Saturday, December 29, 2018

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 / DeHavilland Heron Lineage

note! a new blog site has been  set up solely for Saunders Aircraft at Saunders Aircraft Canada

One can trace the Saunders Aircraft ST-27 narrow fuselage to it's early days, the Saunders Aircraft ST-27 was a conversion of the De Havilland DH114 Heron, and thus retains the fuselage shape lineage of the DeHavilland aircraft before the ST-27.


Saunders ST-27 seating - Den Pascoe
The DeHavilland Passenger Aircraft Lineage.

The first DeHavilland commercial passenger carrying aircraft was the DH83 Fox Moth, 

The  narrow fuselage Fox Moth fuselage wraps around the four cylinder De Havilland Gypsy Major in line engine.
DeHavilland Gypsy Major engine


The De Havilland DH83 Fox Moth first flew in January 1932 and was built using as many DH82 Tiger Moth parts as possible.  The Fox Moth could carry a pilot and four passengers using a DeHavilland Gypsy Major 1C engine of 145 horsepower.
DH83 Fox Moth


DeHavilland Gypsy Major engine - front view


The Dehavilland Fox Moth was followed by the twin engine DeHavilland DH84 Dragon, flown in December of 1932. The Gypsy Major engines were moved to the lower wing and the narrow fuselage carried on. The Dragon carried six passengers plus the pilot.
DH84 Dragon

The DeHavilland Dragon was followed by the DeHavilland DH86 Express - designed for Quantas Airlines, first flown in 1934 with four Gypsy Six engines of 200 horsepower each. The Express carried 10 passengers plus two pilots.
DH86 Express

Also flown in 1934 was the DeHavilland DH89 Rapide, a scale down version of the DH86 Express with twin Gypsy Six engines. The Rapide carried a pilot and eight passengers.
DH89 Rapide
restored DH89 at Duxford airfield
During WWII from 1939 to 1945, DeHavilland focuses on military aircraft.

In September of 1945,  the DeHavilland DH104 Dove is flown, the Dove aircraft is completely metal constructed and powered by was the DeHavilland Gypsy Queen engines of 340 to 380 horsepower each and features and retractable undercarriage. The Dove and carry two pilots and eleven passengers. The last DeHavilland Dove was produced in 1968.

DeHavilland DH104 Dove
The DeHavilland Dove was followed up by the DeHavilland DH114 Heron in May of 1950. The Heron isbasically a scaled up Dove with four Gypsy Queen 30 engines of 250 horsepower each. The Heron carried 17 passengers plus two pilots. The first Heron version Mark I, had fixed gear, followed by the Mark II that had retractable landing gear.

DH114 Heron
DH114 Heron interior
Then in 1968 Saunders Aircraft at Montreal begins conversion of DeHavilland DH114 aircraft by removing the four Gypsy Queen engines and installing a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 turboprop engines and lengthens the Heron fuselage by 8'-6" with two fuselage plugs.

ST-27 DH114 conversion - the shiny skin metal indicate the two fuselage plugs. Andre Belanger collection.


Painted ST-27 DH114 conversion at Saunders Montreal hangar. Andre Belanger collection.


Later Saunders ST-27 at Gimli, Manitoba. Andre Belanger collection/


The full list of DeHavilland aircraft made. DeHavilland Aircraft becasme part of the Hawker Siddley Group in 1960 and the DeHavilland corporate name ceased to be used in 1963.
             
                           



Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Saunders Aircraft and Dehavilland Heron DH114 serial numbers

note! a new blog site has been  set up solely for Saunders Aircraft at Saunders Aircraft Canada

Saunders Aircraft Post #3.
As part of my on-going research into Saunders Aircraft, I created this Excel spreadsheet cross-referencing the Saunders Aircraft and Dehavilland Heron DH114 serial numbers.

I've uploaded the spreadsheet to Google Drive at Saunders Aircraft and Dehavilland Heron DH114 serial numbers spreadsheet

If you see any errors, please email me direct at; kenkalynuk@gmail.com

cheers - ken kalynuk


Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 ON AIR Limited C-FCAT apron fire

note! a new blog site has been  set up solely for Saunders Aircraft at Saunders Aircraft Canada

Post # 2 on Saunders Aircraft.

An ON AIR Limited ST-27 C-FCAT  catches fire on the Dryden Airport apron, Sharing these Facebook images and the story from Ray Fread in Dryden, ON.

Ray Fread, a retired bush pilot and AME has written a terrific book: "From Pickle Lake to Paradise"  see this review Pickle Lake to Paradise book review.



In Ray Fread;s words:  " 1977, I show up for work in the Dryden Airport Weather office and see this on the tarmac. This ST-27 had a failed fuel pump. The owner Fritz Meier and his engineer Marty Doyle showed up to change it. Airports closed, it's dark and cold, they are working with a little generator to run a trouble light. Fuel on the tarmac from pulling the pump. As they walk away, wearing heavy boots and parkas, one of them kicks the cord and breaks the trouble light bulb...KABOOM!!!!!! Parts of this plane landed on the runway, hundreds of feet away  "Got so hot the weight of the engine twisted the spar."










Thursday, December 20, 2018

Saunders Aircraft Canada at Gimli - a short intro

note! a new blog site has been  set up solely for Saunders Aircraft at Saunders Aircraft Canada

Saunders Aircraft Canada at Gimli - a short introduction and a request for help.

Saunders ST-28, photographer unknown via the web


In around 1970 the Gov. of Canada announced that "CFB Gimli", the airforce base in Gimli would  close in 1971 as a federal government cost cutting measure.



The Provincial Government of Manitoba looking at offsetting the employment losses from the base closing began seeking alternate industries or businesses to relocate or set up in the Town of  Gimli that had a population of around 2000.

CFB Gimli


One such firm that was offered a Manitoba Government grant to relocate to Gimli was Saunders Aircraft of Montreal, Quebec led by David Saunders.

The 1970 September prov. gov. news release Aircraft Industry Planned for Gimli

I've been collecting material on Saunders Aircraft for the past five years and I need more Saunders Aircraft material and stories, if you have something to share on Saunders Aircraft, please email me at kenair18@gmail.com   . 

Wilf Ansel of Inwood Manitoba got me started on this Saunders Aircraft story and I thank Wilf for his info.


I expect sometime in the new year 2019, I'll begin a series of posts on Saunders Aircraft at Gimli, I will post as I get the Saunders inforamtion, they will not be in total order - use the search box on the upper right hand corner.

Sincerely, Ken Kalynuk, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada



Tuesday, December 11, 2018

DeHavilland Sea Hornet Article

Sharing this pdf magazine article I had clipped out a few years ago written by Captain Eric Winkle Brown. PDF at  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Dy6zBcvUVRUv9-EVBBx76K9--ufZyqAE