In Australian Service- DH Dragon

Constructed at the illustrious Stag Lane factory, the home of so many famous De Havilland types, the Dragon was typically DH in construction. The fuselage was of wooden box construction with spruce members, plywood covering and fabric overall. The six passengers and one pilot had a good view through the generously windowed fuselage. Hillmen were so impressed by the De Havilland proposal that they ordered four aircraft prior to the first flight which took place at Stag Lane on 24 November 1932 with H. S. Broad at the controls. Delivery to Hillmans of this aircraft as G-ACAN took place the following month.

Production blossomed, spurred along by a healthy order book and 115 Dragons were built over a period of three years for a variety of customers around the world. The good economics of the DH-84 were obvious. Its two 130 hp Gipsy Major engines carried six passengers with their luggage, using only 13 gallons of fuel per hour. Although most saw civilian use, eight were sold to the Iraqi Air Force. Fitted with 16 20 lb bombs and two guns in the nose and a mid-upper gun position located just behind the cabin, these Iraqi military Dragons were followed by later armed forces sales to Denmark and Portugal.

Of the export civil aircraft, several were to find their way to Australia. Other Dragons to arrive here were second-hand machines originally operated overseas. A total of 23 British-built Dragons eventually saw service in Australia. Most went to airline operators while others were destined for other roles. Typical of the latter were VH-URF and VH-URG, photo-survey aircraft operated by the Western Mining Corporation in Western Australia. Most of these British Dragons were the Mk 2 aircraft with improved performance. The fairing in of the undercarriage struts gave it the edge on the Mk 1. The passengers benefitted in the Mk 2 as it featured individually framed windows. Fifty-three examples of the Mk 2 were produced. Many mishaps and misadventures befell these early Dragons. So much so that very few survived into the post-war era. Many were lost in accidents prior to the outbreak of World War II. Of the remaining aircraft, 11 were impressed into RAAF service. Details of these British-built Dragons are as follows:

VH-AEA 6073 3-38 3-42 Damaged in enemy action. ExG-ACOR Note: Dragons with construction numbers within the range 6000-6061 are Mk 1 aircraft. Those from 6062 to 6114 are Mk 2 aircraft.

The second phase of Australian Dragon operations came about from the need of the RAAF to acquire some radio and navigation trainer aircraft. Drawings and the remaining jigs were forwarded from the parent company in Hatfield to De Havilland Aircraft Pty. Ltd. at Bankstown. Although the superior DH-89 Rapide may have seemed a better candidate for production, the ready availability of GMH-manufactured Gipsy Major engines was the deciding factor in the selection of the Dragon. The Gipsy Major was being produced in quantity in Melbourne for the Australian DH-82 Tiger Moth. The first Australian-built Dragon, A34-12, took to the air on its initial flight on 29 September 1942 and rapid deliveries were made to the RAAF between October 1942 and June 1943. Based on the British Dragon Mk 1, the Australian version also featured unframed windows but these were enlarged for training purposes. Larger doors were also fitted. A total of 87 Dragons was produced at De Havilland’s Bankstown plant.

After the end of the war, the remaining Dragons were put up for disposal. A total of 53 were eventually sold to civilian operators but of these, only 46 were to go onto the Australian Civil Register. The Dragon proved to be a reliable workhorse and apart from the predictable passenger use, some were used for a variety of purposes. Many were to see airline service and the two major users were Qantas and TAA. Apart from the military, Qantas was probably the biggest operator of the Dragon anywhere. Used mainly in Papua and New Guinea, the Dragon also flew Flying Doctor services from Cloncurry and Charleville. Qantas’ first DH-84, VH-UZF, was purchased in April 1940 for use on the Brisbane/Mt Isa service. VH-URY was acquired on 14 June 1943 and operated the Flying Doctor service from Charleville.

On 20 November 1946, a Qantas Dragon left Brisbane flown by Captain L. L. McNeil! en route to Lae. An initial contract was obtained from Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. , flying up to four return trips a week between Lae and Bulolo. A typical load was 1000 lb of freight and one passenger, the flying time for the 75 mile flight to Bulolo was 70 minutes. The Administration also made use of the Dragon’s availability and flights were made from Lae to Kokoda and Buna and from Port Moresby to Kikori. Eventually, as additional Dragons were acquired the spread of services was expanded further. Qantas purchased 16 Dragons between July 1946 and June 1950.

The Dragons gave a reliable account of themselves, although invariably some were lost in accidents. More so, as the result of the demanding flying conditions in the Territory than through any inherent mechanical problems. Qantas ultimately turned to the Drover to replace the Dragon and although the former on paper seemed to be an improvement, it is debatable whether the Drover was much of a leap forward. As mentioned in an earlier article the Drover’s recurring propeller problems proved a major headache until a solution was found.

In 1949 in accordance with Government policy Qantas was requested to concentrate on its overseas services. Consequently, the Qantas Flying Doctor Services and the Queensland routes were transferred to TAA. Four Dragons and spares were sold to TAA for 13,000 pounds. The Dragons soldiered on in Papua and New Guinea until the early 1950s when the Drover took over. The last Qantas DH-84 was sold in May 1953. A total of 18 Dragons were purchased by Qantas for their Australian and overseas services.

Details of the Qantas Dragons are listed below:

During April 1949, TAA expanded its route structure when it took over 3760 miles of services previously operated by Qantas. Five Dragons were purchased by TAA to operate flights in the Gulf and Channel Country. When TAA bought Drovers the Dragons were disposed of.

In addition to the major airlines, a large number of Dragons were used by small operators to maintain feeder services. Others were used for charter work, crop spraying, parachute dropping and private flying. There were very few aspects of civil aviation roles not touched by the Dragon. Next to the DC-3, it made one of the most useful contributions to the development of aviation in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Unfortunately, the years have taken their toll and by the late 1970s, there were only three Dragons left flying in Australia. VHAGC was unfortunately lost in an accident at Point Cook, Victoria on 13 December 1979. The ex-Marshall Airways aircraft VH-AQU which appeared in RAAF colours in recent times was withdrawn from service earlier this year. VH-AML based in Western Australia has the distinction of being the sole flying Dragon in Australia at present.

Specifications of the Dragon are as follows:

Power Plants: Two De Havilland Gipsy Major 1, 130 hp air-cooled four-cylinder inverted in-line engines. Span: 47’4″. Length: 34’6″. Height: 10’1″. Wing Area: 376 sq ft