DH 86 Express

Thanks, some good leads there

GeoffR

Failing which, try de Havilland Support at Duxford.

Any ideas on where there might be some drawings for this aircraft?
I have to make a replica DH86 for the QANTAS museum in Longreach.
regards
GeoffR

There was a project in the U.K. three or four years ago to construct a replica, presumably they would have been sourcing the drawings as perhaps JDK knows.;)

Any ideas on where there might be some drawings for this aircraft?
I have to make a replica DH86 for the QANTAS museum in Longreach.
regards
GeoffR

Hi Geoff,

Lucky you!

send me a PM (Private Message) with your e-mail address in.

Regards,

Any ideas on where there might be some drawings for this aircraft?
I have to make a replica DH86 for the QANTAS museum in Longreach.
regards
GeoffR

A drawing showing the DH-86B modifications to the tailplane and fin design.

Mark Pilkington

DH-86 Express

The experience of Australian DH-86 aircraft is explained well in “Airliners in Australian Service” by Eric Allen -Aerospace Publications 1995.

Australia suffered a number of unexplained crashes of DH-86 commencing with the “first of type” in country VH-URN “Miss Hobart” of Holyman Airways, that only survived 18 days of service, in October 1934.

Two months later VH-USG of Qantas also crashed and two theories were put forward, fin post failure causing the fin to collapse.

I would agree with JDK that the British Industry, both manufacturing and regulation, had no interest in hearing such analysis from the colonials.

Adding to these attitudes was the ascendency of the US designs, the DC2 and Boeing 247 airliners had both performed spectacularly in the 1934 Centenary Air-race, (the DH Comet being a purpose built racer), while the DH-89 Dragon Rapide contemporary came in 9th, it is easy then to see DH and British authorities being very defensive of the DH86 Express.

VH-USF of Qantas was inspected in Singapore and found a fault with the fin as well, leading to the removal of its Certificate of Airworthiness, while VH-USD of Qantas was inspected on delivery in Australia and also found to have a fault in the tail assembly.

The DH-86 finally entered regular serive with Qantas in April 1935, but in October 1935 Holyman’s lost their second DH-86 when VH-URT “Loina” was lost over Bas Straight.

Pilot confidence in the DH-86 dropped and a third Holyman DH-86 undertook an emergency landing resulting in serious damage in the crash, when the pilot saw movement in a wing strut fairing and assumed imminent wing failure.

VH-USE of Qantas was lost near Brisbane in 1942, and according to an Airworthiness Inspector, the fin structure was found a considerable distance from the main wreck which had dived vertically into the ground, interestingly this detail was apparantly later overlooked in the official report of crash?, and the Fin was reported as not contributing to the crash?

Apparantly recommendations for major modifications to the DH-86 design by noted Australian Designer L J Wackett were opposed by Qantas, DeHavilland and the UK Air Ministry, Wackett having been a previous victim of opposition from the Society of British Aircraft Manufacturers in closing his RAAF Experimentakl station, and also later in opposing manufacture of “American” aircraft by CAC when formed.

Interestingly the book notes that after the fifth crash of a UK operated DH-86 that the Air Ministry instructed the A&AEE to rerun the CofA trials on the DH86A resulting in alarming results, and identifying a further 7 of 16 aircraft on the UK register being “considered unsafe….and on which no further flying would be permitted”

This lead to the DH86B modifications including obvious external tailplane bracing and finlets etc

In Australia the damage to confidence in both the DH-86 and British design leadership had been done, and the first two DC-2’s for Holyman airlines arrived in April 1936, interestingly despite over 198 DC-2’s being constructed for all major airlines in the USA and many major airlines in continental Europe, I dont believe any of the UK operators imported a DC-2 into service.

The “Colonial” struggle continued on when the RAAF was forced to import Lockheed Hudsons due to ongoing delays in UK aircraft delivery prior to WW2, and CAC selected the American NA-16 as the first aircraft to be mass produced in Australia, resulting in a scathing report by a visiting RAF Air Vice Marshall, C.G. Grey of “The Aeroplane” and also the SBAM.

The RAAF and CAC felt vindicated when the RAF commenced purchased both Hudsons and Harvard mark I’s for its own requirements not long after.

In part DeHavilland’s success with the wooden bi-plane moth in the early 1920’s had resulted in a linage of superb wooden bi-planes through the fox moth, to the Dragon, Rapide, Express and perhaps the definative design the Dragonfly, but had dominated the UK’s suspicion of monoplanes and delayed the UK’s experience in stressed metal construction then being lead by the USA in the 1930’s, and eagerly examined by Germany and Japan with devasting impact on the early 1940’s.

It would seem that the major fault in the DH-86 existed in the empannage and Fin Post, and the reluctance to admit the possibility of DH & UK design flaw.

regards

Mark Pilkington

According to the Putnam book it was De H NZ that did the rebuild and it “reverted to the original owners” which I assume were Union Airways of NZ? Does that help?

That is interesting. I wasn’t aware of this at all. I thought Union Airways was wound up at the end of the war when the Governemnt formed National Airways Corporation (now Air New Zealand). There are a few books on Union Airways, if I rememebr when in the library I’ll see if the aircraft and its fate are mentioned.

Cheers guys, isn’t it amazing what you can learn on here?

According to the Putnam book it was De H NZ that did the rebuild and it “reverted to the original owners” which I assume were Union Airways of NZ? Does that help?

Just a point Dave., the engines were Gipsy Sixes not Gipsy MOTH Sixes

I thought it didn’t sound right, but that’s what the book said. Cheers for the correction.

Who rebuilt the DH86 after the war? Was it De Havilland New Zealand that did this? If so, who for? Did it fly here after the war? I had not heard this.

Just a point Dave., the engines were Gipsy Sixes not Gipsy MOTH Sixes. The original design, which was to an Australian spec, was for a 10-seater but the Putnams “De H Aircraft” book mentions 18-seaters being used by Blackpool and West Coast Air Services on the IOM-Blackpool route. Hope this helps. By the way, the remains of the 3 NZ machines were rebuilt into a “new” one after WW2 which is perhaps where the “remaining bits” story comes from.

Other details that may help you…

Span: 64 ft 6 in (19.66 m)
Length: 46 ft 1 1/4 in (14.07 m)
Maximum speed: at 1000 ft (305 m) 170 mph (272 km/h)
Cruising speed: 140 mph (224 km/h)
Range: 750 miles (1,197 km)

One of the RNZAF Express’s was destroyed in a crash in 1940, the other two received bomb racks in 1941 when invasion looked likely. Later they spent some time in Fiji with their little cousins, several DH89’s of the RNZAF, in the GR role. Later returned to NZ and trained wireless operators, navigators, etc till 1944.

“Engines: Four by 200hp DH Gipsy Moth-Six Mk I & 116 cylinder air coolled”

according to a book I have

Sorry to be a pest but just a couple of quick questions for you.
1) what engines were used?
2) how many passengers did they carry?

Sorry about this but I have no information at all on the Express

dhFan, you’re quite right it was the Hornet Moth that had the replacement square-tipped wing package. However I believe there is one flying in Oz/NZ with the original tapered wing. It would be interesting to see how it has survived.

I think there is an annual Moth Club Rally in NZ anyway, isn’t there? I seem to recall seeing reports of these in NZ Wings in the 1990’s.

Thanks for the update DragonflyDH90. Sounds like a lot of excellent projects on the go. Are any of the projects destined to stay in NZ when completed? Or are they for overseas customers?

Current rebuilds here are, Beech Staggerwing, Percival Vega Gull, Dh Rapide, Dh Moth Minor, Dh Chipmunk, Dh Fox Moth, Dh Puss Moth, Dh Leopard Moth, Dh Gipsy Moth, Dh Comet Racer (Replica), and one or two others.

Current flying aircraft Rapide, Dragonfly, Fox Moth, Taylorcraft BC12, and several Tiger Moths.

wow! perhaps the DH Moth Club should transfer their Woburn rally there one year! LOL
Roger Smith.

Thanks for the help guys, reliable as ever. I knew I could rely on you all to have answers.

No Express at Croydon NZ as such but we have a couple of seats that are definately not off a Rapide but are of similar design, possibly Express.
I am pretty sure there isnt any major Express components here in NZ but I could be wrong, and would be very happy to be wrong also if that were the case.

For those interested, a slight hijack of the thread, here is what is on the go at Croydon;

Current rebuilds here are, Beech Staggerwing, Percival Vega Gull, Dh Rapide, Dh Moth Minor, Dh Chipmunk, Dh Fox Moth, Dh Puss Moth, Dh Leopard Moth, Dh Gipsy Moth, Dh Comet Racer (Replica), and one or two others.

Current flying aircraft Rapide, Dragonfly, Fox Moth, Taylorcraft BC12, and several Tiger Moths.