De Havilland

Until 1920, Geoffrey de Havilland's de Havilland Aircraft Company had been known as Airco, where he was owner and chief designer. The new company was based at Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, England.

Related Topics:
1920 - Geoffrey de Havilland - Airco - Hatfield - Hertfordshire - England

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Initially de Havilland concentrated on single and two-seat biplanes, essentially continuing the DH line of aircraft built by Airco, but engined with de Havilland's own Gypsy engines. These included the Gipsy and Tiger Moths. These aircraft set many aviation records, many piloted by de Havilland himself. Amy Johnson flew solo from England to Australia in a Gypsy Moth in 1930, the flight taking 19.5 days.

Related Topics:
Biplanes - Gipsy - Tiger Moth - Amy Johnson - England - Australia - 1930

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The Moth line of aircraft continued with the more refined (and enclosed) Hornet Moth and Moth Minor, the latter being a low-wing monoplane constructed of wood.

Related Topics:
Hornet Moth - Moth Minor - Monoplane

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De Havilland continued to produce high-performance aircraft including the high-speed twin-piston-engine DH.88 Comet mailplane, one of which became famous in its red livery as the winner of the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia.

Related Topics:
DH.88 Comet - Mailplane - One of which - MacRobertson Air Race

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The high-performance designs and wooden construction methods culminated in perhaps the most famous De Havilland aircraft - the Mosquito, constructed primarily of wood because of the shortage of aluminium during the war.

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After the Second World War de Havilland continued with leading-edge designs in both the military and civil field, but several public disasters doomed the company as an independent entity. The de Havilland Comet was put into service in 1952 as the eagerly-anticipated first commercial jet airliner, twice as fast as previous alternatives and a source of British national pride. The Comet suffered three tragic and high-profile crashes in two years. Less well known, but equally disastrous, was the explosion of the Sea Vixen prototype during the 1952 Farnborough Air Show, which also killed members of the public.

Related Topics:
Second World War - De Havilland Comet - Sea Vixen - 1952 - Farnborough Air Show

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De Havilland was bought by Hawker-Siddeley before incorporation into British Aerospace. In this period many designs started by de Havilland came into production, including the Trident, HS-146 (later BAe-146), HS-125 (later BAe-125).

Related Topics:
Hawker-Siddeley - British Aerospace - Trident - HS-146 - HS-125

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De Havilland Aircraft:

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• Biplanes
• Gipsy Moth, DH.82 Tiger Moth, DH.89 Dragon Rapide
• Piston Monoplanes
• DH.88 Comet, DH.98 Mosquito, DH.103 Hornet, DH.104 Dove, DH.114 Heron
• Civil Jets
• DH.106 Comet
• Military Jets
• DH.100 Vampire, DH.112 Venom & Sea Venom, DH.110 Sea Vixen

Examples are on display at the Mosquito Aircraft Museum.

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