года назад

Flew in that very plane after the battle of britain airshow. The most comfortable flight i've ever had. I didn't want it to end and I hate flying.

@anthonymoralee454 8 лет назад

Went up in one of these in my childhood. Great experience.

@alibenhassan6177 8 лет назад

Blackpool Tower !

@JohnWilliams-iw6oq 11 месяцев назад

I worked at Bankstown airport for 14 years and we had one of the and the old Tiger as company aircraft, what a privilege to work around such beautiful machines.

@jirifiala7066 5 лет назад

Definitely, YES!!! George Fiala, Cz.rep.

@mikepowell2776 Год назад

Flew in this a/c a few years back and video revived good memories, including the smoothest landing ever experienced. I particularly liked the gap around the door. But is it safe? Must be or it wouldn’t have got so old.

@johnevans7261 5 лет назад

G-ACAN was a DH.84 Dragon, not a DH.89 Rapide. But the rest is spot-on.

@jackcole3146 4 года назад

Where in the video does it say G-ACAN is a DH 89? Am I missing something? If we're being pedantic, the aircraft featured is a Dominie, but that's really splitting hairs. I don't understand why you made your (factually correct) comment, G-ACAN isn't mentioned.

@jackcole3146 4 года назад

Apologies, you're referring to the the Hillman advert.

@0nem1leh1gh 6 лет назад

Great narrator.

@acrobaticcripple8176 6 лет назад

His name is Rimmer!!!!!

@mansurtxafapapaias3517 2 года назад

@@acrobaticcripple8176 Nobiggie ...dont stop honey

@kenbbowen8894 5 лет назад

I went up in one from Swansea on a sunny day on a pleasure flight I n 1949, when I was 10 yrs , with my mum & sister. Itt cost 15 shillings (75 p). In 2015 I took my wife up in one, Classic Wings, at Duxford great memory. It cost £38 each but it was worth it for the experience. I have made a kit model of the Dragon Rapids.

@q.e.d.9112 3 года назад

I was five in 1949. My brother was nine and he and Dad went for a ride in one at Ilfracombe. Mum and I didn’t get to go. But, while they were up, we got to see a RAF Vampire do a Low pass and a “Victory Roll” over the airfield. My brother was so disappointed to miss that, that I think he almost wished Dad had taken me up, instead. Both the DR and the Vamp were two of my all time favourites along, of course, with the superb Mosquito.

@borninjordan7448 2 года назад

I flew out of one at Duxford as well... 2010.

@philnewton3096 3 года назад

Who composes the music and why?

@GCJT1949 5 лет назад

The Brit's most advanced aircraft in 1934, the US of A had the DC-2 Geoff Who figures the difference is obvious.

@jackcole3146 4 года назад

Well whoopee do.

@prod.mp3861 3 года назад

He 112

@mansurtxafapapaias3517 2 года назад

Too.... V12 or Raw power Gipsy 6 ...

@morganfinlayson619 5 дней назад

flew on one of these on a short scenic flight at duxford’s D-day 80th earlier this year! was a wonderful beats to fly in, they used to fly them out of a village local to me called kintore in the 30s and 40s, airfield isn’t there anymore but one of the hangars still stands and is used to store oil company equipment

@SamhainBe 5 лет назад

I was afraid of flying and made my first flight in a B-17.

@kevindixon2645 9 месяцев назад

first aircraft i flew in, must have been about 8 at the time, short trip around the coast from Lands End. Must have been between 68-72 was amazing

@oldgysgt 5 лет назад

Greatest Machine of the 1930s...the de Havilland Dragon Rapide? Are you kidding? The Douglas DC2 first in the same year as the Rapide, 1934, but carried twice the number of passengers 50mph faster, and 67% farther. The Rapide was a mix of wood, metal, and fabric, had fixed landing gear, and was a braced biplane. The DC2 was all metal, had retracting landing gear, and was a cantilever monoplane. How could ANYONE think the Rapide could have been "the Greatest Machine of the 1930s"?

@mrrolandlawrence 4 года назад

at a rough guess, being made from bits of plywood, fabric and having 200hp engines instead of the radials that the DC2 had - its sticker price & fuel consumption at new was a lot less. also the folding wings made storage rather easy.

@oldgysgt 4 года назад

@@mrrolandlawrence; would you rather fly in an all metal DC2 or a string and cloth de Havilland Dragon Rapide? The de Havilland was not exactly "State of the art", at the time, so why call it one of "the Greatest Machine of the 1930s"?

@direktorpresident 3 года назад

@@oldgysgt You have to remember that this is a British perspective, so that the Fairey Swordfish or Battle were viewed as cutting edge; the Gladiator was sent up against metal monoplane opposition. The Hampden was considered an effective bomber. What is truly remarkable is the flexibility of the aircraft design and production industry, which came up with world-beaters like the Mosquito, Hurricane, Spitfire, Lancaster et al, in a few short years. The Rapide was for waffling around peacefully in the sylvan skies of an era long gone. "I say! Fancy a spree in Le Touquet?"

@oldgysgt 3 года назад

@@direktorpresident; the Fairey Swordfish was an outdated aircraft when it first flew in 1934. It would have been "cutting edge" in 1928, but by the mid 1930's it was an obsolete concept. The Battle was likewise a poorly conceived dead end. To send young flight crew members out to fight a war in these crates was near criminal. Yes, the British had some world class military aircraft during WWII, but the Swordfish and Battle were not among them.

@direktorpresident 3 года назад

@@oldgysgt Yes, that was what I implied

@thepirate5955 9 месяцев назад

Wow! That looks perfectly enchanting! How fun.

@Rainhill1829 7 лет назад

Subbed based on the channel name alone.

@mansurtxafapapaias3517 2 года назад

Franco Franco Franco! The plane of ....

@lennox_nzl4607 11 месяцев назад

I flew on one of these early at Duxford air show, it was amazing!

@lenynaise 10 месяцев назад

pretty sure this was filmed there

@felixthecat265 3 года назад

I did my first parachute jump from one of these in the early 70s. Lovely aeroplane..

@michaelbolton7790 Год назад

So did I in 1968

@carsten4594 11 месяцев назад

Delightful!

@hugjoantossas4322 3 года назад

I think it was liquid cooled, not air cooled

@johnjephcote7636 2 года назад

Yes, those are not radial engines.

@chrishowes326 2 года назад

Definitely air cooled

@carsten4594 11 месяцев назад

Air cooled, as was the Gypsy Major.

@johnjephcote7636 2 года назад

My father took me to the final Hendon Air Display in 1957. For ten bob each we both took our first flight (despite Dad being in the RAF for the duration). The two silver Rapides were from Air Transport Couriers of Croydon. The air was quite bumpy over NW London. Circa 1962 I took an evening flight in G-AJGJ (not the present holder of that reg.) from DH airfield at Christchurch near Bournemouth. It provided a beautiful coastal flight. Both airfields no longer exist. Lovely little 8-seaters (correct?) and the pilot's door open, one could see through to the cockpit.