De Havilland Dragon.

Resurrected this thread in the hope that ‘Follygate’ still looks-in occasionally.

Found another “City of Exeter” named aircraft, to add to the list.

History gathered from ‘Turbo Prop Airliner Prodution List, Roach & Eastwood, TAHS 2007.

DHC Dash 7, c/no 109 (one of the final batch built), rolled-out 12.87 and test flown in by de Havilland Canada as C-GEWQ. Delivered to Brymon Airways at Plymouth 15.1.88 as G-BRYD and named “City of Exeter”. Company renamed Brymon European Airways on a merger 1.11.92, aircraft continued as “City of Exeter” until renamed “Cornwall/Kernow” 1.5.93. Sold 9.6.00 as 9M-TAK and delivered to Berjaya Air of Malaysia.

De Havilland Dragon & Others

Thanks for all the input from everyone – I think I have trawled up all there is on this Aircraft and the related City of Exeter named machines. I have forward the info to the Website owner of Exeter Memories who, I hope , will add the information on the VISCOUNT and the Bristol Freighter – Silver City Archives most helpful as was all the information and links to No 2 Viscount. I hope shortly to see the updates on the ExMem website, there are other methods of transport also awaiting addition.
Thanks
Richard H http://forum.keypublishing.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Many thanks to all who have offered advice & suggestions – The Silver City Bristol Freighter G-AIME is about to be added to the website with the assistance of the Silver City Archives – it is maintained that wherever in the world there is an Exeter it took its name directly or indirectly from Exeter Devon – cheating slightly I know!
Folly Gate – Richard H

With that flimsy excuse, here are a couple of current (maritime) Exeters for your collection! (click on the name) 😀

http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/VesselArchive/All/All.html?search=Exeter+

Richard, do you know the book:
Railway Air Services by John Stroud published by Ian Allan 1987 1st edition.
Maybe you can find the answer there…

De Havilland Dragon & others

[FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]”Another one that that you might wish to research and include is Viscount 701, G-ALWF “City of Exeter” while with British Eagle circa 1964. Can provide website urls references and service dates if required. This aircraft still exists in preservation at Duxford.”[/FONT]

Thanks for this information – I should like to follow this up and suggestions as to how this is best done are welcome.
With regards RAF & Military Aircraft – I was unaware of the existance of names – I had a few choice names for a Hastings I flew in as Air Despatch Crew years ago at RAF Colerne having seen the puddles of oil under the engines but that is as far as it went!
Many thanks to all who have offered advice & suggestions – The Silver City Bristol Freighter G-AIME is about to be added to the website with the assistance of the Silver City Archives – it is maintained that wherever in the world there is an Exeter it took its name directly or indirectly from Exeter Devon – cheating slightly I know!
Folly Gate – Richard H

Hi Follygate,

Interesting project and an interesting web site section linked to.

I see you have included the three other “City of Exeter” named aircraft I am aware of: BA Boeing 747 G-BNLV, BAC Express Short 3-60 and FlyBe’s Dash 8-Q400 G-JEDU on your web entry. The Sikorsky flying boat “Exeter” is quite an obscure find, but is it Exeter, UK? (not that it matters!).

Another one that that you might wish to research and include is Viscount 701, G-ALWF “City of Exeter” while with British Eagle 1964-1965. Can provide website urls, references and service dates if required, but probably not a photo – PM me. This aircraft still exists in preservation at Duxford in early BEA colours.

A number of airlines apart from Silver City and Railway Air Service, over the years have had ‘City of …………….” names. Air UK/KLM on their Fokker 50 and VLM on their Fokker 50s (names changed at times), but I don’t think either used ‘Exeter’, equally British European/Fly Be used “Pride of ……..” names on their BAe.146 fleet, again don’t know of the use of ‘Exeter’. Or does anyone know otherwise? I’m sure that there are other uses out there to be discovered. Are you aware that BA had a Boeing 737-236 “River Exe”, does that count? If so, then G-BKYG 12.84-12.98. I am certain that Railway Air Services is a dead-end having consulted John Stroud’s detailed book on the subject. I’m looking through my sources, so far fairly certain 1920’s Instone Air Line and Imperial Airways are also dead-ends ….. unless others know differently!

Have you considered presentation RFC and RAF aircraft? There was an excellent, but rather expensive, Air Britain book on the subject, I don’t have a copy (wish I did), but I’m sure someone has, and will let it be known if there were ‘Exeter’ named aircraft. The big Key Press ‘Spitfire’ (another I don’t have and wished I did) book of some 15? years ago, listed Spitfire presentation aircraft.

Although nothing as ‘classy’ as your website entries, I have over a period of some 10 years been gathering a list of “City of Liverpool” and related names on aircraft – although hit quite a problem when it came to illustrating older aircraft.
http://www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=4896 with specific reference to posts #6 on page 1 and entry #18 on page 2, other posts discuss or illustrate.

Incidently, if you had called this thread “‘City of Exeter’ named aircraft”, I’d have found it sooner and added Silver City’s Bristol 170, but others got there first! Still, clearly a good idea to ask the question on this forum, as even if the original question was a dead-end, you have two good new leads to research and use.

Mark……….

That was one of the sources I checked and found nothing relating to “Exeter” but it could be a case of “two pairs of eyes”, etc………!!!

Planemike

I’ll assume the De Havilland Dragon Trail is a dead end – UNLESS – someone knows different. ! !

I had a look through the excellent book by Ian Hamlin (Air Britain) on the Dragon/Rapide Family and on page 208/209 it lists the registrations of 10 DH-84 Dragons, 4 DH-86 Express, and 19 DH89 Rapides as being in service with Railway Air Services.

I havent had the time to identify each of those aircraft in the individual history section other than to undertake a quick scan and confirm its not one of their 4 DH-86’s which had names such as “Mecury” (G-ACVY) and “Jupiter”(G-ACVZ). I can confirm that some of the DH-84’s had names such as “Star of Cheshire” (G-ACVD) and that some of the Rapides had names such as the “Star of Yorkshire” (G-AEAL) and I certainly dont claim to have identified the individual entry of each of the 29 RAS Dragon/Rapides.

Hence there is still the risk RAS operated a “Star of Exeter” in the 29 DH-84/DH-89 aircraft identified? (and of course is it possible another UK airline operated it?)

regards

Mark Pilkington

FollyGate………

There is a photograph of G-AIME while in Siver City service on page 397 of British Independent Airlines since 1946 Volume 4. It is certainly marked “City of Exeter” although the word Exeter is obscured………..!!!

Planemike

Graham Simons!! where are you? I often refer to your booklet on the Dragon.

You called?

G-AIME before application of the name! 😉

http://www.na3t.org/air/photo/AB01264

Many thanks for that information – will divert my energies to tracking down a clear image of this aircraft G-AIME. There is a poor resolution image on Google Images and one can distinguish “City of Exeter” rear of the Captial “E” in a white circle – if anyone has or can direct me to a higher resolution of this aircraft showing its name clearly it would be appreciated and hopefully appropriate permission to use on Exeter Memories website can be given.
I’ll assume the De Havilland Dragon Trail is a dead end – UNLESS – someone knows different. ! !

Thanks to all who who have responded with infromation to date on this forum.

FollyGate – you may want to check the Silver City Airways archive, they list G-AIME several times:

http://www.silvercityairways.com/site_documents/archive/complete_archive_list.pdf

Many thanks for that information – will divert my energies to tracking down a clear image of this aircraft G-AIME. There is a poor resolution image on Google Images and one can distinguish “City of Exeter” rear of the Captial “E” in a white circle – if anyone has or can direct me to a higher resolution of this aircraft showing its name clearly it would be appreciated and hopefully appropriate permission to use on Exeter Memories website can be given.
I’ll assume the De Havilland Dragon Trail is a dead end – UNLESS – someone knows different. ! !

Thanks to all who who have responded with infromation to date on this forum.

D.H.84/B.170, umm, no wonder I couldn’t find it!:D

Welcome to the Forum FG and hope we (Mark) have added some useful info. for you. 🙂

google finds reference to a Bristol Freighter of Silver City Airways carrying the name?

G-AIME – c/n 12795 ‘City of Exeter’
Leased by British Aviation Services from The Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd on 16/07/48
Returned to The Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd in 1949
Purchased by Silver City Airways on 21/11/50
Transferred to Air Kruise on 09/02/56
Returned to Silver City Airways on 01/10/57
Transferred to British United Air Ferries Ltd on 01/01/63
Withdrawn from use at Lydd in October 1963 and broken up at Southend in May 1964

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Graham Simons!! where are you? I often refer to your booklet on the Dragon.

FollyGate……………….

Welcome to the forum !!!

You are quite correct Railway Air Services did indeed operate the deH 84 Dragon: in fact ten aircraft, one Mk I and nine Mk IIs.

The sources I have checked indicate only three RAS aircraft carried names but none of the names was Exeter or City of Exeter. Have checked other aircraft types used by RAS but have found no evidence of the name Exeter having been used.

Wonder if another forumite can come up with other information.

Planemike