By Garth Calitz

In late 1933, a team at de Havilland, led by aircraft designer Arthur Ernest Hagg, began developing a new design aimed at being a faster and more comfortable successor to the earlier DH.84 Dragon. This new aircraft was essentially a twin-engine, scaled-down version of the four-engine DH.86 Express. It shared many features with the DH.86 Express, such as tapered wings, streamlined fairings and fuselage, and the same Gipsy Six engines. However, the DH.89 did not exhibit any of the operational drawbacks of the Express.

On 17 April 1934, the prototype conducted its maiden flight at Hatfield Aerodrome, Hertfordshire. Flown by senior de Havilland test pilot H.S. Broad, it was powered by a pair of 200 hp Gypsy Six engines. Even prior to the prototype's first flight, plans to proceed with serial production of the DH.89 had already received the go-ahead from management. During May 1934, airworthiness trials commenced at RAF Martlesham Heath using the prototype; during one such flight, upon attaining a speed of roughly 175 MPH, the tip of the aircraft's nose buckled. In response to this event, a maximum permissible speed of 160 MPH was implemented for all DH89. Upon the conclusion of trials, the prototype was sold.

In July 1934, the first production Rapide, G-ACPM, performed the type's public debut at Hatfield with its entry into the 1934 King's Cup Race. While having achieved an average speed of 158 MPH, G-ACPM had to be withdrawn from the race during Heat 9 of Round 2 when the wing sustained damage caused by hail while flying over Waddington, Lincolnshire. Another purpose-built Rapide, ZK-ACO, was entered into the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race; fitted with three additional fuel tanks within the fuselage to extend the aircraft's range to 1,000 miles, the aircraft, flown by Squadron Leader J.D. Hewett and Mr C.E. Kay, took sixth place in the handicap race and fifth place in the speed race.

Beginning in August 1934, Railway Air Services (RAS) used a fleet of Dragon Rapides to connect London with the north of England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The RAS DH.89 aircraft were named after locations on the network, such as "Star of Lancashire." Isle of Man Air Services also operated a fleet of Rapides on regular routes from Ronaldsway Airport near Castletown to airports in northwest England, including Blackpool, Liverpool, and Manchester. Some of these aircraft were previously operated by Railway Air Services before being transferred.

By November 1934, the Rapide had entered full-scale production. Initially known as the "Dragon Six," the aircraft was first marketed under the name "Dragon Rapide," but it eventually became commonly known as the "Rapide." Before the onset of the Second World War, 205 of these aircraft were produced for airlines and private owners worldwide. The Rapide is considered one of the most successful British-built short-haul commercial passenger aircraft of the 1930s.

In late 1935, the first group of 16 Rapides was sent to de Havilland Canada's branch for modification and resale. The Canadian aircraft underwent several alterations, such as an extended dorsal fin and a revised undercarriage. On January 30, 1942, most major Canadian operators merged into Canadian Pacific Air Lines, which continued to operate the type. Additional sales of the Rapide in Canada took place both during and after the Second World War.

Following the release of Specification G.18/35 by the British Air Ministry, de Havilland opted to design and build a single prototype of a modified Rapide for coastal reconnaissance missions. The prototype, K4772, underwent trials from April to June 1935 at RAF Martlesham Heath and RAF Gosport. Ultimately, it was outperformed by its competitor, the Avro Anson. K4772 was later utilized by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) for automatic landing trials before being dismantled for parts. The effort to create a militarized version of the Rapide was not in vain, as several sales were quickly made to other military clients, with the first sale to the Spanish government occurring in December 1935.

Recognizing demand for the model, de Havilland continued to modify the Rapide's design after it entered service, resulting in both enhancements and entirely new versions. To create a faster variant of the Rapide, a smaller, lighter, and more streamlined version was developed, known as the DH.90 Dragonfly. This aircraft first flew in August 1935, but it did not match the Rapide's sales success, leading to the end of production in 1938 after sixty-seven units were built. In November 1935, the 60th airframe, G-ADWZ, was modified by de Havilland for testing purposes. It featured extended rear windows, cabin heating, thicker wingtips, and a reinforced airframe to support a higher gross weight of 5,500 lb. G-ADWZ later took part in trials at Martlesham Heath, after which the increased gross weight was approved for service.

Upon announcing an air race from Britain to Johannesburg, South Africa, de Havilland's design team developed a specialized version of the Rapid, known as the DH.92 Dolphin. This unique model included a retractable undercarriage, an extended wingspan of 16.33 meters, a modified nose section, and an increased total weight of 6,600 lb. However, flight tests conducted in August 1936 showed no performance enhancement over the standard Rapide, resulting in the sole Dolphin being scrapped a few months later.

De Havilland addressed recommendations to add flaps for improved landing. In February 1937, a single Rapide was modified to test this feature. Following the positive results, de Havilland announced that all production aircraft from that year would include flaps, with additional options like a downward-facing recognition light and metal propellers available. From 1937 onwards, aircraft with the enhanced trailing edge flaps were re-designated as DH.89A. Earlier Rapides were often upgraded to this standard during their service life.

In 1938, Airwork Limited, a British operator, initially ordered nine Rapides to be used as navigation trainers. This decision was driven by policy changes within the British Air Ministry aimed at expanding this capability. As World War II approached, Airwork placed additional orders, and eventually, the entire fleet of Rapides was taken over by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became Edward VIII), possessed a Dragon Rapide (G-ADDD), which he often utilized for his royal responsibilities. He piloted this plane to London upon becoming king in 1936, marking him as the first British monarch to fly.

A notable event involving the Rapide took place in July 1936 when British SIS agents Cecil Bebb and Major Hugh Pollard transported Francisco Franco in the Rapide G-ACYR from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco. This marked the beginning of the military rebellion that initiated the Spanish Civil War. The aircraft used in this event is now exhibited at the Museo del Aire in Madrid, Spain.

At the onset of the Second World War on 3 September 1939, the Ministry of Aircraft Production requisitioned all British civil transport aircraft. Several Dragon Rapides were utilized for internal flights under National Air Communications (NAC) control. One of the most notable early uses of the Rapide during the war took place during the critical weeks of May–June 1940, amid the Battle of France. Rapides from No. 24 Squadron served as aerial couriers between Britain and France; during this intense period of conflict, 10 out of 24 Rapides were lost.

After the NAC network was closed, Dragon Rapides continued to operate for British airlines as part of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC) during the war. With the war's outbreak, all civil services were suspended, but some routes were gradually reinstated when they were considered valuable to the war effort or in the national interest. The AAJC managed most of the UK's wartime scheduled services, which were exclusively operated on over-water routes.

Additional Dragon Rapides were enlisted into service with the British armed forces as communications and training aircraft; Australian Rapides were also enlisted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Although the final Rapide was completed in November 1941, de Havilland shifted to exclusively producing the military-focused Dominie variant. Over 500 additional Dominies were built for military purposes, featuring enhanced Gipsy Queen engines. By the time production ended in July 1946, a total of 727 aircraft (including both Rapides and Dominies) had been produced. During the war, the production of Dominies was carried out by de Havilland and Brush Coachworks Ltd, with the latter handling the majority of the work. The Dominies were primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy for radio and navigation training, as well as for passenger and communications missions.

During the war, civilian Rapides were gradually replaced by Dominies as more of the latter became available. Rapides were either used for passenger services or sometimes converted for other uses, like Air Ambulances. By the end of the war, only nine impressed Rapides were returned to their civilian registrations, but they were accompanied by many Dominies that were considered surplus.

Many former RAF survivors swiftly transitioned to commercial service following the conflict's end. Aviation author Peter W. Moss notes that a standard conversion from Dominie to Rapide by de Havilland involved repainting the exterior (replacing the wartime camouflage) and installing soundproofing, upholstered seats, and new cabin décor. Additionally, various third-party companies, such as Field Aircraft Services, Airwork Limited, Air Enterprises, W.A. Rollason Limited, and the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC), offered and executed their own conversion schemes. By 1958, 81 such aircraft were still listed on the British register.

To differentiate between the various standards of Rapides in the post-war context, de Havilland introduced a basic mark number system. Mk 1 aircraft were those built before the war, while Mk 2 and Mk 3 Rapides were ex-military conversions with six-passenger and eight-passenger cabins, respectively. Rapides that were re-engined with de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines, increasing the all-up weight to 6,000 lb and enhancing climb, cruise speed, and single-engine performance, were designated as Mk 4s.

By 1966, the use of the Rapide had declined, and several large operators had completely phased out the model. Due to the decreasing availability of spare parts, individual Rapides were often dismantled to scavenge components for maintaining other active aircraft.

The DH.89 proved to be an economical and durable aircraft, despite its relatively primitive plywood construction, and many were still flying in the early 2000s. Several Dragon Rapides remain operational in the UK, with multiple operators, including Classic Wings and Plane Heritage, offering pleasure flights to the public. Shortly after World War II, de Havilland introduced the de Havilland Dove as a replacement for the Dragon Rapide.

One of the approximately 35 operational examples is still airworthy in South Africa. ZS-JGV was last flown in 1996 and was acquired by Mark Sahd, the caretaker of The Historic Wings Collection (HWC) in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, in early 2011. It was meticulously restored by Flippie Vermeulen.

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