IATA DHDICAO DOVE

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

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British postwar twin-engine feeder airliner of the late 1940s.

First flight

1945

Category

Regional piston

Seating

8–11

Range

1,600 km

Engines

Two de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70 six-cylinder inline piston engines

Status

Retired

The de Havilland DH.104 Dove is a British twin-engine light transport aircraft developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company as a postwar replacement for the prewar DH.89 Dragon Rapide biplane. Designed to meet a 1943 Brabazon Committee specification for a short-range feeder airliner, the Dove first flew in 1945 and entered airline service shortly thereafter, becoming one of the most successful British light transports of its era. The aircraft featured a low-wing monoplane design with retractable tricycle undercarriage, a relatively modern configuration for its time. It was powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Queen inline engines and could carry up to 11 passengers. Over 500 examples were built across numerous variants, serving with airlines, military operators, and corporate users worldwide. The Dove enjoyed a long operational career and was exported to dozens of countries. Military versions were designated Devon in Royal Air Force service and Sea Devon in Royal Navy service. The type has been largely retired from commercial operations but a small number remain airworthy in private hands.

Notable operators

British European Airways, West African Airways, Ansett Airways, and numerous small regional carriers worldwide operated the Dove.

Notable facts

›Over 540 Doves were built between 1945 and 1967.
›The RAF operated the type as the de Havilland Devon C.1 and C.2.
›The Dove was designed in part to meet the wartime Brabazon Committee's Type IIB specification.
›It was one of de Havilland's first aircraft to feature a tricycle undercarriage.
›The Dove formed the basis for the larger de Havilland Heron, which replaced it on some routes.