Mark and David Miller's 1941 built DH-89A Dragon Rapide, G-AGJG, flying at the Duxford Flying Finale on 8th October 2022.
This DH-89A was built as a Dominie - the military equivalent of the Rapide - and delivered to the RAF in 1941. The RAF released her to Scottish Airways in 1943, to fly internal Highlands and Islands routes. She wears her wartime Scottish Airways paint scheme today.
She went on to serve for a year with British European Airways in 1947, before joining Adie Aviation followed by Island Air Services at Croydon Airport, from where she was used for pleasure flights.
She was leased to Duxford Aviation Society in 1975 as part of a deal to restore her to flight. In 1986 she was purchased by Mark and David Miller and they finally restored her to flight over the next 8 years. She is now based at Duxford.
G-AGJG's history -
c/n 6517 Built at Hatfield by de Havilland for the Royal Air Force as a Dominie Mk1 with serial X7344.
20.3.41 - Taken on charge at 9 Maintenance Unit (MU).
10.5.41 - Delivered to No 1 Camouflage Flight, Hendon.
Struck off charge as 'Damaged beyond Repair' due to an engine fire on start-up at Doncaster on 3.6.42.
2.7.42 - Repaired on Site by CRO.
10.10.42 - To 18 MU .
13.10.43 - Issued to the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC), Renfrew . Registered No 9487 to Scottish Airways Ltd, Renfrew/Inverness. 1.2.47 - to British European Airways Corporation, Northolt.
14.10.48 - to Adie Aviation Ltd, Croydon.
10.1.49 - to Mediterranean Air Services Ltd, c/o Adie Aviation Ltd., Croydon.
4.8.50 - to Adie Aviation Ltd, Croydon and stored until 23.8.52.
9.6.53 - to Ernest Arthur Taylor and operated by Island Air Services, Heathrow.
2.4.54 - to IAS (London) Ltd t/a Island Air Services, Heathrow; Ramsgate wef 1957.
13.3.59 - to Thomas H. Marshall and, operated by Christchurch Aero Club, Christchurch.
10.9.60 - Delivered from Christchurch , initially to Cardiff due to bad weather at Swansea, but continued to Fairwood Common.
26.9.60 - to Ernest P Jones (t/a Swansea Airways from 10/60), Fairwood Common.
18.12.61 - to Thomas H. Marshall, Christchurch.
11.5.62 - to Gerald A. Dommett, Thruxton; Suffered heavy landing(believed to be 20.5.62) During overhaul by Christchurch Aero Club, parts of G-AFRK used as spares. These included the Port upper and lower mainplanes and, after suitable test-flying. Suffered spar damage when starboard lower wing contacted ground at Thruxton and again returned to Christchurch Aero Club where further parts from G-AFRK were added to the damaged wing.
8.6.67 - to John A. Galt, Booker.
25.3.68 - to Aerial Enterprises Ltd, Booker (later open store at Halfpenny Green).
Early 1975 - to Emanuel Wein, Biggin Hill.
17.8.75 - to Emanuel Wein & Duxford Aviation Society and ferried to Duxford . Ownership unchanged from 25.3.68 until 3.1.84 to Emanuel Wein, Duxford.
20.3.86 - to Mark. J. & David J.T. Miller, Duxford. Long-term rebuild and now flying again in Scottish Airways scheme.
The prototype DH89 Dragon Six (E-4/CH-287) first flew on 17/4/1934 and was essentially a twin engine, scaled down version of the four engined DH86 Express. Designed to carry 6 - 8 passengers, it became one of the most successful British built short-haul aircraft of the era.
It was the first new aircraft type to be flown at Hatfield. Production aircraft were known as the Dragon Rapide or simply the Rapide; the majority being DH89A and fitted with small trailing edge flaps.
The type was immediately successful in both home and export markets with significant pre-war British operators including Hillman Airways, Railway Air Services, Olley Air Services, Northern & Scottish Airways, and Jersey Airways.
It also boasted a royal connection as Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) owned a Dragon Rapide and upon his accession to King, he flew the aircraft to London becoming the first UK Monarch to pilot their own aircraft.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the type entered RAF service as the Dominie in navigation training (Mk1) and communication roles (Mk2). 731 were utilised by the RAF and Royal Navy for radio and navigation training as well as in air ambulance and transport roles.
Post-war, the type became a mainstay of the Highlands and Islands routes of BEA, the company operating nearly 20 of them as their ‘Islander’ class.
728 DH89 Rapide and Dominie were built, 346 were Dominies built by Brush Coachworks in Loughborough in addition to 380 Dominies and Rapides built at Hatfield; 2 were also built from spares at Witney.
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