An inhalator for the inhalation of powdered drug preparations from capsules which contain the powdered drug preparations. The inhalator has a mouthpiece (60) or nosepiece and an assembly (a) comprising: a capsule holder comprising a capsule chamber, the capsule chamber having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening; a capsule opening device for opening a capsule; a finger-operable actuator. The inhalator further comprises a rigid outer shell comprising a lower shell part (71) hinged to an upper shell part (72) so that the shell is openable and closable, the shell serving to cover and protect the assembly and the mouthpiece or nosepiece. The assembly and the mouthpiece or nosepiece are removable as a hinged unit from the open shell as a hinged unit without dismantling either unit, or the shell is arranged so that the contours of the rim of each shell part match the contours of the rim of the other around each shell part when the shell is in the closed condition, or the assembly is retained in the lower shell part and is not moveable in normal use with respect to the lower shell part.