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| de Havilland Dove | |
|---|---|
| Name | de Havilland Dove |
| Caption | de Havilland Dove in postwar markings |
| Type | Short-haul airliner / executive transport |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 1945 |
| Introduced | 1946 |
| Retired | various |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Developed from | de Havilland Dragon Rapide |
de Havilland Dove The de Havilland Dove was a British short-haul transport and executive aircraft developed in the mid-1940s by the de Havilland Aircraft Company to replace prewar types such as the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, and it entered service with airlines and air forces worldwide during the early Cold War era. Designed under the direction of chief designer Sir Geoffrey de Havilland and produced at Hatfield Aerodrome, the Dove served with operators including the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and numerous civil carriers, influencing postwar regional aviation and corporate transport. Its all-metal stressed-skin construction, twin-engine layout, and comfortable cabin made it a popular successor to biplane and wooden designs, competing with contemporaries like the Avro Anson, Beechcraft Model 18, and Fokker F27 Friendship in various markets.
Conceived by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland and the design team at de Havilland Aircraft Company after World War II, the Dove project aimed to produce a modern short-haul aircraft to replace the de Havilland Dragon Rapide and to serve Imperial Airways successors and colonial routes. The prototype incorporated lessons from wartime transports such as the Douglas DC-3 and the Avro Anson, featuring stressed-skin aluminium construction, a cantilever low wing, and retractable tricycle undercarriage to meet requirements from civil authorities including the Air Registration Board and postwar European carriers. Powerplants were chosen from the de Havilland Gipsy Queen series to balance reliability and parts commonality with other de Havilland types, while the cabin layout and seating were developed to appeal to executives associated with corporations like British European Airways and to military staff transport units such as the Royal Air Force VIP squadrons. Aerodynamic refinements drew on research from the Royal Aircraft Establishment and wind tunnel testing at Rae Institute facilities to optimize cruise performance and handling.
After first deliveries in 1946 the Dove entered service with airlines including British European Airways, Airwork Services, and Bristol Aeroplane Company-linked charter operators, quickly establishing routes across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Military adoption occurred with the Royal Air Force for communications and liaison duties, with squadrons operating alongside other transports like the Handley Page Hastings and the Vickers Valetta; export customers included the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and air arms of countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nigeria. The Dove saw use in high-profile contexts including colonial administration flights in Southern Rhodesia and VIP transport for governments in Kenya and Ceylon; civil role expansion placed Doves on feeder services with operators such as Air France subsidiaries and KLM associates. Over the decades Doves adapted to aerial survey work for companies like Shell and BP, photographic mapping for institutions such as the Ordnance Survey, and air ambulance roles with organizations including St John Ambulance-linked services.
The Dove family spawned multiple civil and military derivatives, reflecting modifications made by de Havilland and licensees like Fokker and independent modifiers such as companies in Canada and Australia. Notable variants included executive conversions for corporations and heads of state, maritime-surveillance adaptations used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, pressurized or long-range conversions sought by charter companies, and the turboprop-powered developments which prefigured later types like the de Havilland Heron and influenced designs from Hawker Siddeley. Military-specific subtypes were fitted with radio and navigation suites from manufacturers like Marconi and Collins Radio, while special mission variants carried equipment from firms including Decca and Racal for coastal survey and calibration duties.
A wide range of military and civil operators used the Dove worldwide, from national air forces such as the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, and South African Air Force to government VIP fleets in Ghana, Ceylon, and Malaya. Civil operators included national carriers and independents like British European Airways, Airwork Services, Air France subsidiaries, KLM associates, Trans Australia Airlines, Qantas regional services, and private corporations including Imperial Chemical Industries and Shell. Smaller carriers and charter companies in West Africa, East Africa, and Southeast Asia also employed Doves on regional links, while survey operators such as the Ordnance Survey and oil companies used Doves for geophysical work.
Typical Dove specifications reflected mid-1940s design practice: twin de Havilland Gipsy Queen piston engines driving two-bladed propellers, seating for 8–11 passengers depending on configuration, a maximum cruising speed competitive with contemporaries like the Beechcraft Model 18, and a range suitable for feeder routes and colonial connections. Structural features included all-metal stressed-skin fuselage, low-set cantilever wings with integral fuel tanks developed with input from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, retractable tricycle landing gear for operation from prepared fields, and avionics suites produced by Marconi, Racal, and Collins Radio to meet civil aviation standards set by the Air Registration Board and later the Civil Aviation Authority. Performance parameters were comparable to postwar light transports such as the De Havilland Heron and the Avro Anson derivatives.
Throughout its operational life the Dove was involved in accidents characteristic of regional transport types of the era, including forced landings due to engine failures on routes in remote areas of Africa and South America, ground collisions at aerodromes like Heathrow and Sydney suburban fields, and navigational incidents in adverse weather over regions such as Mediterranean and Bay of Bengal corridors. High-profile incidents occasionally involved VIP flights connected to administrations in Ghana and Nigeria, prompting investigations by authorities like the Air Registration Board and later the Civil Aviation Authority or equivalent national accident investigation bodies.
Numerous Doves survive in museums and flying collections maintained by institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Air Force Museum, the National Aviation Museum (Australia), and private groups including vintage aircraft registries in the United Kingdom, Australia, and United States. Restorations have been undertaken by organizations like the Vintage Aircraft Club and preservation trusts collaborating with companies such as Brooklands Museum and Shuttleworth Collection to display Doves in airshows alongside contemporaries like the Douglas DC-3 and Percival Proctor. Several airworthy Doves operate in historic markings at events run by bodies such as the Aero Club and regional airshows, supported by specialist suppliers of parts from firms originally linked to de Havilland and successors including Hawker Siddeley.
Category:British civil aircraft Category:1940s British airliners