Transport Aircraft of the Royalطائرات النقل للفترة الملكية
مرسل: الاثنين أكتوبر 11, 2010 10:01 pm
Discussing the transport fleet of the Royal Iraqi air force
In 1933 the Iraqi government bought eight aircrafts type de Havilland DH-84M Dragon the twin-engined military transport biplane version, to use as medium transport aircraf and to b thee first Iraqi transport aircraft. The Iraqi government dispatched for this purpose a number of Iraqi pilots and technicians to England on 27/March/1933,to train on aircrafts and bring the aircrafts to Baghdad, on April to arrived to Baghdad on the anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi air force in (22 April), but there was delay in the factories led to the postponement of delivery for three weeks. And so these aircrafts left Britain on 05/May/1933 and arrived in Baghdad on 13/May/1933 another trip similar to the first flight, the arrival of aircraft to Baghdad was form the second squadron -Transport Squadron- on 01/June/1933. And also equipped as light bombers.
http://iraqiairforce.blogspot.com/2009/04/27-1932.html
Specifications (DH.84 Dragon 1)
Data from de Havilland Aircraft since 1909
DH.84M Dragon : Military transport version. The DH.84M was armed with two machine guns, and it could carry up to sixteen 20 lb (9 kg) bombs.
General characteristics
Crew: one, pilot
Capacity: 6-10 passengers
Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Wingspan: 47 ft 4 in (14.43 m)
Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
Wing area: 376 ft² (34.9 m²)
Empty weight: 2,300 lb (1,045 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,200 lb (1,909 kg)
Powerplant: 2× de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 4-cylinder
air-cooled inverted inline, 130 hp (97 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 128 mph (111 knots, 206 km/h)
Cruise speed: 109 mph (95 knots, 167 km/h)
Range: 545 mi (450 nmi, 833 km)
Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
Rate of climb: 612 ft/min (3.1 m/s)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide
