Aviation In Britain.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18972, 1 December 1933, Page 3

Aviation In Britain.

NEW PASSENGER AIRCRAFT. RECORD SALES OF DRAGON TYPE Two twin-engined passenger aeroplanes, capable of speeds in the neighbourhood of 180 m.p.h., are being constructed Tor Imperial Airways, Ltd., at the Norwich factory of Boulton and Paul, Ltd., the firm which designed and built the ’ new fast mailplane for the Air Ministry. The order was placed several weeks ago, and work is going forward rapidly.

The new craft will be similar in many respects to the mail-carrier, but will be fitted to carry from seven to 10 passengers. They are intended for use on “feeder” services auxiliary to the main air routes and for “special charter” work in which speed' is of special importance.

When the mail-carrier was completed, at the end of April, plans were already in existence fdr a smaller and less powerful passengercarrying machine on similar lines. For the two Bristol Pegasus 565/625 horse-power engines were substituted Siddeley 340 horse-power Servals. The performance of the less powerful model is naturally not on quite the same level as that attained by the mailplane, with its highest speed of 197 miles an hour and stillair range of 1250 miles, but the speed expected, nevertheless, is 175 to 180 miles an hour as a maximum, with easy cruising at 145-150 miles an hour. The original plans provided for the carriage of a crew of two and of seven passengers and their luggage over a distance of up to 450 miles non-stop.

Trade Achievement

The sale of 58 twin-engined transport biplanes in less than 10 months is a considerable achievement. That number of Dragon machines has been sold by the do Haviland Company—an indication that the machine, which took shape on the drawing board only 13 months ago, meets admirably the requirements of many kinds of user in Britain and abroad. The Prince of Wales heads tho list of private owners of Dragon aeroplanes in Great Britain. Others have been acquired for private use in France, Italy and Africa. Airlines in Britain, Canada, Spain, Australia, Egypt, Algeria, India and Kenya have taken others. Dragons specially equipped for aerial survey work have been supplied to Rhodesia and, Australia. Big firms in Persia, Africa and Czechs Slovakia have bought Dragons for urgent transport work. Finally, eight have been sent to Iraq for service with the Iraq Air Force. It is a fine record of deserved success for a very good aeroplane.