De Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird explained

The de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird is a British single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane light aircraft first flown in the 1920s.

Design and development

In response to the Daily Mail Light Aeroplane Competition of 1923 de Havilland built two DH.53s which were named Humming Bird and Sylvia II. The DH.53 was a low-wing single-seat monoplane powered by a Douglas motorcycle engine. At Lympne, in October 1923, the DH.53s did not win any prizes but gave an impressive performance.[1] After the trial, Humming Bird was reengined with a Blackburne Tomtit two-cylinder engine, and the aircraft was fitted with a revised undercarriage.[1] The Air Ministry became interested in the design and ordered eight Tomtit-powered aircraft in 1924 as communications and training aircraft for the Royal Air Force.[2]

Early in 1924 twelve aircraft were built at Stag Lane Aerodrome and were named Humming Bird after the first prototype. Eight aircraft were for the Air Ministry order, three were for export to Australia, and one was exported to Avia in Prague. One further aircraft was later built for an order from Russia.[3]

Operational service

The first six aircraft for the Royal Air Force all made their public debut at the 1925 display at RAF Hendon, where they were raced against each other. The last two aircraft would later be used for "parasite aircraft" trials being launched from below an airship – the R.33. The aircraft were retired in 1927 and all eight were sold as civil aircraft.[4]

Operators

Aircraft on display

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Jackson 1987, p. 203.
  2. Jackson 1987, p. 204.
  3. Jackson 1987, pp. 204–205
  4. Jackson 1987, p. 206.
  5. News: BBC News – Pilot dies after vintage plane crashes in Bedfordshire . BBC News . July 2012 . 2012-07-01.
  6. News: Pilots Killed In Airshow Crashes. 2 July 2012. Niles. Russ. 1 July 2012. AVweb.
  7. https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/de-havilland-dh53-humming-bird-g-ebhx-1-july-2012 De Havilland DH53 Humming Bird, G-EBHX, 1 July 2012
  8. Web site: DH Hummingbird G-EBHX . Sovereign Restorations.