Airfix 03001V de Havilland Heron MkII

The De Havilland DH.114 Heron was a British low-wing passenger and communication plane from the post-war period. The prototype flight took place in 1950. Serial production started in the same year and led to the creation of about 150 aircraft of this type. In the Mark II D version, the drive was provided by four de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines with 250 HP each. The machine was 14.78 meters long with a wingspan of 21.79 meters. The flight range slightly exceeded 1,450 kilometers.

The DH.114 Heron model was developed from another de Havilland machine, namely the Dove model. Compared to its predecessor, the new plane has been lengthened, its fuselage structure has been strengthened and two engines have been added. At the same time, the same mechanical components were used on a large scale as in the Dove model, which significantly reduced the costs of the research and development process. The De Havilland DH.114 Heron turned out to be a successful machine and achieved considerable commercial success, being exported to many countries around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil and Norway. In the course of production, several development versions of this aircraft were created, including: Heron 2 or Mark II (basic passenger version), Heron 2 D (version with increased take-off weight) or Heron C Mk. III (version intended for use by the Queen of Great Britain).