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Tiger & Gipsy Moths
by unknown
The de Havilland family of light aircraft created during the 1920s and 1930s was well-received and loved by aviator then as they are today. The family of designs includes a variety of similar-looking aircraft which are often confused for one another. This painting depicts two of the most famous of the de Havilland designs, and two which reflect generational developments. The aircraft in this painting are both still flying in the skies over Great Britain.
DH.60 Moth [G-EBLV]DH.60 Moth
The DH.60 Moth was forerunner of a series of successful Moth aircraft which revolutionized flying for some years following the 1920s. Many Moth family aircraft remain airworthy today. The DH.60 first flew on 22 February 1925, with a 60 hp Cirrus inline engine. It was an immediate success, and the British Air Ministry subsidized five Moth-equipped flying clubs. Orders soon came from Australia and Japan, and there was interest from the Air Ministry and Irish Flying Corps. When Alan Cobham delivered a Moth floatplane to the USA, an agreement for production in that country was reached. The RAF's Central Flying School bought six Genet powered Moths.The DH.60 passed through a number of variations in power plant, and the aircraft gained recognition in the hands of record-setting aviators. In 1928 the DH.60X introduced the split undercarriage (as distinct from the straight-through axle). By the end of that year 408 Moths had been built, and production licences had been approved for companies in Finland and Australia.
With the weight of the aircraft increasing, De Havilland decided, in 1927, to develop its own engine. The result was the 100 hp Gipsy, which later developed through a whole range of engines bearing the name. In June 1928 the first Gipsy engine flew in a DH.60X test aircraft, enhancing the already good performance of the type. The subsequent production machine was designated DH.60G but was better known as the Gipsy Moth.
The type became a favorite of long-distance pilots, from Amy Johnson to Francis Chichester. The DH.60 flew with floats, and as a coupe version, although this never gained popularity. By the end of production in 1934, 595 DH.60Gs had been built, and another 40 were built in France by Morane-Saulnier. Eighteen were built in the USA by the Moth Aircraft Corporation, and thirty-two in Australia by Larkin Aircraft Supply Company. Ten DH.60s remained on the Australian register at June 2000. In 2002, twelve were on register.
DH.71 Tiger Moth [G-AGPK]DH.71 Tiger Moth
The Tiger moth is a derived version of the DH.60 Gipsy Moth. In 1928, the RAF Kaje trainers were obsolete. The performances of the De Havilland Gipsy Moth made the command consider this aicraft as a possible basic trainer for the pilots as well as for the ground crews. They chose the De Havilland D.H. Gipsy Moth, and subsequently bought three of them, together with the right to manufacture them under licence. The RAF then requested the Gipsy moth to be modified as the front pilot could not eject himself being blocked under the topwing, anhilating any parachuting excercise. The result was for De Havilland to create a modified version with the same fuselage, but with the top wings pushed forward a bit in order to let the front pilot the possibility to eject himself and have an improved view.The famous Gipsy Major engine has been upgraded into a more powerful version, the 120 hp Gipsy III, and later the 130 hp Gipsy Major. They were reversed upside down to offer a better visibility to the front pilot and avoid oil projection on the wind screen. The aircraft was then fitted with a 2.1 gallons external oil tank and a pump to constantly re-inject the oil going down in the cylinder in to the shaft room. The model was called Tiger Moth.
This classic British trainer made its first flight on October 26, 1931. It is one of a number of models of light aircraft named for moths in recognition of designer Geoffrey de Havilland's interest in moths and butterflies. It became popular with the RAF throughout the United Kingdom as well as the civilian aviation market. In Britain, 8,101 were manufactured plus 2,751 more in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.During WWII, most Royal Air Force pilots trained in Tiger Moths including Americans who flew with the Eagle Squadrons before the U.S. entered the war. In the United Kingdom, Tiger Moths performed a variety of roles in addition to that of primary trainer including submarine patrol, air ambulance, and even prisoner evacuation. The U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 ordered 200 from de Havilland of Canada as the PT-24, but these were never delivered and were diverted to the Royal Canadian Air Force instead.
2002 Wings Publishing
