This Rapide Deserves Respect

Built for the military in 1944 as a Dominie Mk.1 s/n NR683, this de Havilland D.H. 89A Mk.4 Dragon Rapide later saw service as part of the British European Airways making flights between England and Ireland.

It continued its commercial career with Fairey Air Surveys and G.R.M. Airwork (Precise Surveys Limited). The Rapide was shipped to Newark, N.J., reassembled and flown to San Jose, Calif.  in 1971 by its new owners, registered as N683DH as a play on the military serial number.

It only flew for a few years after that, eventually ending up with the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisc.

In 1992 the late William “Bud” Field of Hayward, Calif. purchased the plane and in partnership with John Reed of Sonoma, Calif. hired Russ Harmuth to bring the Rapide to California’s Calaveras Airport to do a full restoration on it. Over the years Harmuth worked on the plane until the project came to a standstill for three years at the turn of the century, while they were waiting for the 200 horsepower Gypsy Queen engines to be rebuilt in England.

Medical issues stopped Harmuth from finishing the plane and Andrew Turpen and Steve Cook finished it up, installing the wings and rigging the plane. Unfortunately before he could see the plane fly, Bud Field passed away on Feb. 10th and didn’t get to see it’s first flight on May 18th.

It now has 10 hours on it and “is one of the smoothest flying planes” that current caretaker Jimmy Rollison at Yolo, Calif. Airport says he’s ever flown.

Photo plane flown by Jerry Anderson and Mike DeCastro. Info and photos by Roger Cain