Dart HERALD G-BEYF

	Wingspan: 94 ft 9 ins Length : 75 ft 6 ins Max Weight : 43,000 lbs Service ceiling : 27,900 ft Max speed : 275 mph Engines : 2 x 2100 hp Rolls Royce Dart 527
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There is nothing quite like the `smell` of an aeroplane, its an odor which a child will remember for the rest of his/her life and this is the aircraft where the experience will start. A child may not notice it, he or she will revel in being allowed to sit in the pilot or co-pilot seat, feel the controls and `fly as far as their imagination will take them`. But in years to come they will remember the smell they hadn`t noticed and the memories of the day will come flooding back.

Designed as a DC-3 replacement in 1952 . The Handley Page HPR3 Herald initially had four Alvis Leonides Major piston engines of 800 hp.each, and first flew from Radlett Airfield on 25th August 1955. Development of the Rolls Royce Dart turboprop and competition from the F27 Fokker Friendship forced a redesign of the engine installation to two Dart turboprops. With provisional orders for 29 and a break even figure of 75 aircraft work continued to update the airliner.

The first prototype was re-engined with two Rolls Royce Dart 527 turboprops this aircraft designated HPR7 Dart Herald first flew from Woodley Airfield on 11th March 1958. The first production aircraft were series 100 and four were built before the series 200 with increased capacity to 50 passengers were built

Dart Heralds were operated by Jersey Airlines, BEA, British United and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Only 48 Dart Herald aircraft were produced the last being in 1968. British Island Airways was one of the largest operators with a fleet of 12 aircraft. Channel Express (with a fleet of 9 freighters) finally retired the last aircraft in 1999.

The Dart Herald, which has been kindly loaned to the museum by Channel Express, has long since retired and is now missing its engines. However, a volunteer team have re-mounted the propellers on dummy shafts and replaced the engine covers. It is planned to utilize the interior as an exhibit showing the history of Channel Express.