De Havilland BC DH.86 Express

The De Havilland BC DH.86 Express was a piston-engined passenger airliner for ten to sixteen passengers built by De Havilland British Columbia in 1935 and 1936.

It was based on the DH.86 Express type of DHBC's parent company, De Havilland Aircraft of the United Kingdom.

Design & development
To differentiate it from those built in the UK, the British Columbian-built aircraft were designated DH.86C Express. In most respects the they were the same as the British version, but were powered by Hoffar Aero Engines' HIL-6A Hawkmoth-6 engine producing 210 hp.

Operational history
See also: DHBC DH.86 Express operators

Operators
Operators who took delivery of aircraft new from the factory are marked with a star (★).

Current

 * British Columbia
 * Cinematic Aviation Ltd.: 1

Former

 * British Columbia
 * Air British Columbia: 2
 * ★ B.C. Air Lines: 4
 * ★ Dominion Airways: 4
 * Haida Air Charter: 1
 * ★ Inter-Dominion Air Lines: 8
 * Northern Air Lines: 1
 * Pacific Western Airlines: 2
 * Skeena Air Transport: 1
 * ★ Vancouver Island Air Service: 2

Preserved

 * C64/1935, as VB-BRA in Skeena Air Transport livery at Gitlaxt’aamiks Airport

Accidents & incidents

 * 18 November 1938: Inter-Dominion Air Lines DH.86 VB-BRC (c/n C81/1935), operating as a cargo flight from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Vancouver, crashed shortly after take-off from Regina, Saskatchewan. Both crewmembers were killed.