Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Three-seat light cabin monoplane

Power Plant:

One 90 kw (120 hp) de Havilland Gipsy III four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The prototype of the de Havilland Puss Moth, the DH.80, with the test registration E-1 (later G-AAHZ – c/n 396) flew for the first time at de Havilland’s aerodrome at Stag Lane, Edgeware in Middlesex on 9 September 1929. Normal wooden methods of construction of the time were employed. The fuselage was plywood covered, the wing being built in two halves and covered with fabric.

The Puss Moth had problems early in its production life. In a number of cases what was believed to be wing flutter led to an in-flight break-up of the aircraft’s structure causing a number of aircraft to crash. The Company’s aerodynamics section then investigated the instability of the centre-section. A wing was tested to destruction but did not prove anything conclusive. By this time de Havilland had in train plans for a replacement, the DH.85 Leopard Moth.

Interest in the new DH.80 aircraft quickly gained momentum. The first production machine was shipped to Australia in March 1930 where it became VH-UON (c/n 2001), registered to de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd of Mascot, NSW on 11 August 1930. It had a number of owners in Sydney, NSW before being struck off the register on 14 November 1934 and going to New Zealand where it became ZK-ADU (named ‘Faith in New Zealand’). The aircraft left Gerringong Beach, NSW on 22 November 1934 and flew to 90 mile beach, Doubtless Bay, NZ in a time of 14 hrs 30 mins, flown by Raymond G Whitehead and Rex Nichols. It was used on a barnstorming tour of the islands. Eventually it became a restoration project and was in storage at Waikaka until it was shipped to the United Kingdom in about 2003 to be restored as G-AATC.

Known as the DH.80A, the production model differed from the prototype in having a welded steel fuselage with fabric covering. Accommodation had been altered slightly, the occupants being in staggered seats, thus permitting a third person to be carried. Also, whereas the prototype had the de Havilland Gipsy II engine, early production aircraft were fitted with the Gipsy III. To assist in reducing the landing speed, the undercarriage shock absorber fairings could be turned through 90 degrees to form air brakes.

Production of the Puss Moth lasted three years, during which time some 259 were built, mainly for export. A total of 25 was assembled in Canada. Production at Stag Lane concluded in May 1933.

The early career of the type was marred by a number of accidents due to structural failure. The first of these was VH-UPC (c/n 2021) which was registered on 7 October 1930 to Wings Ltd of Perth, WA. It crashed on 13 October 1930 at Chidlow Hills in the Darling Ranges, Western Australia; and VH-UPM (c/n 2052) of New England Airways Ltd of Lismore, NSW crashed inland of Byron Bay, NSW on 18 September 1932.

VH-UPA (c/n 2022) was registered to Qantas on 29 September 1930 and from 1933 flew with Thomas H McDonald of Cairns, QLD,  later with his company North Queensland Airways. In 1938 it was with Airlines of Australia and after further owners ended up with Australian Air Traders, later the Methodist Inland Mission, and was re-registered VH-ABU in October 1948. It had a number of further owners but was eventually retired.

In February 1999 the partially restored aircraft, VH-ABU, was displayed at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, VIC. At some stage it was acquired by James O’Connell for restoration but he was killed in an accident before it was completed. It was later acquired by Clive Phillips and stored at Heidelberg, VIC until eventually obtained by the Hinkler Hall of Aviation Museum at Bundaberg, QLD where the aircraft was restored in the markings of CF-APK, the aircraft in which H J Bert Hinkler lost his life, and placed on display.

VH-UQO (c/n 2089) ‘My Hildegarde’ and ‘Dabs III’ was registered to C James “Jimmy” Melrose in August 1934 and was flown around Australia 12,785 km (8,000 miles), leaving from Parafield, SA, in a record time of 5 days 11 hours. It left for the United Kingdom from Darwin, NT on 17 September 1934, being entered in the Centenary Air Race in 1934 with the race number 16, reaching England in 8 days 9 hours. C James Melrose was the youngest competitor in the race and flew solo. Melrose finished 7th overall and 3rd in the Handicap Section. The aircraft later had a couple of owners before being shipped to the United Kingdom where it became G-AEEB. It is thought to have been broken up during World War II.

The renowned Australian aviator, H J “Bert” Hinkler, was killed in a Puss Moth CF-APK (c/n 2049) on 7 January 1933 when crossing the Alps in an attempt to set a new England to Australia record. This aircraft had previously carried Hinkler solo from New York, USA to Venezuela, across the South Atlantic in 22 hours to Africa, and then to the United Kingdom. Although part of the DH.80A history, this aircraft was never registered in Australasia.

In all nine DH.80 aircraft were lost in accidents due to structural problems. The others included ZS-ACC on 5 May 1931 in South Africa; ZS-ACD on 13 November that year in South Africa; G-CYUT at Ottawa, Canada on 21 May 1932; G-ABDH at Churt, Surrey, UK on 27 July 1932; G-ABJU at Frenoble, France on 29 October 1932; and HS-PAA in Siam on 22 June 1933.

As a result of these accidents the Aeronautical Research Committee was set up in the United Kingdom and it was found the spars of all aircraft were broken in several places, wing-aileron flutter being the most probable cause of the accidents. These accidents aside, after modifications were incorporated, the Puss Moth became one of the world’s outstanding light aircraft of its era, being used for many long-distance flights and, although only a few have survived, it has certainly been a prize for anyone lucky enough to have one.

Other Australian registered Puss Moths were: VH-UPJ (c/n 2053), assembled at Essendon, VIC and registered to Matthews Aviation in October 1930. In 1933 a new owner, Jessie de Havilland, moved to the United Kingdom and the aircraft was shipped to Colombo in Ceylon from where it was assembled and flown to England via India and Europe by Hereward de Havilland, her husband. It later became G-ASCB, later again PH-AMN in the Netherlands, before being destroyed during World War II.

VH-UPN (c/n 2023) was registered in November 1930 and used as a demonstrator. It was damaged landing at Gerringong Beach, NSW on 4 April 1931. It was then rebuilt and operated for a time by Arthur Butler, founder of Butler Airways. Later it was flown regularly by Mr R C Godsell until eventually destroyed by Japanese bombing whilst in a Qantas hangar at Darwin on 19 February 1942.

VH-UPQ (c/n 2085) was registered to Qantas on 24 December 1930 and used on the company’s outback Queensland services. It was later operated by McDonald Air Services from Cairns, which company later became North Queensland Airways, but on 19 January 1937 it crashed into the sea off Cairns and was destroyed.

VH-UQL (c/n 2088 – ‘Dabs II’) was assembled at Mascot, NSW and over the years had a number of owners. It joined the Mackay Aerial Survey Expedition of Central Australia in June 1935. On 27 August 1941 it suffered a structural failure when a wing broke away in flight and the aircraft crashed near Coen, QLD.

VH-UQK (c/n 2067) was first registered on 12 April 1932 and had a number of owners until 5 October 1935 when it left for the United Kingdom flown by Thomas and F R Maguire, on arrival becoming G-AEIV. It was impressed by the Royal Air Force as DP853 during World War II and operated by the Air Trransport Auxiliary (ATA) in a camouflage scheme until retired in 1942.

VH-USV (c/n 2066) was registered on 17 July 1935 to Thomas McDonald of Cairns QLD, ownership changing later to his company North Queensland Airways. However, the aircraft crashed at Mt Garbett, QLD on take-off on 18 October 1936 and was destroyed.

It is interesting to note a further six DH.80 Puss Moths have been recorded as having been imported from the United Kingdom to Australia, being c/ns 2078, 2079, 2086, 2087, 2094 and 2095, but none were ever registered. It is believed that, as they were not sold, they were all shipped back to England. Records have shown a total of 13 Puss Moths were sold in Australia.

Another notable Puss Moth VH-UPO (c/n 2084) was fitted with floats by Qantas at Archerfield, QLD operating joy-flights from Sydney Harbour,NSW in 1930 as ‘Puss in boots’, and was flown to Papua New Guinea by Percival H ‘Skip’ Moody. An experienced Qantas pilot, he sought to promote Government interest in seaplane operations between Australia and Papua New Guinea but the aircraft only remained on floats for a short time.

In 1984 a British registered Puss Moth G-AAZP (c/n 2047), which had been sold in Egypt in June 1932 as SU-AAC and later returned to the United Kingdom, flown by Tim Williams and Henry Labouchere, was used to re-enact the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from Mildenhall in Suffolk to Melbourne, VIC in 150 hours flying time, arriving on 8 December. This aircraft in 1983 flew over the site of the crash of the Puss Moth flown by H J ‘Bert’ Hinkler. After spending some time in Australia it was shipped back to the United Kingdom.

A Puss Moth G-ABDW (c/n 2051) was flown to Australia by Capt Froude Ridler Matthews in September 1930 in four weeks and four days in an attempt to set a new record. He reached Belgrade in Yugoslavia on the first day but suffered damage north of Bangkok, Siam on 26 September. Repaired, he continued the flight and arrived at Darwin after an eventful trip on 18 October 1930. He continued to Brisbane on 27 October but crashed on take-off at Lismore. He stayed in Australia for nine months and then commenced to return to the United Kingdom, leaving Sydney on 27 December, but bad weather in the Timor Sea delayed his departure.

Mr Matthews eventually decided to fly to Fremantle, WA and ship the aircraft to India. During a test flight at Darwin he heard a cracking sound from the wing and had the aircraft shipped to Sydney on the ‘Malabar’. The aircraft ended up with the Royal Aero Club of NSW at Mascot as VH-UQB and in later years was operated on tourist / joy flights from Bankstown, NSW by the late Sid Marshall until it was exported in August 1973 to the United Kingdom where it was restored at the East Fortune Airfield at East Lothian and again became G-ABDW.

Several Puss Moths have seen service in New Zealand. DH-80As have included ZK-ACB (c/n 2107), the first of the type in New Zealand, which was operated by the Auckland Aero Club, later the Canterbury Aero Club, and the Waikato Aero Club. It served with the RNZAF as NZ582 on communications duties During World War II and was broken up at Woodbourne in 1942. The wreck was taken to Mandeville for restoration in 1980 and added to the register as ZK-ACX in June 1987 but the registration was cancelled in August 2000.

ZK-ABG (c/n 2046) was imported by Air Transport & Survey Company of Hobsonville and operated by Rotorua Airways, later New Zealand Airways of Timaru and Southland Airways. It too operated with the RNZAF as NZ594, in April 1946 becoming ZK-AJW, but crashed into the sea off the Waitaka River on 25 August 1948.

ZK-ACX (c/n 2204) was imported for Sir Bruce Stewart of Christchurch. After service with Southland Airways it saw service with the RNZAF as NZ593. It was written off after an accident at Ashburton on 16 December 1942. The wreck went to de Havilland NZ at Rongotai and was rebuilt using parts from NZ582, becoming NZ567. In 1946 it became ZK-AJN at Christchurch. It was rebuilt at Mandeville in 1980 and became VH-ACX in June 2007. It was withdrawn from use in August 2000.

G-ABHC (c/n 2125) was imported to New Zealand by Ms Aroha Clifford but was damaged on its first flight on 27 April 1931. It was sold to the New Zealand Permanent Air Force (NZPSF) in August 1931 and carried its serial number until obtained by the Southland Aero Club in 1937, when it was registered as ZK-AEV. It became NZ590 in September 1939. It was withdrawn from service in December 1944 and reduced to spares.

On 8 September 1934 John Forbes-Sempill, the 18th Lord Sempill, left Lympne in Kent a month before the 1934 England to Australia Air Race, and flew his Puss Moth G-ABJU (c/n 2156) solo to Australia, arriving in Darwin on 21 November 1934. He made an extensive tour of Australia, visiting Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and flew into Papua New Guinea. He left Maylands, WA on 10 February 1935 flying back to the United Kingdom, covering 80,465 km (50,000 miles) in a period of six months. The aircraft was impressed by the RAF as ES918 on 31 May 1941 and was used by Nos 1 and 4 Ferry Pilot Pools until it crashed at RAF Dumfries in Scotland following a brake seizure on 28 April 1941 and was written off.

On 9 March 1933 Carl Nauer, a Swiss National, in a Puss Moth CH326 (c/n 2211) left Dubendorf to fly to Australia, the route being over the Swiss Alps to Milan, Brindisi, Athens, Cairo, etc, arriving in Darwin on 12 May. The intention was then to fly down the Australian east coast, have the aircraft shipped from Melbourne to Cape Town, and then fly back to Zurich from South Africa. On 6 August 1933 he left Cape Town to fly through Africa but the aircraft disappeared off the mouth of the River Congo.