de Havilland - D.H. 82

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de Havilland D.H. 82 ( Tiger Moth, de Havilland Tiger Moth, ) (Jump to photos)

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth was a 1930s biplane designed by de Havilland and operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. It remained in service with the RAF until 1950 when many of the surplus aircraft entered civil operation that continues to this day.

The Tiger Moth prototype was derived from the de Havilland Gipsy Moth (DH.60). It was powered by a de Havilland Gipsy III 120 hp engine and first flew on October 26, 1931. The RAF ordered 35 Tiger Moth Is which were designated the DH.60T. A subsequent order was placed for 50 aircraft powered by the de Havilland Gipsy Major I engine (130hp) which was designated the DH.82A Tiger Moth II. The Tiger Moth entered service at the RAF Central Flying School in February 1932. By the start of WWII the RAF had 500 of the aircraft and large numbers of civilian Tiger Moths were requisitioned to meet the demand for trainers.

By the end of World War II, over 7,000 Tiger Moths had been built; 4,005 of Tiger Moth IIs were built during the war specifically for the RAF. Nearly half the aircraft were built by the Morris Motor Company. A further 151 were built in Norway, Sweden and Portugal and 2,949 were built by other countries of the British Commonwealth. Canada supplied 200 Tiger Moths to the USAAF which designated them as the PT-24.

A radio-controlled target tug version of the Tiger Moth II called the Queen Bee was also built with nearly 300 in service at the start of WWII. The Fleet Air Arm operated small numbers of the Tiger Moth II and the Queen Bee.

After the invention of aerial topdressing in New Zealand, large numbers of ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Tiger Moths made in that country were converted into agricultural aircraft. The front seat was replaced with a hopper to hold superphosphate for aerial topdressing. From the mid 1950s these topdressers were replaced by more modern types such as the PAC Fletcher and a large number of good flying condition New Zealand Tiger Moths passed to enthusiasts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth