https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Flamingo
The de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo was a British twin-engined high-wing monoplane
airliner first flown on 22 December 1938. During the Second World War some were
used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a transport and general communications
duties.
The Flamingo was a twin-engined civil airliner designed by de Havilland, led by
their chief designer R. E. Bishop, and was the first all-metal stressed-skin
aircraft built by de Havilland; only the control surfaces were fabric covered.
It was powered by two 890 hp Bristol Perseus XIIIC air-cooled radial engines
driving three-bladed D.H hydromatic variable-pitch propellers. Two pilots were
seated side by side with a radio operator behind them in the cockpit, with the
slotted flaps, and was considered a highly promising sales prospect for the
company, capable of competing with the American Douglas DC-3 and Lockheed Model
10 Electra. The first prototype flew on 22 December 1938.
Powered by 890 hp (660 kW) Bristol Perseus engines, performance was excellent
with a maximum weight takeoff in 750 ft (230 m) and the ability to maintain
height or climb at 120 mph (190 km/h) on a single engine. Testing was
successful, with the Flamingo being granted a certificate of airworthiness on 30
June 1939, with an initial production run of twenty aircraft being laid down.
A single military transport variant was built to Specification 19/39 as the
DH.95 Hertfordshire. It had oval cabin windows instead of rectangular ones, and
seating for 22 soldiers.
A proposed order for 40 was cancelled to leave de Havillands free to produce
Tiger Moth trainers. The sole Hertfordshire crashed with the loss of 11 lives at
Mill Hill, Hertfordshire on 23 October 1940, apparently due to jamming of the
elevator.
Role
Airliner
Communications aircraft
Manufacturer
de Havilland
Designer
Ronald Eric Bishop
First flight
22 December 1938
Introduction
15 July 1939
Retired
1950
Primary users
Royal Air Force
BOAC
Number built
14
Following the success of the first test flights Jersey Airways ordered three
17-seat aircraft, and this was followed by orders from the Egyptian government
and the Air Ministry. The Air Ministry aircraft were to be used by the Air
Council and the King's Flight.
The prototype, fitted with 12 passenger seats, was delivered to Jersey Airways
in May 1939 for two months evaluation and became the first revenue-earning
Flamingo. The first services carried mail only but in July a regular weekend
passenger service was operated.
In October 1939 the prototype was bought by the Air Council, being delivered to
No. 24 Squadron RAF where it operated until it was lost in an accident in
October 1940. The second aircraft was to be the first for Guernsey and Jersey
Airlines but it was impressed into military service and delivered to 24
Squadron, the other two on order were never built due to the outbreak of the
Second World War.
The King's Flight aircraft was to be used in the event of the royal family
having to leave the country but in the end it was passed to 24 Squadron for
communications and liaison duties.
Early in 1940 BOAC ordered eight aircraft to be powered by the Perseus XVI and
originally intended as ten-seaters. The first BOAC aircraft was delivered to
Whitchurch on 5 September 1940. The second BOAC aircraft was impressed by the
Air Ministry and allocated for Admiralty use at RNAS Donibristle. To replace the
impressed aircraft BOAC were later allotted the aircraft ordered by the Egyptian
Government. After a period of training all the BOAC Flamingos were moved to
Cairo to operate in the Middle East. The BOAC aircraft were named after English
Kings and were named K-class by the airline.
type. In 1943 the five airworthy aircraft were shipped back to the United
Kingdom. They did not return to service and were scrapped in the early 1950s.
Most of the RAF aircraft were withdrawn from use during the war and were slowly
scrapped to provide spares for the remaining aircraft. The Admiralty aircraft
was due to be withdrawn and scrapped but in August 1944 it ground looped at
Gatwick and was abandoned. In 1946 the former Admiralty aircraft was bought by
Southern Aircraft (Gatwick) and rebuilt using former BOAC spare parts. It flew
again in 1947 and was delivered to British Air Transport at Redhill, gaining a
Certificate of Airworthiness. It operated a number of charter flight until it
was temporarily withdrawn from use in 1949.
British Air Transport also arranged to restore three former BOAC aircraft, the
scheme was abandoned although the aircraft were in an advanced stage of
reconstruction. In 1952, British Air Transport restored the original former
Admiralty aircraft which flew again on 27 May 1952. Redhill Aerodrome was closed
in 1954 and the last flying Flamingo was dismantled and scrapped.
Specifications (de Havilland Flamingo)
General characteristics
Crew: three
Capacity: 17 passengers
Length: 51 ft 7 in (15.73 m)
Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m)
Height: 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
Empty weight: 11,325 lb (5,148 kg)
Loaded weight: 18,000 lb (8,182 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: 243 mph (211 knots, 391 km/h)
Cruise speed: 204 mph (177 knots, 328 km/h)
Range: 1,345 mi (1,170 nmi, 2,165 km)
Service ceiling: 20,900 ft (6,370 m)
Rate of climb: 1,470 ft/min (7.5 m/s)
Avionics
Sperry Automatic Pilot
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