DH.56 Hyena

The de Havilland DH.56 Hyena was a British two‑seat, low‑wing trainer and light‑attack aircraft developed in the late 1920s. Conceived as a successor to the DH.60 Moth for army cooperation, it took its name from the ferocious African predator to emphasize ruggedness. The prototype first flew on 12 March 1929 at Stag Lane, powered by a 210 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine driving a two‑bladed propeller. Its wooden semi‑monocoque fuselage was covered with fabric, while the wings employed a single‑spar, tapered design with built‑in ailerons for improved roll response. The Hyena featured a fixed cantilever undercarriage with a rear skid, optional armament including a forward‑firing Vickers machine gun and provision for light bombs, and dual controls for instructor and pupil. Though the aircraft demonstrated excellent handling and a respectable top speed of 135 mph, the Air Ministry preferred the more powerful Hawker Hart series, and only a handful of Hyenas were built for evaluation. Nevertheless, the DH.56 contributed valuable data on low‑wing configurations and powered flight characteristics that informed later de Havilland models such as the Tiger Moth and the Dragon Rapide, marking a modest but important step in British interwar aviation development.

de Havilland Aircraft Company

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