“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That adage must have occurred to de Havilland chief designer Arthur Hagg, when he was told to improve on his twin-engined DH.84 Dragon. Essex-based bus and coach operator Edward Hillman had diversified into air travel and was delighted with the six-passenger Dragon, which had been created with his needs in mind.
The prototype was flown for the first time on November 12, 1932 at Stag Lane, Edgware, Middlesex. It was granted its certificate of airworthiness 34 days later and handed over to an eager Mr Hillman in January 1933. Introducing an airliner to service was far easier in those days! The reliable, utilitarian DH.84 soon racked up an impressive order book, but Hillman clamoured for extra seats and increased speed, and he was not alone in these demands.
Meanwhile, Hagg and his team had turned to a joint British and Australian requirement for a ten-seat long-range airliner. In just four months they came up with the elegant DH.86 Express biplane, powered by four of the new 200hp (149kW) DH Gipsy Queen six-cylinder inline engines.
Hagg then scaled down the DH.86 to create the new twin, designated DH.89. This retained the ruggedness of the Dragon while offering two mor…