De Havilland Drover – Australia’s Outback Workhorse

Description

Flying across the Australian Outback, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, the story of the de Havilland Australia Drover is told in marvellous detail by acclaimed Australian aeronautical historian Geoff Goodall. Demonstrating that it most definitely was not a Dove with an extra engine, he explains the genesis and design of the Drover as a replacement for the pre-war Dragon. The issue with the variable pitch propellers, which arguably sealed the commercial fate of the aircraft, is examined together with the attempts to solve this and the subsequent fitting of Lycoming engines. The type’s service with Qantas, TAA, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and subsequent third level operators is dealt with in detail.