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    FS98 F.A.R.E. DE HAVILLAND DH 89 DRAGON RAPIDE, 1936-1939
                 Spanish republican livery.V.4 trans.       
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Spanish Republican Airforces converted two of this civil transport 
airplane as light bomber and recce aircraft, joining  the 'Alas Rojas'
squadron, based at Sariena (Aragon war front) during July1936-
December 1936 period.
 
AFX original designer: Mike Hill
Spanish artwork: Sigfrid Roig
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Dragons in Spain:

These beatifull planes arrived to Spain in 1935, when three were bought
by the Republican government to give service to african colonial 
detachments.
Was a hired Dragon G-ACYR the plane used by the General Franco to fly 
from Canary Islands to Tetuan (Spanish Morocco) to join the African 
Army insurrection. 
In 1936 when the Civil War started three aircrafts were kept in 
nationalist hands and the republican bought another ten plus two civil
units flown by LAPE ,the spanish civil airline.
The republican airforces during the first war year,used them as light 
bombers mainly in the Aragn front joining the famoust "Escuadrilla 
Alas Rojas" (a mixture of several militarizated aircrafts).
At the begining of 1937 the survivors Dragon were detached to Totana
Polimotors Flying School.
At the end of the war some of eleven survivor planes were assigned
to civil services.
  
History:

The DH 89 Dragon Rapide was among the most versatile of de Havilland 
aircraft. First flown in 1934, a total of 728 Rapides were built over 
a 10-year period. They served in wartime as Dominie navigational 
trainers and continued in commercial service as "short haul wonders"
well into the Sixties. The Rapide is still a prized aircraft to this
day.
   
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 De Havilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide specifications:

Wing span                     14,63 m. 
Aspect ratio                  10.9 
Length                        10,53 m.
Wing area                     336 sq. ft.
Horizontal stabilizer area    38 sq. ft.
Rudder area                   25 sq. ft.
Height                        3,12 m.
Weight                        3230 lb. empty ; 5500 lb. gross takeoff   
Power:                        Two Gipsy Six inline-6, 200 hp;  
                              2-blade propellers
Cruising speed:               132 mph (115 kts)
Range:                        578 miles 
Accommodations:               Pilot + 6 Passengers

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Special thanks to Mike Hill for his impressive contribution to 
FS world and for his kind help providing me the source files.
And also many thanks to Alexander Remus for his tutorial 
at simflight.com on creating transparent surfaces.

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I really appreciate if anybody can develop a better FS98 flight model 
to improve flight characteristics as I dnt know how to do it.
Thanks in advance.
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Sigfrid Roig
Rivas-Vaciamadrid (Spain)
Internet: 101770.2476@compuserve.com

3/10/1998