The WW2 Brabazon Committee report had called for a British short haul aircraft to be designed for use after the cease of hostilities, the DH.104 Dove was the de Havilland solution. Design work began on the Dove began towards the end of the war, with the first of two prototypes flying at Hatfield airfield, Hertfordshire in September 1945. The de Havilland DH.104 Dove's and Devon's were the first British transport aircraft to have tricycle landing gear and reversible pitch propellers a total 528 DH.104's had been made when in 1967 production ended, 328 civilian Doves, 127 military Devon C.2s and 13 Sea Devon's. The aircraft pictured above is the de Havilland DH.104 Devon C.2 Communications and Transport version used by the RAF, the last of which left the RAF in 1993. de Havilland DH.104 Devon C.2 Specification: Crew: Pilot and Co-pilot Passengers: 8 Wingspan: 57 ft (17.37 m) Length: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m) Height: 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m) Wing area: 335 sq ft (31.1 m²) Empty weight: 5,725 lb (2,600 kg) Gross weight: 8,800 lb (4,000 kg) Engines: Twin 380 bhp de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70 Mk 2 supercharged 6-cylinder air-cooled engines Maximum speed: 202 mph (325 km/h) at 8,000 ft (2,400 m) Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) Maximum range: 1,070 miles (1,720 km)
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