DH Heron: A question, an answer and a Christmas puzzle

[johnhinson]

Three things about the DH Heron wrapped into one thread
for convenience:

A Question
I have been in correspondence with somebody who flew DH Herons
of various types - he says the Gipsy-powered ones had a single lever
for each engine combining Power, Mixture and Condition. Can
somebody explain "Condition"? Is it the same as RPM? (I don't want
to pester the correspondent on trivialities like that as he is an MD of
a small airline.

An answer
The answer has no connection with the above question, but I remember
a while back there was a question raised about a Heron in Hawaii. If
I remember rightly the question asked why it had three-prop blades on
a Gipsy engine. I can't find this old thread now, but that combination is,
I believe, a Heron 2C. I know of another but if I tell you where, it
will spoil the next bit . . .

A Christmas Puzzle
Where and when did the last Heron operate on a commercial basis? (As
opposed to pleasure trips etc in preserved aircraft). I'm pretty sure
I know the answer, unless somebody knows better . . .

All of the above are inter-connected, I will explain all in due course.

Have a good Christmas, everybody.

John

[DaveB]

Hi John,

I've just had a look through my Heron shots and can find no markings on the pedestal for 'condition'. The legend underneath the levers says simply 'Throttle Feathering Position' so I guess in this instance, condition would equate to the condition of the props.. in effect, RPM or feathered. Interestingly, they have small spring-loaded boots/levers on the rear of each lever which I'd not noticed before :think: Did Heron pilots have slightly deformed right hands(P1) left(P2) :shock:

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

The Heron 2C was on with fully feathering props.....I think though still 2 bladed.

The Hawaiian Herons with three bladed were I think a local mod perhaps to reduce noise as with Aurigny's Trislander mod..jus a guess there :think:

Garry

[johnhinson]

The Heron 2C was on with fully feathering props.....I think though still 2 bladed.

The Hawaiian Herons with three bladed were I think a local mod perhaps to reduce noise as with Aurigny's Trislander mod..jus a guess there :think:

Garry

You could well be right, Garry, I've rechecked the picture of the 2C I
am thinking of and it does indeed only have two-blade props. (I
could have sworn otherwise!)

Thanks also Dave for the comments on the levers, all useful
and interesting.

I'm not revealing everything yet . . . nobody even want to guess when
the last Heron operated commercially?

John

[DaveB]

Hi John,

Still looking for possible 'last operator' info The only ref I can find for 3-bladed Herons is for those that were re-engined. No info on local mods and nothing to suggest this was done by DH

Garry.. do you have the reg's of the Hawaian aircraft??

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

Hi Dave

They were three bladed on the Gypsies not the re engined ones.

I'll see if I can find them :think:

I sort of know what I'm looking for

Garry

[Garry Russell]

Here's one

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0957100/L/

Garry

[DanKH]

that ought to do it!

"In your face..."

[ianhind]

Heron production at

http://www.cnapg.org/heron.htm

shows 3 when searched for Hawaii

N16720
N16721
N16722

which confirms Garry's finding.

[DaveB]

Yeh..

I have detailed info on those three aircraft but looking through a complete production list history for 3 that might have been operated by HA isn't as easy as it might seem!! :roll:

John..
A 'complete' list of operators can be found here (amongst other places) so I'd presume one of them was 'the last'..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilla ... s_of_Heron

Dan..
All I said was that the only info I could find on 3-bladed Herons was for those re-engined. Why 'in your face'?? :think:

DaveB :tab: