DH.89 DRAGON RAPIDE 6250 Prototype Dragon Six ... - Ab-ix.com

at Garston Channel, nr Liverpool; 2 crew (incl Capt JC Higgins, MD of Mannin) & 5 of 6
passengers drowned; (en route Dublin to Ronaldsway, but diverted because of fog). The Rapide
sank in 25 mins, remains salvaged to Hooton Park, (extant 12.51). Regn cld 11.11.48 as
crashed. Remains subsequently dumped into rebuild of Manchester Ship Canal.
6539 Toc as X7379 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 9 MU 9.7.41. To 3 FPP, ATA White Waltham
13.10.41. To DH for maintenance 29.3.43; to 18 MU 15.7.43. To 1 RS 26.7.43. To 27 Group
Comm Flight, Aston Down 26.7.44. To 1 RS Cranwell 19.2.45. To 18 MU 13.5.46. Sold 10.3.47
to Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Ltd. Regd G-AJKW (CofR 11386) 22.3.47 to Lancashire
Aircraft Corporation Ltd, Squires Gate. Test flown Kidlington (?) 28.7.48 & CofA 9437 issued
30.7.48. CofR No changed to R1402.50. Overturned following hard landing 6.4.50 (location
unknown) and wfu. CofA lapsed 9.11.50 and regn cld 28.12.50 as to long term storage. Regd
9.6.52 to same owner; CofA renewed 17.7.52. Op wef 6.53 by Westair, Squires Gate. Cld
2.5.57 (though CofR read 28.2.55) and regd same day to same owner. Cld 11.6.57 & regd
17.6.57 to Walter Westoby, Blackpool; operated by Westair Flying Services, Squires Gate. Cld
22.2.63 (CofA lapsed 15.5.63) and regd 21.5.63 to Air Navigation & Trading Co Ltd, Squires
Gate. CofA renewed 6.7.65 (and possibly now operated by Mid-Fly Ltd, Elmdon). Cld 25.4.66 &
regd 12.5.66 to Peter John Amor & Donald John Allan Smith t/a Skydivers Flying Club, 22 Air
Special Air Service Regiment, Hereford, (based Shobdon; later Halfpenny Green) Badly
damaged in heavy landing Halfpenny Green 7.5.67. To Tacair Ltd for repairs, but abandoned.
Sold 10.7.67 & regn cld 26.7.67 as pwfu. Probably to spares with Brooklands Aviation Ltd,
Sywell [3 wings & other parts acquired by Mark Miller ex Sywell c.76 and wings fitted to G-AGTM
on rebuild '87].
6540 Toc as X7380 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 9 MU 8.7.41. To 1 Del Flight, Hendon 10.9.41.
Damaged when tipped up on landing North Weald 4.1.42; to DH for repairs 12.1.42; ret to 1 Del
Flight, Croydon 3.3.42. To 1 Camouflage Unit, Stapleford 1.7.42. To 18 MU 12.10.42. To 2 SS
Yatesbury 4.11.42; renamed 2 RS 1.1.43. To 18 MU 11.4.45. Soc during maintenance 29.3.46.
6541 Toc as X7381 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 9 MU 14.7.41. To ATA White Waltham
13.10.41. To 9 MU 17.3.42. To 18 MU 9.8.42. To 2 SS Yatesbury 7.9.42; coded “201”;
renamed 2 RS 1.1.43. To DH for major inspection 23.5.45. Dd to A&AEE Boscombe Down
29.11.45 [toc 30.11.45]. To 5 MU 5.1.50. Sold 30.3.50 to Herts & Essex Aero Club [1946] Ltd.
Regd G-ALZF (CofR 14963) 24.3.50 to Herts & Essex Aero Club (1946) Ltd, Broxbourne. CofA
10919 issued 5.7.50. Regd 2.8.50 to East Riding Flying Club (Speeton) Ltd, Speeton. Regd
2.8.51 to Frank Joseph Rand Elliott, Middlesbrough (based Croft). Sold 5.9.51 (to unknown
party). Regn cld 8.52 as sold in France. Regd F-BGON [CofR 22010] 24.9.52 to Direction de
l'Aviation Legere et Sportive, Buc; later Gisy-les-Nobles. Regd (.61) to CIC Parachutisme, Gisy;
later La Ferte-Gaucher. Regd (.65) to CIC Parachutisme de l'Ouest, Nantes-Chateau Bougon.
Sold to Dan Hollander (and used as prop in film "Stavisky" in 1973]. Engine failure Etrepagny
and wfu/stored [mid 70s]. Regn cld .75. Stored Etampes [.75]. To Jean Salis, La Ferte Alais
(6.77). Rebuilt 80/81 and regd F-AZCA 4.81 to Salis Aviation. Flown on Air Transit Transatlantic
Air Race from Le Bourget to New York; departing 6.6.81. Repainted and named "Blue Way" to
launch new cigarette brand. Repainted in RAF camouflage as "Z-CA"/"ZC-A". Current at La
Ferte Alais.
6542 Toc as X7382 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 9 MU 14.7.41. To ATA White Waltham
13.10.41. To DH for maintenance 20.4.44; to 5 MU 31.7.44. To RAE Farnborough 14.1.48 [dd
15.1.48]. To spares 12.2.50. Soc for spares 4.5.50 and removed to 49 MU 10.7.50.
6543 Toc as X7383 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 18 MU 20.7.41. To 18 Group Comm Flight,
Leuchars 24.8.41. To 5 MU 18.12.44. Sold 31.3.48 to RNW Miller of Connellan Airways. Regd
VH-BKM 10.2.48 to Edward J Connellan t/a Connellan Airways, Alice Springs. UK CofA 10039
issued 25.3.48; flown to Australia, departing Croydon 13.4.48. Crashed on take-off (water in fuel
tanks) and dbf Daly Waters, NT 6.5.48 whilst still on delivery; pilot Ted Hourigan injured. Regn
cld 18.6.48.
6544 Toc as X7384 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 18 MU 20.7.41. To 55 OTU Usworth 23.7.41.
To 54 OTU Church Fenton 13.3.42. To Northolt Station Flight 19.8.42. To DH for maintenance
10.10.42; to 18 MU 18.2.43. Transferred to Misr-Airwork, Egypt 25.3.43. Regd SU-ACS .43 to
Misr Airlines Ltd; named "Jerusalem" ("Al Quds" in Arabic). Damaged beyond repair (fire?)
Zaafarane 27.7.48.
6545 Toc as X7385 under Contract No B.104592/40 at 18 MU 21.7.41. To CFS Upavon 14.8.41. To
4 AOS West Freugh 15.5.42. To 18 MU 17.9.42. To 4 RS Madley 19.4.43. To DH for
maintenance 5.1.45. To Flight Refuelling Ltd 11.5.45. Sold to them 28.3.46. Regd G-AHFJ
(CofR 10008) 25.3.46 to Skyways Ltd, Langley; named "Sky Trail". CofA 7592 issued 28.5.46
[applied for by WA Rollason Ltd]. Sold 26.6.48. Regn cld 28.10.48 as w/off. Regd in Kenya as
VP-KFW 6.48 to Skyways (EA) Ltd. Crashed on landing Mauritius 8.8.48 whilst on delivery (still