Mystery aeroplane

[cwis]

Hi all,

I was sitting in a field yesterday afternoon near Hertford Heath (east of Watford) around 3 and something interesting went overhead....

Here's a VERY poor photo:




It was a large twin engined (sounded like very low reving inline engines) biplane, with curved (or tapered) wings.

The closest I could get to with google was a de Havilland Dragon Rapide but it looks like the tail is different in my photo.

Any clues?

[dr_gn]

Looks like a DH89 to me.

[Dr Jekyll]

Looks like a Rapide to me.

[CAPP0]

Maybe the De Havilland Rapide that does sightseeing trips over London? Seen it myself over Tower Bridge, it does look very unusual.

[Eric Mc]

Definitely a Rapide.

[cwis]

Thanks for the confirmation folks!

Looks like it lives at Duxford which was just down the road...They've got two!

https://www.classic-wings.co.uk/dragon-rapide-flig...

It sounded lovely - that low revving lazy 30's engine sound....

[BOBTEE]

We recently sent my Dad up in that! He did the flight where a Spitfire flies alongside, he loved it!

[RobbyJ]

I did a passenger flight in a Rapide from Duxford quite a few years ago with work. Very pleasant flight but the stand out memory was watching the pilots stick inputs (not a euphemism). The aircraft was flying smoothly and normally but he was working the stick wildly, especially on approach. Never seen a plane need so much stick input before, especially to achieve normal level flight.