C-23 Sherpa
Notes: This
light transport is used by a number of countries, most notably Britain and the
US, where they are mostly operated by the Air National Guard, though some are
used by SOCOM, and a few are used by the US Army's Golden Knights parachute
demonstration team. It is a simple
aircraft that is easy to maintain and fly, and can be safely flown at a very
slow speed. The aircraft has a rear
ramp and two doors just behind the cockpit; it has no ejection seats and is not
capable of in-flight refueling. It
does, however, have a toilet. The
C-23B Super Sherpa is similar, but has more engine power and is larger.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
C-23A |
$2,388,840 |
AvG |
3.18 tons |
11.59 tons |
3+30, or 27 paratroops, or 18 stretchers |
14 |
None |
Enclosed |
C-23B |
$2,458,930 |
AvG |
3.77 tons |
12.83 tons |
3+36, or 32 paratroops, or 22 stretchers |
18 |
None |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
Armor |
C-23A |
698 |
174 (80) |
NA
44 6/3
60/30 |
2235 |
881 |
3500 |
FF4
CF4 RF3
T3 W4 |
C-23B |
723 |
181 (80) |
NA
45 6/3
60/30 |
2351 |
1050 |
3500 |
FF4
CF4 RF3
T3 W4 |
Vehicle |
Combat Equipment |
Minimum Landing/Takeoff
Zone |
RF |
Armament |
Ammo |
(Both) |
Secure Radios |
500/400m Primitive Runway |
None |
None |
None |
De Havilland Rapide
Notes: The
Rapide appeared in 1934; it was intended to fulfill the same role as the Douglas
DC-3, being a general purpose cargo aircraft able to fly heavy (for the period)
cargoes at a decent speed and capable of fairly high-altitude operations.
The Rapide design is an evolution of earlier designs, most notably the De
Havilland DJ-83 Fox Moth (appearing in 1932) and the heavier DH-84 Dragon.
(The Rapide was essentially a scaled-down version of the Dragon, thus the
Rapide was often called the “Dragon Rapide.”)
The Rapide did not fall victim to the problems that its predecessors
displayed, such being underpowered, having balky controls, and poor
maneuverability; its pilots praised the Rapide as an aircraft that was easy to
fly (though it often struggled in bad weather due to its light weight).
They had an illustrious World War 2 career, with most Rapides belonging
to Commonwealth countries being pressed into military service.
While the Rapide’s design did not lend itself to high-volume paradrops,
the British often used the Rapide for the delivery of OSS agents and other
small-unit insertions. However,
these operations led to high casualties among the Rapide, and of 205 at the
disposal of the British Commonwealth at the beginning of World War 2, only 81
survived the war. The Rapide was
manufactured for a few years after World War 2, but were quickly made obsolete
by new designs. By 2000, only five
airworthy Rapides remained: two in New Zealand, often used for sightseeing, one
flown by the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, one privately-owned in
Yolo County California, and two operated by Classic Wings in the UK, used
primarily for sightseeing and short hops over to Ireland.
In addition, it is possible that the Rapides at Museum of Science and
Industry at Manchester, the Rapide on display at Old Warden Airfield in the UK,
and the Rapide at Duxford Aerodrome, are also in flying condition; their care is
quite meticulous and thorough, but they have never actually flown since the late
1950s.
Design work on
what would become the Rapide began in 1933 after a request from the Australians
for a medium transport with good low-altitude speed and the ability to land on
unimproved surfaces, such as the Australian Outback.
This led to an aircraft similar, but smaller and less powerful than, the
DH-89 – the DH-86 Dragon Express.
Few DH-86’s were built, though a few did serve in the 1930s and early 1940s, so
I have included stats for them below.
The head of the design team at De Havilland, AE Hagg, quickly realized
that a more power version of the engines intended for the Dragon Express
recently made available could support a larger and more powerful version of the
DH-86. This aircraft was at first
designated the DH-89 Dragon Express, but by 1935, the name of the aircraft had
changed to the Dragon Rapide.
Shortly later, this was simplified to the Rapide. The British, oddly, were one
of the last to jump on the Rapide design; nearly 20 countries ordered at least a
few Rapides in the 1930s, and the British actually ordered very few.
Most British Rapides were those pressed into wartime service of built
during the short production run after World War 2.
Military Rapides used by the British Commonwealth were renamed to “DH-89
Dominie,” though production of military versions dated back almost to the
beginning of production. The
Italian Breda BA-44 was derived directly from the Rapide, so much so that in
many cases parts were interchangeable.
The Rapide was
an all-metal biplane in an era of monoplanes; only its power and good handling
characteristics led to its being placed into production.
World airlines quickly realized that it was a good design, despite having
only about half the cargo and passenger capability of its contemporaries, the
DC-3 and Ford Trimotor. The wings
were strong despite a minimum of cross supports, and the fuselage, despite
looking a bit lumpish, was actually a good, aerodynamic design.
The Rapide had large control surfaces, which made to a great extent it’s
excellent low-speed handling and good takeoff and landing performance.
Unusually, the engines were carried in pods on the lower wings near the
fuselage, with the main wheels below the engines in fairings that were built as
a part of the engine pods. The
Rapide was a “taildragger” design, with a tail wheel in addition to the main
landing gear. The cockpit windows
were large and afforded excellent visibility to the crew, and the side windows
were also large for an aircraft of its type and praised by passengers.
Passengers and crew both entered through a door on the left side over the lower
wing.
Though easy to
fly, the Rapide did require some familiarization with the pilots.
The Rapide was much lighter than it looked and could be thrown around by
high winds, was subject to bouncing at the wrong time on takeoff and landing,
and had higher acceleration than most pilot were used to from such an aircraft.
In addition, passenger flight was a bit spartan; civilian passenger Rapides had
little more than a cramped kitchenette and shelves for in-flight refreshment,
and passenger seating was limited and a little cramped at a time when passengers
were beginning to expect a little more luxury.
One of the radios carried was usually tuned to civilian broadcasts. On
the other hand, mail and cargo runners often had an internal layout similar to a
Dominie, though sometimes the kitchenette was retained. And again, takeoffs and
landings could be a bit bouncy, and flying in bad weather could be harrowing.
The first
production versions were designated DH-89 Rapide.
The same aircraft, equipped with a landing light in the nose, modified
wingtips that slightly improved low-altitude and low-speed performance, and a
cabin heater, were designated DH-89A Rapide.
All DH-89s were quickly converted to the DH-89A standard within a few
months after the DH-89A standard was defined.
The DH-89 Mk 4 referred to at first experimental modifications, equipped
with Gipsy Queen II engines; some civilian Rapides were produced with these
engines, which were designated Gipsy Six II engines in civilian use, but on the
other hand, this upgrade was common in military service.
Even less civilian models were equipped with Gipsy Six III engines,
though somewhat more were produced with the equivalent military engine (the
Gipsy Queen III). Civilian modifications to the Gipsy Six III did not begin in
earnest until after World War 2, and eventually 1350 Gipsy Six IIIs were built
solely for civilian use. Dominies
with Gipsy Queen engines were built for specific roles and therefore quite rare;
the fact that they were originally built for military use only and few were
retrofitted after the war makes them even rarer.
Military
Dominies had their civilian accommodations stripped out, and the interior
converted to a large cargo space.
The passenger door was retained, but converted to a sliding door. This was still
where personnel were loaded, and often, parachutists exited the aircraft through
this door. (The procedure for
parachuting from a Dominie was for the parachutist to go out the door, get into
a seated position, and let the slipstream slide the parachutist off of the lower
wing. The tailplanes were low
enough that the parachutist did not hit them.
Afterwards, the parachutist deployed his parachute manually.)
On the right side, a larger sliding door was added, allowing bundles on
parachutes to be thrown out of the door or larger cargoes to be loaded and
unloaded on the ground. The
Dominies had a new suspension for the main landing gear, making them even more
capable of landing and taking off from unimproved surfaces.
The engine cowlings and air intakes were also modified to do a better job
of keep FOD out of the engines, and the wooden propeller blades in most cases
were replaced with metal blades.
Dominies sometimes had folding metal seats along the exterior walls; these were
installed in sections for one, two, or three passengers and could be removed or
installed as needed.
Though some Dominies were used
for special operations insertions and paradrops, a large number were actually
used as trainers for future bomber and larger cargo aircraft.
In this role, pilots and navigators both received instruction, though not
usually at the same time. Radio operators also received some training in this
aircraft, but most of their training took place on the ground. Most of these
trainers were then modified again, into mobile communications aircraft.
In this role, the Dominies normally operated as aerial retransmission
aircraft, allowing the troops on the ground to dramatically increase their
communications range. They were
important aircraft to airborne forces and scouts operating sometimes far ahead
of the main body of troops.
Generally, a fourth seat was added just behind the cockpit (in case a pilot and
navigator was being trained at the
time), as well as two other seats with desks at the front of the cargo bay for
two other students. Another use for the Dominies were as aerial command posts,
though normally they didn’t carry the actual field commanders, relaying orders
instead. In this role, they carried
extra radios, including at least one very-long-range VHF set, and seats for
radio operators and the “aerial commander,” plus spaces, drawers, and suchlike
for maps, codebooks, and office-type supplies.
Dominies were
more widely used in the early part of World War 2, and leads to perhaps their
most heroic role. Dominies were
used as part of the evacuation of troops from France, often flying deep into
enemy territory to retrieve troops cut off from the main body.
An unknown number of civilian Rapides were also used in the evacuation,
sent into France without being modified in any way for a military role.
During this time, their losses were severe; ten Dominies and an unknown
amount of Rapides were shot down; some sources state that possibly as many as 32
Rapides were shot down in the evacuation.
The Dominies and Rapides used in the evacuation generally left France
overloaded with troops and with the severe decrease in performance one would
expect.
Another role for
Dominies were to fly dignitaries around Britain and to Ireland; despite being
officially called Dominies, these aircraft were essentially Rapides, retaining
their civilian internal fit, though with one or two extra radios.
A surprisingly small amount were actually used as straight cargo
aircraft, since the bulk of Dominies (about 150) were used as trainers and
communications aircraft. 14 were used to fly needed military supplies around
Britain to some of the more far-flung sites, including ammunition, food and
water, spare parts, and some small creature comforts such as newspapers, mail,
books, and occasional pure luxury items such as chocolate, candy, and suchlike.
Two were used as medical evacuation aircraft, primarily for British or
(later) American pilots who had been shot down or crashed over British soil, or
British civilians or troops injured in Nazi attacks on Britain.
The primary modifications for these two aircraft were the conversion of
most of the interior space to carry stretchers as well as storage for medical
equipment. Two medical personnel
were usually assigned to such flights, normally specially-trained nurses.
In addition to
the Dominies used in Britain, two were used in Africa and the Middle East, and
nine were used in India. These were
generally used as communications aircraft in Africa and the Middle East as shown
above, and as special operations and straight cargo aircraft in India and some
of the surrounding countries; some were even known to fly even farther,
supplying special ops units such as Merrill’s Marauders and even other far-flung
and largely unsung special operations units.
Extra fuel tanks were often carried internally in this role, as well as
extra long-range radios and odd bits of equipment needed by the troops, as well
as the occasional reinforcements.
Their excellent low-speed performance and unimproved landing and takeoff
qualities served them well in these roles. Military Dominies outfitted for
training roles were designated DH-89 Dominie Mk 1 and were most often based on
DH-89 Mk 4s, though with special governors and derated engines to aid in the
training process. Dominies
outfitted as Commo/air command posts were designated DH-89B Dominie Mk IIs,
regardless of what other Mark they may have carried (usually Mk 4s or Mk 5s).
Special ops Dominies were generally given fictitious designations and
names that changed on a regular basis, though they were generally based on
stripped cargo aircraft. Special
ops Dominies outfitted with internal extra fuel tanks were generally designated
the same way as other Special ops aircraft.
Dominies designed for cargo carrying of whatever type were usually given
the simple designation of DH-89B and usually based on DH-89As or DH-89 Mk 4s.
(After World War 2, military Dominies that were refitted back to civilian
specifications were usually designated DH-89B, with the appropriate Mark number
appended to the end. Dignitary
transportation and medical transport aircraft were usually designated DH-89B,
though unofficially given the designation of DH-89D Dominie.
Statistics-wise,
the most of the prototype Rapides and very early production Rapides were powered
by a pair of De Havilland Gipsy Six I 200-horsepower 6-cylinder engines,
improved versions of the engines that powered the DH-86.
The Gipsy Six I had bronze cylinder heads and could be coupled only to
fixed-pitch propellers. The Gipsy Queen I was the military version of the Gipsy
Six I, essentially identical except that it could burn either leaded or unleaded
aviation gasoline, could be coupled to variable-pitch propellers, and was
slightly more powerful at 205 horsepower; this engine powered early military
models. Most military versions and some civilian Rapides were powered by the
Gipsy Queen II/Gipsy Six II, which were basically identical; improvements
included strengthened crankcase and a slight increase in power to 210
horsepower. These were referred to as the DH-89 Mk 4s.
Some Dominies were powered by the Gipsy Queen III, which provided a
further-strengthened crankcase, a tapered crankcase (which allowed only
fixed-pitch propellers), and slightly-derated power to 200 horsepower; however,
the Gipsy Queen III was far more maintenance-friendly, and reduced the required
time for maintenance greatly. These aircraft were designated DH-89 Mk 5.
A few rare Rapides and Dominies had Gipsy Queen IV engines, which were
supercharged versions of the Gipsy Queen III.
The supercharger allowed the Rapides and Dominies equipped with them a
higher service ceiling, though at higher fuel consumption. These aircraft were
often referred to as DH-89Cs in both civilian and military service, though
officially they were also designated DH-89 Mk 5s. One Rapide was produced,
stripped of all unnecessary weight and designated the DH-88 Comet; this used
223-horspower versions of the standard engines called Gipsy Six “R” engines, and
I have not been able to discover its fate after flying in the races it was built
for. The Rapide had a length of 10.51 meters, a height of 3.096 meters (to the
top of the tail), and a wingspan of 14.63 meters.
The controls, though not boosted in any way (control boosting was an
experimental design at the time of the Rapide’s development), they did have
special linkages that made the controls easier to move.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
DH-89 Rapide |
$611,520 |
AvG |
555 kg |
1.62 tons |
3+10 |
12 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89A Rapide |
$622,850 |
AvG |
562 kg |
1.62 tons |
3+10 |
12 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89 Mk 4 Rapide |
$623,820 |
AvG |
569 kg |
1.62 tons |
3+10 |
12 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89 Mk 5 Rapide |
$617,540 |
AvG |
555 kg |
1.64 tons |
3+10 |
10 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89C Rapide |
$674,510 |
AvG |
555 kg |
1.66 tons |
3+10 |
12 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89B Dominie |
$422,060 |
AvG |
1.19 tons |
1.5 tons |
3+10 or 8 Paratroopers |
11 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89B Dominie (Special Ops Fit) |
$1,923,770 |
AvG |
893 kg |
1.65 tons |
3+4 or 3 Paratroopers |
15 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89A Dominie (Special Ops Fit, Extra
Fuel) |
$1,925,900 |
AvG |
706 kg |
1.9 tons |
3+4 or 3 Paratroopers |
16 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89 Mk I Dominie |
$439,430 |
AvG |
1.17 tons |
1.6 tons |
4+4 |
13 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89 Mk II Dominie |
$1,072,930 |
AvG |
595 kg |
1.89 tons |
3+4 |
15 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89D Dominie (Medical) |
$458,420 |
AvG |
595 kg |
1.53 tons |
4+4 Stretchers* |
10 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-89C Dominie |
$468,060 |
AvG |
1.16 tons |
1.52 tons |
3+10 or 8 Paratroopers |
10 |
None |
Enclosed |
DH-88 Comet |
$419,480 |
AvG |
1.19 tons |
1.35 tons |
2 |
10 |
None |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
Armor |
DH-89 Rapide |
872 |
219 (73) |
NA
52 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
56 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89A Rapide |
892 |
224 (66) |
NA
53 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
57 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89 Mk 4 Rapide |
913 |
229 (60) |
NA
54 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
57 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89 Mk 5 Rapide |
872 |
219 (60) |
NA
52 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
57 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89C Rapide |
862 |
215 (60) |
NA
51 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
65 |
6108 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89B Dominie |
915 |
230 (66) |
NA
55 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
55 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89B Dominie (Special Ops Fit) |
853 |
209 (66) |
NA
50 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
61 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89A (Dominie Special Ops Fit, Extra
Fuel) |
806 |
202 (66) |
NA
48 4/2
40/20 |
381 |
63 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89 Mk I Dominie |
858 |
216 (60) |
NA
52 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
58 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89 Mk II Dominie |
732 |
184 (70) |
NA
44 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
69 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89D Dominie (Medical) |
897 |
225 (60) |
NA
54 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
56 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-89C Dominie |
903 |
227 (60) |
NA
54 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
64 |
6108 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
DH-88 Comet |
1074 |
266 (60) |
NA
64 4/2
40/20 |
249 |
64 |
5090 |
FF3
CF3 RF2
T2 W3 |
Vehicle |
Combat Equipment |
Minimum Landing/Takeoff
Zone |
RF |
Armament |
Ammo |
DH-89/DH-89A/DH-89A Mk 4 & Mk 5/DH-89C
Rapide |
2xLong-Range Radios, Magnetic Compass,
Kitchenette |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
DH-89B/C Dominie |
2xLong-Range Radios, 1 Short-Range
Radio, Magnetic Compass |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
DH-89B Domnie (Special Ops Fit) |
2xLong-Range Radios (One Aircraft-Ship),
Very-Long-Range Radio, Radar Altimeter, Transponder, 550-Candlepower
Spotlight, RDF, Magnetic Compass |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
DH-89A Mk I Dominie |
2xLong-Range Radios, 1 Short-Range
Radio, Magnetic Compass |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
DH-89 Mk II Dominie |
1 Very-Long-Range Radio, 2xLong-Range
Radios, 2xMedium-Range Radios, Gyrocompass, Barometric Altimeter |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
DH-89D Dominie (Medical) |
2xLong Range Radios, Magnetic Compass,
Standard Medical Supplies. |
200/350 Unimproved Runway |
None |
None |
None |
*Two stretchers may be
removed, making room for up to two seated casualties per stretcher.