de Havilland D.66 Hercules

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Hercules

The de Havilland DH.66 Hercules was a 1920s British seven-passenger,
three-engined airliner built by de Havilland Aircraft Company at Stag Lane
Aerodrome. As a more modern replacement for the D.H.10s used on the RAF's
airmail service, Imperial Airways used the Hercules effectively to provide
long-distance service to far-flung regions. Although the giant airliners were
slow and cumbersome, they pointed the way for future airliners.

The Hercules was designed for Imperial Airways when it took over the
Cairo–Baghdad air route from the Royal Air Force. The design was a 3-engined
biplane with room for seven passengers and the ability to carry mail. The
prototype first flew on 30 September 1926, and an order for five aircraft was
received from Imperial Airways. The type name Hercules was chosen in a
competition in the Meccano Magazine in June 1926.


Role
Airliner

Manufacturer
de Havilland Aircraft Company

First flight
1926

Introduction
1926

Retired
1942

Primary users
Imperial Airways
West Australian Airways
South African Air Force

Number built
11

An inaugural flight between Croydon and India left the United Kingdom on 27
December 1926, and arrived in Delhi on 8 January 1927. West Australian Airways
ordered four aircraft to replace the DH.50. On 2 June 1927, the first service on
the Perth-Adelaide route was carried out. Imperial Airways ordered two more
aircraft but it lost three aircraft in accidents between September 1929 and
April 1930. To replace the lost aircraft, two were purchased from West
Australian Airways. The Imperial Airways aircraft were withdrawn from service in
December 1935 following another crash in Southern Rhodesia in November 1935.
Three aircraft were sold to the South African Air Force. One of the Australian
aircraft survived until 1942 when it was destroyed by enemy action.

Accidents and incidents
On 6 September 1929 an Imperial Airways DH.66 Hercules, registration G-EBMZ,
crashed on landing at Jask, Iran due to pilot error, killing three of five on
board.

Specifications (DH.66A)

General characteristics
Crew: three
Length: 56 ft (17.08 m)
Wingspan: 79 ft 6 in (24.24 m)
Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
Wing area: 1,547 ft² (143.7 m²)
Empty weight: 9,060 lb (4,110 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 15,600 lb (7,076 kg)
Powerplant: 3 × Bristol Jupiter VI radial piston engine, 420 hp (313 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 129 mph (208 km/h)
Range: 525 mi (845 km)
Service ceiling: 13,100 ft (3,990 m)
Rate of climb: 635 ft/min (3.2 m/s)




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