Note: This aircraft was offered for exchange as part of NMUSAF Solicitation 19-003 (Closed).
1944 De Havilland DH-89A (ex-RAF NR695 / C/N 89445 / 6794) Aircraft Project, owned by the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) and determined excess to collection needs. Aircraft has two Gipsy Six IA engines and is not airworthy or suitable for flight purposes. Data plate is present and legacy maintenance log books are available for the aircraft and engines.
The DH-89 was built in the United Kingdom, known as the Dragon Rapide, an eight-passenger civilian light transport. The DH-89 was first flown in 1934, and by the time production ended about 10 years later, 728 of the small biplane transports had been built. More than 530 were produced for the Royal Air Force and used in communications, transport and training roles, and named Dominie during military service. Six were turned over to the USAAF's Eighth Air Force between 1942 and 1944. They were used primarily by the 27th Transport Group. As far as is known, all DH-89s flown by Americans carried RAF serial numbers and no USAAF serial numbers were assigned.
The DH-89 at NMUSAF was built in 1944 and carried RAF serial number NR695. It was sold to the government of India in 1945, then sold again to a private concern in 1946. Eventually, it came to the United States where it was modified to the civilian Dragon Rapide passenger configuration. It was obtained by the museum and flown here in November 1989. The aircraft is painted to represent one of the six Dominies flown by the USAAF during World War II.
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