Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Light training biplane

Power Plant:

One 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The design of the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth emanated from the DH.60 series. Basically, the DH.82 was developed from the DH.60T Tiger Moth, which was a DH.60 with a Gipsy III engine, re-positioned centre-section struts ahead of the front cockpit, and an altered centre of gravity achieved by giving the mainplanes a 48 cm (19 in) sweepback. The first true DH.82 Tiger Moth (E6) flew at Stag Lane in Edgware, Middlesex on 26 October 1931, and the type immediately entered production for the Royal Air Force (RAF). A total of 136 DH.82s was built in the United Kingdom, three in Sweden and 17 in Norway.

In 1934 the DH.82A appeared. In this model the DH.82 had been improved by the introduction of the new 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, and plywood decking to the rear fuselage in place of the fabric-covered stringers. These aircraft were also known as the Tiger Moth II, and the first G-ACDA (c/n 3175) flew in March 1933.

Main production during the following few years was to meet military contracts for the RAF and a number of other air forces. However, a few were supplied to civil operators, and these included VH-UTD (c/n 3320), which was first registered in Australia to de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd at Mascot, NSW on 28 May 1935.

The first aircraft supplied to the RAAF had fuselages built in the UK and the wings built at Mascot, A17-1 being test flown at Mascot on 8 May 1939. It was delivered to No 2 Aircraft Depot at Richmond, NSW eight days later. As they were delivered, many were provided to units for the primary training role, but a number went to operational squadrons for communications work.

In October 1939, at the time of the creation of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), the Australian Government approved the purchase of 350 Tiger Moths to be produced at the de Havilland facility at Mascot and 500 engines at the General Motors Holden, Fishermens Bend plant, in Victoria.

The first wholly Australian-built DH.82 was completed in May 1940 (A17-25 – c/n 21). With war imminent, production proceeded at a fast rate to meet pilot training commitments, and production began in Canada and Australia. In addition, 21 aero club DH.82s were impressed in Australia: A17-21 to A17-23 (ex VH-AAI, VH-UXC, and VH-AAK); A17-621 to A17-627 (PK-VVQ to PK-VVV, ex-Dutch aircraft); A17-674 to A17-682 (ex VH-UZV, VH-UTD, VH-UYQ, VH-UZT, VH-AAR, VH-AAP, VH-ADH, VH-ADK, and VH-ABM); and A17-683 to A17-691 (ex –VH-ADI, VH-ADO, VH-UYR, VH-UYJ, VH-UYK, VH-UYL, VH-AAJ, VH-ACP, and VH-UVZ).

In 1941 English production of the DH.82A transferred from Hatfield in Hertfordshire to the Morris Motors Ltd facility at Cowley in Oxford where 3,423 aircraft were constructed. In addition, 1,085 were built by de Havilland at Bankstown, NSW. The first Australian machine was flown in late 1940, with the majority being delivered to the RAAF, and at least eight were taken on charge by the USAAF in Australia for communications duties pending the availability of other aircraft. In addition, 62 were delivered to the Dutch East Indies; two were produced for Burma; one was obtained by the Broken Hill Flying Club; and 41 were delivered to India. The Tiger Moth was also built in Portugal and New Zealand.

During World War II various plans were put in place in relation to the DH.82 should Australia be attacked by Japanese forces. One DH.82 was tested with under-wing racks to take 11.34 kg (25 lb) anti-personnel bombs. The RAAF had in stock a number of bomb racks from the Westland Wapiti and Hawker Demon and these were modified for DH.82s, the front cockpit of the aircraft being faired over and the racks fitted under the wings just outboard of the undercarriage. John Kingsford Smith, F/O J Larkin and P/O Norman Lennon surveyed 52 golf links in and south of Sydney to act as airstrips from where the DH.82s could fly ‘to bomb the Jap invasion fleet’.

Some 48 golf links were landed on to test their suitability for a take-off with a full bomb load of eight bombs and arrangements were made to stock supplies of 11.34 kg (25 lb) bombs and 22 litre (44 Imp gal) fuel drums at the various ‘strips’. About 100 bomb racks were supplied from Point Cook, VIC and a further 150 from RAAF Richmond. The plan was to fly at low altitude. A total of three DH.82s was converted. However, they were not required for the purpose as by April 1942 three American Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk squadrons had arrived in Australia.

Ten DH.82s were chosen for use as light air-ambulances, being converted at No 13 Aircraft Repair Depot at Breddan, QLD, the conversion entailing enclosing the pilot’s cockpit and cutting away the fuselage top-decking, allowing a tapering plywood hinged section to be built to take a stretcher in the top of the fuselage.

The aircraft were flown to New Britain, PNG for service. At least two survived the war, becoming VH-BIW (ex A17-543) and VH-BAA (ex A17-180). Some 861 Tiger Moths were operated by the RAAF, 100 delivered from the UK production line, 712 built in Australia, and 49 civil aircraft which were impressed. The DH.82s operated with some 63 RAAF units.

The Tiger Moth was in widespread use with the RAAF up to the 1950s and units which operated the type included the Air Armament and Gas School at Nhill, VIC, No 2 Air Ambulance Unit at Kingaroy, QLD; Air and Ground Radio School at Ballarat, VIC; Air Gunnery School at West Sale, VIC; No 1 Air Observers School at Evans Head, NSW; No 17 Air Observation Post Flight at Bougainville in the Solomon Islands; No 111 Air Sea Rescue Flight at Port Moresby, PNG; No 1 Basic Flying Training School at Point Cook; various Air Observers Schools, Aircraft Parks, Base Squadrons, Communications Flights, Central Flying Schools, General Reconnaissance School, etc.

A few DH.82s were with Australian squadrons at Singapore in 1941 and are believed to have been abandoned following the evacuation of the Australian units. In addition, most Australian squadrons in Australia and New Guinea usually had at least one Tiger Moth on strength for communications duties.

Three DH.82s were transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, NSW and 11 were transferred to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm on loan.

Following the war, large numbers of Tiger Moths were retired from RAAF service, some 508 being sold at 29 centres by the Commonwealth Disposals Commission, and several hundred have appeared over the years on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register, almost half of those disposed of going to aero clubs. A number were exported.

Large numbers were used for top-dressing, with a hopper being fitted in place of the front cockpit to carry phosphates, which were ejected under pilot control through a venturi-shaped chute under the fuselage. In the role of crop-sprayer, insecticide was forced through piping under the mainplanes by means of a wind-driven pump. This system was eventually replaced by rotary atomisers on the lower mainplanes. In May 1961 the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directed that overturn trusses be fitted to those aircraft engaged in agricultural work, and in December 1965 it was announced the DH.82 would be phased out of agricultural operations.

One example VH-GVA (c/n DHA1014) flown by John Fisher was involved in a number of long distance flights. In January 1996 this aircraft was flown from Maitland, NSW to Perth, WA and return, a trip of 7,409 km (4,604 miles). In April that year it was flown from Maitland to Alice Springs, NT and return, a distance of 5,557 km (3,453 miles). In September that year from London, UK to Sydney, NSW covering 22,228 km (13,812 miles). Tragically, on 27 January 2002, whilst taking a short flight from the aircraft’s home base at Maryborough Airport, VIC, the aircraft suffered a power loss, crashed and was destroyed with the loss of the crew.

The Tiger Moth has been used for a diversity of functions. A number were converted to take the cockpit canopy from the CAC Wackett; and one (VH-AIF) was operated in Tasmania for some years on floats but was destroyed in a bushfire.

In later years there was an upsurge of interest in Tiger Moths, and they proved so popular with vintage enthusiasts that a Tiger Club was formed with its base at Rutherford aerodrome near Maitland. This club organised, on a number of occasions, a Tiger Moth Race with large numbers of entrants.

In 1958 some 300 odd appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register, reducing to 80 in 1982. This increased to 133 by mid 1987, and increased to 204 by the turn of the century. Many of the old retired agricultural Tiger Moths, and others which were retired, have been located and restored.

The Tiger Moth was flown by the RNZAF, 24 examples being impressed from civil to military service during World War II (NZ701 to NZ724). A further 110 were assembled for the RNZAF (NZ650 to NZ689, NZ730 to NZ749, and NZ851 to NZ900). In addition 181 were built for the RNZAF (NZ751 to NZ850, and NZ1421 to NZ1501). As well, 20 Australian-built examples were received (NZ1401 to NZ1420). One DH.82 (NZ658) was operated in Singapore until it fell to Japanese forces, and eight (NZ730 to NZ737) were impressed from the fleet of the London Aeroplane Club and delivered to NZ. Further examples were delivered from the United Kingdom (NZ738 to NZ749) to fill an RNZAF order.

Of the aircraft assembled / built in New Zealand at the de Havilland (NZ) facility at Rongotai, the first 48 had British-built fuselage frames and at least one (NZ859) was converted to coupe configuration.

In RNZAF service the DH.82 was mainly used in the elementary trainer role, some surviving in service up to 1956. The DH.82As served with No 1 EFTS at Taieri, No 2 EFTS at New Plymouth and Ashburton, No 3 EFTS at Harewood, and No 4 EFTS at Whenuapai, as well as other small units. Records have indicated a total of 501 Tiger Moths were flown in New Zealand.

In RNZAF service 12 Tiger Moths (NZ738 to NZ749) were delivered in December 1939 and between April and November 1941, 84 were supplied from the United Kingdom. The first New Zealand produced aircraft was NZ762, this aircraft being completed with a British-built fuselage. First completely NZ-built aircraft was NZ799. A number were fitted with enclosed canopies, one being a sliding type delivered to the Air Training Corps in 1943.

In January 1942 a Mk 1 bomb-carrier and an auxiliary fuel tank were installed to increase endurance to four hours. This model, with the ability to carry eight 9 kg to 11 kg (20 lb or 25 lb) bombs, was flown from the front cockpit to keep the centre of gravity within limits. This model equipped Nos 1, 42, 43 and 44 Light Bomber Squadrons, being flown by EFTS instructors, and equipped No 51 Fighter Bomber Squadron based at the Central Flying School at Tauranga.

The RNZAF lost 103 Tiger Moths written off during service. At the end of the war 232 survived and were placed in storage at Taieri and Woodbourne. Many were made available for aero club service. Two were used by the RNZAF’s Forest Fire Patrol Flight in 1946 and others were used by the Territorial Air Force Squadrons in 1948. By August 1956 the type had left RNZAF service.

Large numbers of Tiger Moths were put to civil use after withdrawal from RNZAF service and, as in Australia, many were used in the agricultural role in  subsequent years. The first commercial top-dressing flights were made in May 1949 by Airworks ZK-ASO (c/n 83533).

By 1956, of the 250 aircraft used for agricultural work, 182 were DH.82s. These continued in service until the advent of the purpose-built Cessna and Piper productions, and the New Zealand-built Fletcher FU-24 series. The last agriculural DH.82 was ZK-ANL at Napier, being retired in 1980.

A few have survived in museums, and a number have appeared on the New Zealand Civil Register.