de Havilland DH.66 Hercules
de Havilland Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1926 · airliner
The de Havilland DH.66 Hercules was a British three-engine biplane airliner of 1926, operated by Imperial Airways on the Cairo–Baghdad–Karachi route and later extended to India and Australia. It carried passengers and mail on the early Empire air routes that were the backbone of British long-distance air transport.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 16.92 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large Imperial Airways biplane airliner with three Bristol Jupiter radial engines
- Two engines on lower wing roots, one in nose — trimotor biplane
- Fixed undercarriage with large spats and enclosed passenger cabin
A large biplane with three Bristol Jupiter radials — two in nacelles on the lower wing and one in the nose — and a slab-sided fuselage with passenger windows. The combination of biplane layout and trimotor arrangement is the key identifier.
Specifications
- The de Havilland DH.66 Hercules has a length of 16.92 m (56 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 24.23 m (79 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 206 km/h (128 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed to meet an Air Ministry specification for the Cairo–Karachi route, the DH.66 first flew in 1926 and seven were built. Imperial Airways used them on the so-called 'Eastern Route', establishing regular air communication between Britain and India for the first time. The type was replaced by larger aircraft in the early 1930s.
Variants
All seven aircraft were essentially identical production examples; no significant variants were developed.
Where you'll see it
Operated exclusively by Imperial Airways on Middle East and India routes from 1927 to the early 1930s; one aircraft was used by West Australian Airways on the Perth–Adelaide route.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland DH.56 Hyena
- de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth
- de Havilland DH.50
- de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird
- Albatros L 73
- Avia BH-25
- Ford 4-AT Trimotor
- Ford 4-AT-A Trimotor
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