G-ADYH was sent to Martlesham Heath following an accident involving a British Airways DH-86. A spate of earlier accidents involving Australian DH-86s had led to strong denials from DH and the British Government that the aircraft was defective. G-ADYH never received an RAF serial during its short stay. Found its way to Australia after World War II but was refused a certificate of airworthiness. Ended its days in Indonesia in 1949. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

Regd G-ADEB (CofR 5680) 18.5.35 to Hillman's Airways Ltd, Stapleford. CofA 4845 issued 20.6.35. Taken over by British Airways Ltd, Heston 11.12.35 and regd to them (CofR 6851) 24.3.36. Crashed into mountains nr Altenkirchen, Germany, 35ml SE of Koln (Cologne) 12.8.36, whilst on mail flight en route Hanover-Gatwick; Capt Charles G Gill and W/Op KJ Bayliss killed. Regn cld 12.36 as wfu.

Seen here after conversion from a single-pilot to a two-pilot cockpit. The date of this photo is between its arrival in Karachi on February 19, 1936 and the loss of Atalanta G-ABTK in a fire on September 29 that year. The two aircraft were sharing the airship hangar at Karachi airport. Impressed as HK844 in December 1941. Photo from: D.W.F Bonham-Carter DFC (via Jim Cownie)

Replaced by Ikeja in 1942, Apapa airport in Lagos is almost forgotten. This photo was certainly taken there, presumably in early 1938, when a similar shot of Dione was published with the following caption: 'The Air Mail at Apapa, Lagos. A weekly air mail and passenger service is now in regular operation between Lagos and London. The service is by Kano and Khartoum.' G-ADFF is to DH.86B standard with auxiliary tailfins, which were fitted in April-May 1937. Damaged here at Lagos on 21 March 1939. Transferred to BOAC and to Egypt in 1940. Impressed as AX760 in 1941. Damaged at Lydda in November 1941 and written off in 1942. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Delia was sent Africa in late March 1936. In October 1937 it started a new route between Lagos and Accra on the Gold Coast, operated by Elders Colonial Airways from Freetown. Photo believed taken at Lagos - Apapa. Delia was transferred to the Far East in June 1938. Returned to Africa by BOAC, Delia crashed at Minna, Nigeria on 17 June 1941. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

This Express was flown out to Khartoum in early 1936 to survey a new air route from Sudan to Nigeria. The source says the photo was taken at Apapa in Lagos and we think this is correct, though flights initially terminated at Kano pending improvement of Apapa. Daedalus was transferred to the Far East in late 1937. It catched fire and burnt at Bangkok in December 1938. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

The third DH.86 Express. Early single-pilot model with short nose. Fitted with auxiliary fins probably in 1937. Postcard.

The DH.86 prototype, first flown as E.2 on 14 January 1934. Owned by Imperial Airways but initially used by Railway Air Services as Diana as Imperial disapproved of the single-pilot cockpit. Renamed Delphinus by Imperial. Converted to two-pilot configuration in August 1934. Served in Asia from 1936. Transferred to BOAC and sent to Cairo in 1940. Impressed by the RAF as HK844 in December 1941. Crashed at Maaten Bagush on 10 April 1942. Possibly repaired but struck off charge on 1 December 1942. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Crashed into the sea off Flinders Island on October 2, 1935. All five onboard were killed.

ZK-AHW was withdrawn from use in September 1946 and returned to the RNZAF. Scrapped. Photo from: Whites Aviation Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library

Imperial Airways sent this early DH.86 to the Far East in September 1935 to explore a branch route from Penang to Hong Kong, which was inaugurated by Dorado in March 1936. The aircraft stayed in the Far East until 1940 when it was transferred to Africa.

A nice place to watch the aeroplanes. Detail of the same original picture as photo 419190 which shows sister ship Dryad too. Denebola was delivered a little earlier in February 1936 and both were fitted with endplate fins on the tailplane in the spring of 1937. G-ADUI to BOAC in 1940, impressed into the RAF as HK830 in Africa in 1941 and written off after a taxiing accident at Bilbeis in Egypt in 1942. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Detail of photo showing the Czech DC-2, OK-AIB. Delivered as a DH.86A in March 1936, Dryad was converted to DH.86B with endplate fins on the tailplane in the spring of 1937. To Aer Lingus as EI-ABT in October 1938. Operated by several users as G-ADUH again from 1947 until accident in Bahrain in May 1951. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Ex ZK-AEG. Returned to airline use in 1945 as ZK-AHW. Back to the RNZAF in 1946 and was scrapped soon after. Photo from: RNZAF/Air Force Museum of New Zealand

VH-USE seen here connecting with DH50 VH-UFA which was operating the Qantas service to Tennant Creek.

DH.86 Express with original one-pilot cockpit. Crashed at Glasgow - Renfrew after one year of service with RAS and rebuilt with two-pilot cockpit. Leased to Imperial Airways in January 1937. Crashed on approach to Cologne - Butzweilerhof at night on 15 March 1937. The two crew and one airline official lost their lives. Dutch postcard.

Delivered new to Jersey Airways in 1934 and later flew with Railway Air Services and Silver City Airways. On 21 September 1958 it was wrecked landing at Madrid (LEMD), the last of 62 built.

Delivered to Australia by air, leaving Croydon on 24 September 1934.

This short-lived Express encountered icing and was damaged beyond repair in an emergency landing in Austria on 22 October 1935.

Impressed into the New Zealand air force as NZ554 in October 1939. Crashed in service and did not return to civil use. Leo White photo