De Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{lowercase|de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = DH.53 Humming Bird
|image = DH53.JPG
|type = Ultralight monoplane
|manufacturer = de Havilland
|designer =
|first_flight = 2 October 1923Jackson 1987, p. 208.
|introduction =
|primary_user = Royal Air Force
|produced = 1923–1924
|number_built = 15
}}
The de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird is a British single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane light aircraft first flown in the 1920s.
Design and development
In response to the Daily Mail Light Aeroplane Competition of 1923, de Havilland built two DH.53s which were named Humming Bird and Sylvia II. The DH.53 was a low-wing single-seat monoplane powered by a Douglas {{cvt|750|cc}} motorcycle engine. At Lympne, in October 1923, the DH.53s did not win any prizes but gave an impressive performance.Jackson 1987, p. 203. After the trial, Humming Bird was reengined with a {{cvt|26|hp}} Blackburne Tomtit two-cylinder engine, and fitted with a revised undercarriage. The Air Ministry became interested in the design and ordered eight Tomtit-powered aircraft in 1924 as communications and training aircraft for the Royal Air Force.Jackson 1987, p. 204.
Early in 1924 twelve aircraft were built at Stag Lane Aerodrome and were named Humming Bird after the first prototype. Eight aircraft were for the Air Ministry order, three were for export to Australia, and one was exported to Avia in Prague. One further aircraft was later built for an order from Russia.Jackson 1987, pp. 204–205
Operational service
The first six aircraft for the Royal Air Force all made their public debut at the 1925 display at RAF Hendon, where they were raced against each other. The last two aircraft would later be used for "parasite aircraft" trials being launched from below an airship – the R.33. The aircraft were retired in 1927 and all eight were sold as civil aircraft.Jackson 1987, p. 206.
Operators
;{{UK}}
Aircraft on display
- G-EBHX, the prototype, was airworthy and on display at the Shuttleworth Collection, but crashed on 1 July 2012, killing the pilot.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-18664332 |title=BBC News – Pilot dies after vintage plane crashes in Bedfordshire |work=BBC News |date=July 2012 |access-date=2012-07-01}}{{cite news|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Pilots_Killed_Air_Show_206911-1.html|title = Pilots Killed In Airshow Crashes|access-date = 2 July 2012|last = Niles|first = Russ|date = 1 July 2012| work = AVweb}}[https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/de-havilland-dh53-humming-bird-g-ebhx-1-july-2012 De Havilland DH53 Humming Bird, G-EBHX, 1 July 2012], Air Accidents Investigation Branch, 10 December 2014 The airframe has since been rebuilt to airworthy condition and was returned to the Shuttleworth Collection in 2020 for completion.{{cite web |title=DH Hummingbird G-EBHX |url=https://sites.google.com/site/colinessex1/antique-restorer-bespoke-woodworker-and-propeller-maker/dh-hummingbird-g-ebhx |website=Sovereign Restorations}}
- J7326 fuselage is on display at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Vol 2,Jackson 1973, p. 77.
|prime units?=imp
|crew=1
|length ft=19||length in=8
|span ft=30||span in=1
|height ft=7||height in=3
|wing area sqft=125
|airfoil=RAF 15 modified{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}
|empty weight lb=326
|gross weight lb=565
|eng1 number=1||eng1 name=Blackburne Tomtit||eng1 type=V-2 inverted air-cooled piston engine||eng1 hp=26
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=||prop dia in=
|max speed mph=73
|cruise speed mph=60
|range miles=130
|ceiling ft=15000
|climb rate ftmin=225
|wing loading lb/sqft=4.52
|power/mass={{cvt|0.046|hp/lb}}
}}
See also
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|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
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References
{{Commonscat}}
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book |last= Jackson|first= A. J. |title= British Civil Aircraft Since 1919 Volume 2 |edition= Second |year= 1973|publisher= Putnam & Company|isbn= 0-370-10010-7}}
- {{cite book|last=Jackson|first=A. J.|title=De Havilland Aircraft since 1909|year=1987|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=0-85177-802-X|edition=Third}}
{{de Havilland aircraft}}
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft
Category:1920s British civil utility aircraft
Category:1920s British military trainer aircraft