EXTRA INFO
PHOTO AEROPLANE DE HAVILLAND DH51 'G-EBIR' C/N 102 BUILT 1924. ONLY THREE DH51S WERE BUILT AND THIS IS THE ONLY SURVIVOR. SHE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION AND I BELIEVE SHE COULD BE THE OLDEST AIRWORTHY DE HAVILLAND AEROPLANE. SEEN TAKING OFF TO DISPLAY AT THE 2021 SHUTTLEWORTH VINTAGE WEEKEND. OLD WARDEN BEDFORDSHIRE UK 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021 THE FOLLOWING INFO IS FROM THE COLLECTION WEBSITE:- THE DH 51 IS REGARDED AS THE TRUE ANCESTOR OF THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL MOTH SERIES OF AEROPLANES. IN 1923 THE AIR MINISTRY WAS ENCOURAGING AIRCRAFT DESIGNERS TO PRODUCE ULTRA LIGHT AEROPLANES FOR THE CIVIL MARKET HOWEVER THE DE HAVILLAND COMPANY ALSO DECIDED TO MAKE A MUCH LARGER MORE PRACTICAL TOURING AEROPLANE. THIS DESIGN LED TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE DH51 IT WAS A TWO BAY BIPLANE WITH A PLYWOOD COVERED FUSELAGE AND FABRIC COVERED WINGS. IT WAS ORIGINALLY POWERED BY THE READILY AVAILABLE RAF 1A EIGHT CYLINDER ENGINE. THE DH 51 WAS DESIGNED TO ALLOW TWO PASSENGERS TO FLY IN COMFORT FROM SMALL FIELDS BUT THERE WAS PROVISION FOR A THIRD PASSENGER ON A FOLDAWAY CANVAS SEAT AHEAD OF THE FRONT COCKPIT. WHEN THE THIRD SEAT WAS USED THE PLYWOOD DECKING AT THE FRONT MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW THE EXTRA PASSENGER TO BE SEATED. THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PROTOTYPE WAS MADE ON JULY 1 1924 BUT THE AIR MINISTRY REFUSED TO GRANT A C. OF A. BECAUSE OF THE RAF ENGINES SINGLE IGNITION TO OVERCOME THIS THE AIRCRAFT WAS FITTED WITH THE MORE POWERFUL AIRDISCO ENGINE. THIS GAVE THE AIRCRAFT A MUCH IMPROVED PERFORMANCE BUT INCREASED THE COST. THIS LED TO ONLY THREE DH 51'S BEING BUILT G-EBIM G-EBIQ AND G-EBIR. 'MISS KENYA' WAS THE LAST DH 51 BUILT (CONSTRUCTOR'S NUMBER 102) BY DE HAVILLAND'S IN 1925 FOR JOHN CARBERRY AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS SHE WAS SHIPPED OUT TO MOMBASA FOR HER NEW OWNER. SHE FLEW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AFRICA ON APRIL 4TH 1926. IN FEBRUARY 1927 JOHN CARBERRY MADE HIS LONGEST FLIGHT IN 'MISS KENYA' FROM NAIROBI TO KISIMU AND BACK. THIS JOURNEY WAS MADE TO PICK UP THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION SIR SEFTON BRANCKER. IN JUNE 1928 TOM CAMPBELL BLACK G. SKINNER AND A. HUGHES BOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT AND ON SEPTEMBER 10TH 1928 'MISS KENYA' BECAME THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO BE REGISTERED IN KENYA HENCE THE NAME. AT FIRST REGISTERED AS G-KAA BUT THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM WAS THEN CHANGED TO MAKE 'MISS KENYA' VP-KAA. SHE WAS BOUGHT IN 1933 BY D.A.G. ONSLOW AND WAS FLOWN UNTIL 1937. SHE REMAINED STORED IN AFRICA DURING THE WAR BUT WAS RE-ERECTED AND FLOWN AGAIN AFTER THE WAR BY G.F. BAUDET. HE PRESENTED IT TO THE RAF BUT WROTE OFF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND CAUSED OTHER DAMAGE WHEN LANDING IN GUSTY CONDITIONS AT THE END OF THE FERRY FLIGHT IN JUNE 1951. 'MISS KENYA' THEN REMAINED DERELICT IN A HANGAR UNTIL LATE 1954 WHEN IT WAS BOUGHT BY J.S. LE POER TRENCH WHO REBUILT HER. SHE THEN FLEW AGAIN IN 1955 AND WAS DISPLAYED AT MANY AIR DISPLAYS. IN 1962 SHE WAS DONATED TO THE SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION. IN 1965 SHE WAS LOADED ONTO A BLACKBURN BEVERLEY AND FLOWN BACK TO ENGLAND WHERE SHE WAS RESTORED BY THE AIRCRAFT WING OF THE REME APPRENTICE COLLEGE AT AVLONFIELD AND BY HAWKER SIDDELEY AVIATION CHESTER. ON 23RD MARCH 1973 'MISS KENYA' ARRIVED AT OLD WARDEN AND THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER RESTORATION WAS MADE LATER THAT MONTH. 'MISS KENYA' HAS BEEN FLYING AT OLD WARDEN EVER SINCE MAKING IT THE OLDEST AIRWORTHY DE HAVILLAND DESIGN. HEIGHT: 9FT 9IN LENGTH: 26FT 6IN WINGSPAN: 37FT 0IN ENGINE: ONE 120HP AIRDISCO V8 COPYRIGHT ALAN WILSOPHOTO PAPER THICKNESS NORMAL PHOTOGRAPH THICKNESS
NOTES
REF NO AWILSON-4758
PHOTO SIZE SIZE 6 X 4 inches
CONDITION: SOME CROPPING OR WHITE LINES TOP/BOTTOM MAY OCCUR DUE TO PHOTO RATIO
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