The DH89A Dragon Rapide is an all-wood, twin-engine biplane passenger aircraft. The first flight of the prototype was from Hatfield by Hubert Broad on 17th April 1934. The first operator was Hillman Airways from Maylands Airport at Romford, their first aircraft G-ACPM making its debut at Hatfield on 13 July 1934 when Hubert Broad averaged 158 mph in the King’s Cup Air Race, before having to retire due to hail damage.

Designed and built at Hatfield, the DH110 land-based two-seat, twin-engined all-weather fighter of 1951 was later adapted as the carrier-based Sea Vixen, the last and most advanced and comple of the de Havilland fighters.

Designed at Salisbury Hall, and built and first flown at Hatfield in 1943, the Vampire single-seat fighter was the first de Havilland jet aircraft. It is of compact pod and twin-boom design, with a single DH Goblin centrifugal turbojet behind the cockpit, fed by wing-root air intakes. Given the modest thrust of the early turbojets, this configuration offered short intake ducts and jet pipe, for minimum propulsive losses, and with the hot exhaust passing below the tailplane. The rear engine freed nose space for a retractable tricycle undercarriage, giving an excellent forward view for the pilot, the raised tail avoiding jet exhaust damage to airfield turf and tarmac.