The engines were of particular note for their exceptionally low cross-sectional area, a drag-reducing feature which made them ideal for the many racing aircraft of that period.

Production of the basic fixed-pitch Gipsy Six unit began in 1934, with the engines rated at 200 horsepower (150 kW) at 2,400 rpm for takeoff.

This was quickly followed by production of the 205 horsepower (153 kW) Gipsy Six Series II for use with the hydraulically actuated airscrews that de Havilland were by then producing under a licence acquired from Hamilton Standard in 1934.

This was effectively the engine that the company did not have time to develop for the 1934 MacRobertson race, but without the significant increase in compression-ratio needed for the Comet - being 6:1 - compared to the Six-R's 6.5:1.

The Series II unit, while superficially similar to its predecessor, had a hollow, splined crankshaft to permit the fitting of the VP airscrew using pressurised oil from the engine's dry-sump lubrication system via a pilot-operated control valve.

Today, with de Havilland having long disappeared, very few of these engines remain in use and only a few specialist facilities can carry out overhauls.

Twelve Gipsy Six-powered de Havilland Dragon Rapide aircraft are on the Civil Aviation Authority register although not all are currently airworthy.