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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2784.PDF
586 FLIGHT Seventy-sixth of the Current Recognition Series Aircraft Types antf DH 86 B IT would be difficult, even it were permissible, to givea complete account of the multifarious duties still beingperformed by certain of the more modest, and older, types of de Havilland aircraft in various parts of the globe. At present the firm itself is collecting information on the subject in order to compile a record of their war service, but much of this will not be told until after the war. But it can be stated, in general terms, that among a number of other types originally designed for peaceful occasions, there are a fair number of de Havilland aircraft, aged relatives of the omnipotent Mosquito, if you like, which are still making unpretentious but extremely useful contributions to the war effort. The DHSfTis a case in point, the most recent version of the series being 86B. The original design was intro- duced in 1934 as the Express Airliner, and was supplied to Qantas Empire Airways in Australia, and pioneered the Brisbane-Singapore section of the England-Australia air route. It was also the DH86 which opened the night mail service from Gatwick to Hanover operated by British Air- ways in 1936. Imperial Airways-acquired the DH86A for Continental and Empire routes, and this modified version differed from the original in having a redesigned nose with accommodation for two pilots and additional luggage space. The airframe was also strengthened to permit a higher maximum load. Then came the 86B, illustrated below, which has small, oval auxiliary fins mounted on the tail- plane tips. Both the 86A and 86B are powered by .lour 200 h.p. inverted, air-cooled Gipsy Six Series II engines with controllable-pitch airscrews, in place of the Series I with fixed-pitch wooden airscrews. •Its cruising speed is 160 m.p.h. at 7,000ft., and service ceiling 18,oooft. Designed to carry 10 to 16 passengers, those ordered by the R.A.F. were employed originally on radio and navigational training as well as on the '' com- munications " duties some of them still fulfil. , FIXED, FAIRED - UNDERCARRIAGE SMALL TAILPLANt INVERTED ! ENGINES DIMENSIONS Sppn Length Height .. Wing area .. 64ft. bin. .. 46ft. liin. .. 13ft. lOin. ,. 638 sq.ft. VERY' HICH ASPECTRATIO
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