DH89A Dragon Rapide In the mid 30’s the de Havilland Aircraft Co. of Britain introduced the DH89 Dragon Rapide. It was an aerodynamic wood and fabric bi-pane designed as a light transport with two Gypsy Six engines. It was to replace the earlier DH86 four engine transport, but retained many of the good features like the two tapered wings. Later versions would be outfitted with flaps and designated the DH89A. It proved fast and dependable, thus becoming popular with airline customers.