IATA DHHICAO HERN

De Havilland DH.114 Heron

TravelerPulse profile

Simple, rugged British feeder airliner of the 1950s.

First flight

1950

Category

Regional piston

Seating

14–17

Range

1,450 km

Engines

Four de Havilland Gipsy Queen 30 inline piston engines

Status

Retired

The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a light, short-haul feeder airliner developed in Britain in the early 1950s as a successor to the DH.104 Dove. Designed for simplicity and low operating costs, it featured fixed undercarriage and four small piston engines, making it suitable for operations from basic airstrips with limited ground support. First flown in 1950, the Heron entered service with airlines worldwide, proving popular with regional carriers, charter operators, and island-hopping routes. Two main variants were produced: the Series 1 with fixed undercarriage and the Series 2 with retractable undercarriage for improved performance. By the 1960s, the Heron was gradually replaced by more modern turboprop types, though some examples remained in service well into the 1980s and beyond in niche roles. It was built in modest numbers and served operators across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Caribbean.

Notable operators

Operators included BEA, Jersey Airlines, Ansett-ANA, Morton Air Services, and numerous small regional carriers worldwide.

Notable facts

›The Heron was designed as a simple, economical successor to the de Havilland Dove.
›Fixed tricycle undercarriage was a deliberate cost-saving design choice on the Series 1.
›Approximately 149 Herons were built between 1950 and 1963.
›The Series 2 introduced retractable undercarriage to improve cruise speed and efficiency.
›Some Herons were re-engined with Lycoming or Continental engines by third-party operators.