De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH114 Heron was a small four -engined transport aircraft for regional and feeder service. It was built in the 1950s by the British manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company.
History
Immediately after the Second World War, de Havilland began with the development of the twin-engine passenger aircraft Dove, with the stale Dragon Rapide should be replaced. The new model is proved to be successful from the start. De Havilland decided to bring an enlarged version on the market. The fuselage was lengthened to accommodate additional passengers or cargo. The increased span made the installation of two additional engines possible.
The Heron was an all-metal aircraft of conventional design. It was designed as a low-wing and had a solid, from the Mk 2 version on a retractable tricycle landing gear. The drive served four Gipsy Queen 30 engines. The extensive use of components of the Dove simplified the maintenance and repair of both types of aircraft.
The Heron presented a simple robust aircraft with low operating costs that should come on short and medium haul routes used. With him regions could be developed in which there was no modern airport. It provided space for seventeen passengers on individual seats on either side of the center aisle and was provided with large windows. The Heron had a luggage compartment at the rear and extra storage space in the bow.
The first flight took place on 10 May 1950. After test flights of a total of one hundred hours of time, the aircraft was unveiled to the public on September 8 at the 1950 Farnborough air show. After obtaining the approval in November 1950, the flights to Khartoum and Nairobi were extended to test the tropical climates.
Production ended in 1963 after the delivery of 150 copies sold in thirty countries. The first machines went to New Zealand. The most important customer was British European Airways. Some Heron were later rebuilt to modern aircraft, such as the Riley Turbo Skyliner, the Saunders ST -27 and ST- 28th
The first production version of Model 1A still had some shortcomings. So it was with their heavy but weak drives as underpowered. While this in contrast to the Dove not retractable landing gear steerable nose wheel without lowered maintenance costs, but increased air resistance.
After 51 aircraft types 1A to 1D, the production of the Model 2, the landing gear was retracted now began. Therefore you reached a higher speed with lower fuel consumption. The Model 2A corresponded approximately to the base model 1A, while the variants 1A and 1B possessed a higher takeoff weight. The Model 2C had propellers that could be brought in sailing position. When Heron Model 2D -off weight was increased again, and the Model 2E was designed as a VIP transporter.
Versions
- Built lightweight four -engined transport aircraft with fixed landing gear, 49 pieces: Heron 1 Heron 1B version with increased take-off weight
- Heron 2A: individual Heron for a private customer from the USA
- Heron 2B: Version similar to the Heron 1B with increased takeoff weight
- Heron 2C: Heron 2B, with optional decorated for feathering propellers
- Heron 2D: lightweight four -engined transport aircraft with increased takeoff weight
- Heron 2E: individual VIP Transportation
- ST- 27A and ST- 27B: origin of the ST -28
- Saunders ST -28: improved version of the ST -27, only the prototype was built
Use
The Heron was equally well received by the crews and passengers, which was also due to the greater safety through the four engines. By airplane remote regions could be achieved in a convenient way. Nevertheless, the machine exhibited some weaknesses. When passengers out the spaces sought out in the rear, the Heron occasionally tipped backwards. The crews therefore got used to, in time to mount a rear support.
Many operators decided to convert the drive to more powerful Lycoming engines. The starting and the speed could be increased. After the end of production in 1963 Riley Aircraft and other aircraft manufacturers offered conversion kits in particular for the drive. Thus, the lifetime of some machines was extended to the 21st century.
The biggest change was the Saunders ST27/28, which was equipped with two turboprop engines, lost the distinctive hump above the cockpit and in addition different shaped windows had just taken round wingtips.
Military user
- Royal Ceylon Air Force
- Air force
- Iraq Air Force
- Royal Jordanian Air Force
- Katangan Air Force
- Kuwait Air Force
- Malaysian Air Force
- Naval Air Command
- Royal Air Force
- Royal Navy
Civilian users
- Airlines of Tasmania
- Altair
- Amalgamated Air
- Connair
- Heron Airlines
- Kendell Airlines
- Bahamas Airways
- Gulf Aviation
- Transportes Aereos Salvador ( TAS)
- Cimber Air
- Falck Flyvetjeneste
- Südflug International
- Air Caledonie
- Air Paris
- Aéromaritime Union de Transport ( UAT )
- Air Fiji
- Fiji Airways
- Sunflower Airlines
- Ghana Airways
- Indian Airlines
- Itavia
- Jamaica Air Service
- All Nippon Airways ( ANA)
- TOA Domestic Airlines
- Department of Transport
- Newfoundland Air Transport
- Air North
- National Airways Corporation ( NAC)
- Vincent Aviation
- Martin's Air Charter (MAC)
- West African Airways Corporation
- Braathens S.A.F.E.
- Transportes Aéreos de Timor
- Prinair ( with 35 machines largest operator of the DH114, upgraded all machines on Continental engines to )
- Air Trans Africa
- Transportes Aéreos Sao Tome
- St. Lucia Airways
- Sierra Leone Airways
- Sky of Siam
- British West Indian Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- British European Airways
- BEA Scottish Airways
- British United Airways Iceland
- Cambrian Airways
- Channel Airways
- Fair Flight
- Jersey Airways
- Jersey Ferry Airlines
- Morton Air Services
- North - South Airlines
- Peters Aviation
- AAT Airlines
- Allegheny Commuter
- Apache Airlines
- Baja Cortez Airlines
- Great Plains Airlines
- Hawaiian Air Tour Service (HATS )
- High Dessert Airlines
- King Airlines
- Norstar
- Phoenix Airlines
- Seagull Airlines
- Shawnee Airlines
- Susquehanna Airlines
- Swift Aire