DH.84 hand brake

[LCharnes]

Back again, working on the next book.

I have a very obscure question: did the DH.84 have a parking brake? If so, how was it controlled?

If not, how were the main brakes controlled? Would it be possible to jam something against the lever/pedal/whatever to keep the brakes engaged while the pilot leaves the cockpit with the engines at their lowest power setting?

Answers for the DH.89 are fair game if the control setup was the same.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[LCharnes]

I'm still looking for the hand brake in the DH.84 Dragon cockpit. The Manual of Instructions refers to it but doesn't say where it is or what it looks like. AFAIK, none of the Dragon cockpit photos I have show it.

I have a DH.89 cockpit schematic that shows a brake lever. However, the DH.84 cockpit photos don't show anything like it in that location. Any help appreciated.

Dear Mod: PLEASE don't move this to the WWII section. You did that to the last post I put up asking this question, and it got buried. This is a question about a PRE-WAR 1930s aircraft. Thank you.

 

[Wurger]

Dear Mate,

It doesn't matter if it is the pre-war kite or the WW2 one. Your post is a question of the techincal type and should be in the techical section. Because it is the WW2 forum basicly it is quite logical the techincal folder is located in the WW2 area. The reason your previous post was buried there is not because of the moving to the section but because there was nobody who answered. Possible the post here may not to change anything more. But if you wish we may leave it here as it is. Your erlier post will be merged with the one to avoid the problems with confusing.

 

[cvairwerks]

Have you dropped a note to any of the current DH84 owners with this query?

 

[ThomasP]

FWIW this is the description of the braking set-up for the DH.89 Dominie, from the Pilot's Notes, along with the cockpit controls & instruments diagram. The brake "lever (10)" in the description is the item #10 just to the left of the left rudder pedal in the diagram.

There is no other information re the brake system in the version of the DH.89 Pilot's Notes that I have.

I do not know if the same system was used on the DH.84 model, but the only images I have for the DH.84 cockpit do not appear to have the lever. However, some of the images I have for the DH.89 do not show the brake lever either. So I am wondering if it was optional, and/or maybe only installed on some sub-variants to order. Or perhaps only on earlier or later production.

 

[LCharnes]

Dear Mate,

It doesn't matter if it is the pre-war kite or the WW2 one. Your post is a question of the techincal type and should be in the techical section. Because it is the WW2 forum basicly it is quite logical the techincal folder is located in the WW2 area. The reason your previous post was buried there is not because of the moving to the section but because there was nobody who answered. Possible the post here may not changing anything more. But if you wish we may leave it here as it is. Your erlier post will be merged with the one to avoid the problems with confusing.

Thanks.

 

[LCharnes]

Have you dropped a note to any of the current DH84 owners with this query?

I sent a message to the De Havilland Heritage Office and am waiting for a reply. When I was last in England, I tried to see the DH.84 at the Science Museum in Wiltshire, but it was all in pieces in their restoration facility. The one at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland has no interior. The people in Dublin who have a flyable Dragon never got back to me. I figured I'd try here again before I track down contacts for the other three flying DH.84s.

 

[LCharnes]

FWIW this is the description of the braking set-up for the DH.89 Dominie, from the Pilot's Notes, along with the cockpit controls & instruments diagram. The brake "lever (10)" in the description is the item #10 just to the left of the left rudder pedal in the diagram.

View attachment 776917
View attachment 776919

There is no other information re the brake system in the version of the DH.89 Pilot's Notes that I have.

I do not know if the same system was used on the DH.84 model, but the only images I have for the DH.84 cockpit do not appear to have the lever. However, some of the images I have for the DH.89 do not show the brake lever either. So I am wondering if it was optional, and/or maybe only installed on some sub-variants to order. Or perhaps only on earlier or later production.

Yeah, you found what I found. I've got the DH.89 Pilot's Notes as well as another cockpit schematic that shows a different-looking control in roughly the same place. Neither correspond to anything I've found in the DH.84 so far. Thanks.

 

[MiTasol]

It is a long shot but look for videos on youtube and vimeo etc

 

[LCharnes]

It is a long shot but look for videos on youtube and vimeo etc

Did that. I have an otherwise good video of a check flight for Iolar, the Irish DH.84. The problem is, it's shot from the cockpit door to the pilot's right, and it's impossible to see what he's doing to his left, where I suspect the hand brake lever is. The rest of the Dragon videos I've found are mostly outside the aircraft.

 

[ThomasP]

I looked around some more and found this diagram of the hand brake on the DH.89 & 89A series. The hand brake handle appears nearly identical to the one just to the left of the seat in the picture of the DH.84 cockpit below.

 

[LCharnes]

I looked around some more and found this diagram of the hand brake on the DH.89 & 89A series. The hand brake handle appears nearly identical to the one just to the right of the seat in the picture of the DH.84 cockpit below.

View attachment 776993
View attachment 776995

Aha! So that's what that is. I have the B/W photo and couldn't tell what that lever was for. Thanks so much for deciphering it!

 

[MiTasol]

It is nice to see an author who makes sure that their aviation stuff is correct.

I really hate authors that have turbine engines spluttering and surging when they run low on fuel and other equally idiotic statements.