Was a pre-war, larger DH Albatross ever considered?

[Admiral Beez]

For a 1930s four-engined passenger/transport aircraft, the de Havilland DH.91 Albatross was quite small and lightweight compared to others of the type, such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, which had an almost identical span to the Albatross, but was substantially heavier. An upscaled Albatross with four RR Peregrine engines might have been interesting, more akin to a British Boeing 307.

As an aside, some good interior pics of this cutaway model Model of de Havilland DH.91 Albatross 'Frobisher' Aircraft | Science Museum Group Collection

 

[yulzari]

For a 1930s four-engined passenger/transport aircraft, the de Havilland DH.91 Albatross was quite small and lightweight compared to others of the type, such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, which had an almost identical span to the Albatross, but was substantially heavier. An upscaled Albatross with four RR Peregrine engines might have been interesting, more akin to a British Boeing 307.

As an aside, some good interior pics of this cutaway model Model of de Havilland DH.91 Albatross 'Frobisher' Aircraft | Science Museum Group Collection

I suspect that the DH91 Flamingo was built around the largest engines that De Havilland had in production which limited the gross weight.

 

[EwenS]

1936/37 saw significant changes in the DH design personnel and construction methods.

Arthur Hagg resigned from the company in early 1937 to pursue other interests on his own account firstly in yachting and then in consultancy work with D Napier & Son Ltd. His final DH projects being the DH 88 Comet Racer and then DH 91 Albatross and DH 93 Don trainer both of which flew for the first time in mid-1937. All were of wooden construction. His work with Napiers began with the wooden Napier-Heston Racer, a single seat monoplane racing aircraft that finally flew in mid-1940. His interests clearly lay in the design of wooden craft for air & Sea.

His replacement in the role was R E Bishop, who had worked for the company since 1921. He was appointed chief designer in late 1936. The first DH aircraft he wasHe fully responsible for was the DH 95 Flamingo. This marked a significant change of direction for the company with that aircraft being its first all-metal stressed skin aircraft. It flew in Dec 1938.

While Bishop oversaw design of the wooden DH 98 Mosquito and the part wood / part metal DH 100 Vampire and DH 102 Hornet, post-war he went on to head the design teams for the various metal DH airliners and other aircraft into the 1960s.

 

[MikeMeech]

Hi
The DH.91 Albatross was powered by four de Havilland Gipsy Twelve series I engines of 525 hp each.

The DH.95 Flamingo was powered by two 890 hp Bristol Perseus XIIC or 930 hp Perseus XVI engines.

Mike