Jim Keen's de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide, G-AEML
Oct 22, 2021 15:15:49 GMT 1
Beemer, northbynorthwest, and 2 more like this
Post by viscount on Oct 22, 2021 15:15:49 GMT 1
DE HAVILLAND DH.89A DRAGON RAPIDE, G-AEML.
G-AEML was manufactured by de Havillands with construction number 6337 and registered 1st September 1936 to Wrightways Ltd of Croydon. The first flight was performed on 26th September 1936, with a Certificate of Airworthiness issued the same day. The aircraft was damaged in an accident at Croydon 13th December 1937 and repaired.
In the early months of WW II, as with the majority of civilian aircraft in Britain it was impressed into military service. So on 9th April 1940 it became X9450 with the RAF and served initially with No.6 AACU (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit) at Ringway. It was damaged by anti-aircraft shells 23rd December 1940 and repaired by de Havillands at Whitney. Re-flown 5th July 1941 and issued to the AFEE (Airbourne Forces Experimental Establishment) at Ringway 27th October 1941. X9450 was transferred to Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft at Baginton for communications work 7th April 1943. The aircraft remained with Armstrong Whitworth for the remainder of WW II and beyond, indeed it was subsequently purchased by them and returned to the civil register as G-AEML on 13th March 1946, with a new civilian C of A issued at Baginton 17th May 1946. It served with them as a communications aircraft for many years, the owner’s name being officially changed to Whitworth Gloster Aircraft Co Ltd still at Baginton 16th October 1961. After 9 years service as a ‘hack’ she was grounded on Cof A expiry 8th June 1962, and sold. Another aircraft used by Armstrong Whitworth at Coventry around 1960 was Avro 19 G-AGPG subject of an aircraft history: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/15011/story-avro-19-agpg
She was purchased by and re-registered to the Neil Tool Co Ltd of Hornsey, North London 29th August 1962 and based at Blackbushe and soon had a new C of A granted on 27th August 1962. After 3 years she was registered on 10th November 1965 to Stanley Lines, trading as the Spartan Group and based at Booker. Late on in the ownership by Stanley Lines, G-AEML visited Speke flying from and to Booker. While at Liverpool between 7th and 10th September 1967, she was used to drop ‘Skydivers’ each day at the local Woolton Show.
The next move was the significant one for this account, as she was purchased by Jim Keen and re-registered by him on 26th January 1968 to his company Liverpool Aero Engineering Co Ltd at Speke. Actually delivery from Booker to Speke had taken place on Saturday 16th September 1967. With Jim Keen she was not flown too frequently, but was chartered by the MSAE to take enthusiasts for an afternoon 'jolly' and to the RAF Valley air display in August 1968. With Jim Keen it was kept at Liverpool Airport alongside the Liverpool Aero Club fleet of Colts, Tri-Pacer and a Tiger Moth. Here the aircraft gathered the appellation “The Cloth Bomber”. Although Jim Keen much admired ‘fabric and string’ aeroplanes, he found there was little commercial demand for an 8 seat Dragon Rapide in an age of Doves, Queen Airs and Commander aircraft. So, G-AEML departed Liverpool for Booker on Thursday 20th November 1969. It was officially registered on 19th December 1969 to J.P. Filhol Ltd of Warwick and based at Coventry. She was last flown by them on 2nd February 1971, before the C of A expired on 2nd April 1971.
Once grounded, there followed the usual decline of being stored further and back in a hangar, then after some time a decision made and the aircraft usually broken up and destroyed. However G-AEML was fortunate in that it was felt that the aircraft merited restoration and found a saviour. This became a protracted process, passing through a number of owners and restoration organisations. The story picks up again with purchase by well known vintage aircraft owner Vivian Bellamy in August 1978 and the transport by road of the aircraft to Land’s End/St.Just airfield to commence a rebuild. The civil registration was cancelled by the C.A.A. on 3rd September 1981. At a Christies Auction 14th April 1983 it was sold to Ian Jones of Babbacombe, Devon. Sold again April 1986 to Harry Orde-Powlett and moved during 1986 to Barrow-in-Furness/Walney Island for rebuild by Air Furness Ltd. Sold again 19th November 1987 and re-registered back as G-AEML with the C.A.A. on 11th January 1988 to Victor Gauntlett of Hindhead, Surrey. Moved again, this time to Rush Green September 1988 for completion of the rebuild by Bowker Air Services Ltd. Ownership was modified to Proteus Petroleum Aviation Ltd of Andover 6th January 1989 and later to Proteus Holdings Ltd of Andover 1st April 1992.
The rebuild to DH.89A Dragon Rapide Mk.4 standard with Gipsy Queen 3 engines, was completed early 1993 and G-AEML re-flown 16th April 1993 after being grounded for 22 years. Shortly after, her new C of A was granted on 13th May 1993 and she was based at Rendcomb, named “Proteus” and became a familiar sight at vintage aircraft air displays around the UK. Next ownership change was to Amanda Investments Ltd registered in the Isle of Man on 14th June 1995 although the aircraft continued to operate from Rendcomb as before. The next ownership change, on 29th November 2007 was to Hilda Blundell also with an Isle of Man address, although this was only for 3 months and probably was to facilitate the onward sale and export.
The new owners were the Fundacion Infante de Orleans (F.I.O.)based at Cuatro Vientos airfield, Madrid an organisation not that dissimilar to the British Shuttleworth Trust at Old Warden in their aims and objectives. Ownership change was notified to the CAA on 7th February 2008, with the final leg of delivery to Spain completed on 17th May 2008. The aircraft was initially displayed still in her green colours as G-AEML ‘Proteus’, before being re-painted as EC-AAY ‘24’ of Iberia, with a very small G-AEML under the tailplanes. This continued until G-AEML was grounded shortly before the UK C of A expired on 14th June 2011. The F.I.O. informed the CAA on 21st September 2012 that the aircraft was cancelled, as ‘permanently withdrawn from use’. This may only have been a translation/paperwork issue as only a few days later on 3rd October 2012 the G-AEML registration was restored, presumably to facilitate continued CAA inspection of restoration work. As at the end of December 2015 the aircraft had amassed a total flight time of 4,585 hours. Working with Google translate some information in articles about the aircraft don't quite fit into a logical sequence. One such is a mention of a delivery Getafe to Cuatro Vientos (a short hop) on 7th March 2011 in new markings, the flight made with a special permit as the aircraft had no valid registration or airworthiness certificate - so doesn't fit with other information around that period. With funds provided by Iberia in June 2017 on their 90th anniversary of the formation, restoration to flight could be completed. Before then the UK registration had been cancelled on 26th January 2017, this time on transfer on 21st October 2017 to the Spanish civil register as EC-MQS. With the rebuild completed and airworthy once again, on 25th June 2018 the aircraft, now pristine again as EC-AAY, actively participated for the first time in 7 years at an FIO Cuatro Vientos air display. With the Fundacion Infante de Orleans the aircraft is presented, as EC-AAY in silver colours with orange and yellow national flag markings around the wings, as flown by Iberia, and is a regular feature at their monthly Cuarto Vientos air displays.
As a type, the Dragon Rapide has a lengthy history in Spain, being used by both sides in the Civil War and by Iberia on their formation. Indeed there is also a static example on display in the Air Force Museum at Cuatro Vientos, G-ACYR. The original EC-AAY was flown in 1945/1946 by Iberia in Spanish Guinea until destroyed in a forced landing after both engines stopped while flying in a very heavy rainstorm.
Now some 85 years since G-AEML’s first flight in 1936, her future looks very secure in Spain with an organisation committed to keeping her airworthy. I do wonder what Jim Keen would make of an aircraft he owned and flew for a while in the late 60s as being maintained in full flying condition and displayed by a leading European museum some 50+ years on. Somehow I imagine he would be rather pleased.
References: CAA G-INFO website; Air Britain Historians aix service; Air Britain Impressments Log Vol.1 Peter Moss; DH 89 Dragon Rapide 1934 – FIO Infante de Orleans Foundation (FIO website).
At Speke 7th January 1968, parked outside the Liverpool Aero Club office beside No.4 hangar.
At Speke 21st December 1968, parked outside the doors of No.39 hangar. My memory of G-AEML at the time it was at Speke, is that the colour of the fuselage was a dark green, not the dark blue it appears on these two shots. Scouting around on a Google there are not many shots of her before her 'Proteus' green scheme and they two look blue, so it increasingly looks as if my memory is at fault rather than the colour quality of print film?
An undated shot at Liverpool. Time has altered the tones on this colour print, the tarmac should be pale grey rather than sand coloured. Nice shot and a different angle.
G-AEML 'Proteus' at the PFA Cranfield 5th July 1997. After the lengthy rebuild that was completed in 1993 G-AEML was repainted with a green fuselage, silver wings and 1930s style markings. A 5x7 colour print digitised.
G-AEML Dragon Rapide by Beemer328i, on Flickr
G-AEML Dragon Rapide as seen by me in the static display at the Hamburg Air Show 16th September 2007.
From photos around the web she really does look smart in her Spanish colours, hopefully I'll make it to a FIO air display in the next 6 months or so and can bring you current pictures of the aircraft.
