de Havilland Moth

The de Havilland Company, headed by Captain Geoffrey de Havilland, was a leader in the development of a light plane for sale to the English public. In 1923 the company entered the D.H. 53 Hummingbird in the Lympne trials, which was organized by the Air Ministry to encourage light plane development. However, the provisions of the trials called for the use of very small engines, and the Hummingbird lacked performance because it was underpowered. To remedy this, de Havilland introduced a more powerful plane, the D.H. 60, nicknamed the Moth, which was powered by a four-cylinder engine derived from a Renault V-8 produced during World War I. Introduced in 1925, the D.H. 60 became so successful that the entire supply of Renault engine parts was soon used up.

Accordingly, de Havilland and engineer Frank Halford designed a new engine producing more horsepower but weighing only 14 pounds more than the D.H. 60's engine. This new engine was known as the Gipsy, and when it was installed in a de Havilland biplane in 1928, the plane was called the Gipsy Moth.

By 1930 the Gipsy Moth had become England's most popular light plane for private flying. Inexpensive and easy to fly, the biplane made private flying possible for thousands of Britons. To meet the demand for this dependable aircraft, the de Havilland Company had to increase production from less than one aircraft per week to more than three per day. It wasn't long before 85 out of every 100 private planes in England were Moths produced by de Havilland.

Not only did this aircraft popularize private flying but it also accounted for a number of flight records. In 1930 Francis Chichester, after only 100 hours of flying time, piloted a Gipsy Moth solo from England to Australia, and Amy Johnson matched his feat, becoming the first woman to make the flight.

Throughout the 1930s, the Moth was produced in several different versions. Finally, prior to World War II, it was modified for use as a military training plane and renamed the Tiger Moth. Most of the Royal Air Force pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain received their flight training in the Tiger Moth.


General characteristics
Crew: one, pilot
Length: 23 ft 11 in (7.29 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft (9.14 m)
Height: 8 ft 9 in (2.66 m)
Wing area: 243 ft² (22.57 m²)
Empty weight: 920 lb (417 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 1,650 lb (748 kg)
Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy , 100 hp (74.6 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 89 knots (102 mph, 164 km/h)
Range: 278 nm (320 mi, 515 km)
Service ceiling: 14,500 ft (4,420 m)
Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (152 m/min)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• de
• Havilland
• Moth
• Gipsy
• Tiger
• aviation
• history
• Geoffrey
• biplane

[oldfart387]

Love how they gave the babe o few frames! Great bomberguy!!!

[Bruno47602]

Oye!Appallingly!

[Goldkingchess]

Wow !!! Old fashion awesome invent can car hitch a plane , I never see before

[direktorpresident]

Bomberguy you are without doubt the best source of priceless aircraft footage on the Web! Where do you get it??? Anyway thanks

[DinoDoesStuff]

I'm not sure but it definately was not Amy Johnson as it landed in one peice!

[toolski64]

Does anyone know who is flying the plane? Is it Geoffrey de Havilland and is that his wife? Would love to know because I am related to his wife.

[dario9946]

wonderfull !! did we had any progress since 1925!!??? who can do that today?

[Noppasit777]

Can you tell me the artist name and song name ,please

[heartland96a]

nice to know that some of these structures are still standing and actually being used!

[rlangham12]

Fantastic - I live in the house in the background on the opening shots, it's the 1917 built Officers Mess for RAF Hendon, and now student accomodation