Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two-seat touring biplane

Power Plant:

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

Specifications:

History:

The de Havilland DH.87 Hornet Moth, which was designed and built in 1937 as a replacement for the DH.60 Gipsy Moth series, had a Gipsy Major engine and side-by-side seating. The fuselage was of plywood box structure with spruce longerons and stringers on the outside of the box, covered with fabric.

The prototype (E.6, G-ACTA – c/n 1997) flew for the first time at Hatfield in Hertfordshire on 9 May 1934, and the test flying and modification program followed over the next twelve months. Two other DH.87s joined the program during that year. Various problems led to design alterations, the most notable being the re-design of the wings, which were even more tapered than the original.

About 40 examples of the DH.87 were built with the elliptical wing as the DH.87A, the first being delivered in August 1935. In early 1936 the second production DH.87 G-ADIS (c/n 8001) appeared with new wings, which were only slightly tapered and had square ends compared to the very pronounced taper of the DH.87A. De Havilland invited Hornet Moth owners to trade-in their DH.87A wings for the DH.87B wings. Although the new wing reduced performance – the maximum speed was reduced from 221 km/h (131 mph) to 200 km/h (124 mph) for the DH.87B – most owners made the change.

Many DH.87s were exported, 17 going to South Africa, 11 to Canada and four to India. Others were sold around Europe. One example in Canada, CF-AYJ (c/n 8062), was fitted with Fairchild-built floats. Four were ordered for the British Air Ministry and operated as seaplane trainers at Felixstowe in Suffolk, United Kingdom. Many were impressed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) for communications duties during World War II. A total of 165 examples of the DH.87 series was built.

The DH.87 Hornet Moth was one of the few de Havilland types which was not used for record-breaking long-distance flights. Most of the aircraft imported to Australia were privately owned. In all, 12 Hornet Moths have been registered in Australia over the years and these, with the registrations they carried, included: VH-ABO (c/n 8014 – ex G-ADKT),  which was registered to the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia in March 1938. Subsequent owners included J T Ford and G Matthews. After retirement it was placed in storage and has been under restoration.

VH-UTE (c/n 8023) was registered to de Havilland at Mascot, NSW in January 1936. Subsequent owners included N M Kater of Moree, NSW in May that year; J L Power of South Brisbane, QLD from June 1940; C A Loneragan of Gulgong, NSW in October 1951; G S Anderson of Moss Vale, NSW in July 1977; D C Freedman in January 1982 and J L Pettitt of Geelong, VIC. It has been placed in storage awaiting restoration.

VH-UUD (c/n 8036) was registered to the Royal Queensland Aero Club in January 1936. Subsequent owners included Kingsford Smith Aviation of Bankstown, NSW, and M P Willsallen of Harden, NSW. In April 1956 it became VH-PMG. In March 1957 it became VH-BMG and May 1960 VH-RKM. After retirement it was stored until taken to New Zealand where it has been restored as ZK-APR.

VH-AAV (c/n 8019- ex G-ADKF) was registered to the Royal Queensland Aero Club in August 1937, being withdrawn from service in 1956. It was damaged in an accident at Hughenden, QLD on 31 December 1955.

VH-UUW (c/n 8041) was registered to E Macarthur-Onslow of Camden, NSW in March 1936. Subsequent owners included C J Chesterfield and J T B Jenkins of Grafton, NSW; W J Porter of Temora, NSW; Royal Aero Club of NSW, Mascot; A J R Oates of Pymble, NSW; G F Lynam of Hughenden, QLD; and F L Bird of Richmond, QLD. It was retired in June 1961. Some restoration has been undertaken at Murwillumbah, NSW.

DH.87Bs registered have included: VH-AMJ (c/n 8066 – ex W9389, G-ADMJ) which was imported in April 1946. It had a number of owners until it became VH-AFJ in February 1976. It has been airworthy with M Bone of Gympie, QLD.

VH-UVV (c/n 8077) was registered to S Austin in September 1937. Subsequent owners included Neil Cottee of Mittagong, NSW; the Casino Aero Club; and Televendors Pty Ltd. It has been airworthy with Cavill Power Products of Enfield, SA.

VH-UUX (c/n 8078) was registered to the Royal Aero Club of NSW in June 1936. Later owners included L M Wilson of Mudgee, NSW; N Macarthur-Onslow of Menangle, NSW; J H Bowden of Kogarah, NSW; J Clark of Guildford, NSW; B & C Transport of Baulkham Hills, NSW; and Warwick Aero Club, QLD. It was destroyed by fire in a hangar at Toowoomba, QLD on 29 August 1962.

VH-UXO (c/n 8110) was registered to Bonds Airways Ltd of Adelaide, SA in May 1937. Subsequently it had a number of owners, including W Shrimpton of Mascot; H T Schultz of Henty, NSW; J L Jenkinson of Mosman, NSW; Dr G L Young of Katoomba, NSW; K Leahy of Sydney, NSW; T D McCarthy of Goodooga, NSW; C N Parsons of St George, QLD; A E McDonald and W Taylor of Nyngan, NSW; M/s D J Moxham of Mullengudgery, NSW Ron Muir Cars of Auburn, NSW; A R Hackie of Wentworthville, NSW; W Winch of West Tamworth, NSW; J Williams of Croydon Park, NSW; R M and B L Marshal of Arncliffe, NSW; R Turner of Scarborough, WA; anf D J Dunkley of Capel, WA. It was retired in April 1970. It has been under restoration at Jandakot, WA.

VH-UYO (c/n 8111) was registered to de Havilland Aircraft of Mascot, NSW in June 1937. Subsequent owners included M/s N Lyle of Toorak, VIC; aviatrix M/s Freda Thompson of South Yarra, VIC, with whom it was named ‘Christopher Robin’; C H J Sears of Deepdene, VIC; and A Mahoney and J Casey of Chadstone, VIC. It was lost in an accident at Cardigan, VIC on 22 June 1964.

VH-UYX (c/n 8139) was registered to the Newcastle Aero Club in November 1937. It crashed on 19 February 1949 at Casino, NSW and was rebuilt. Ownership was transferred to J Neal of Tamworth, NSW in June 1953, and to H & S Credits Pty Ltd of Sydney in April 1955. It was damaged at Darwin, NT in January 1960 and was retired.

VH-UYX (c/n 8131- ex G-AEZG, BK830) was imported from the United Kingdom in 1979 for Donald McBain of South Australia, later going to G Wills of Streatham, VIC, and has been airworthy.

During World War II the DH.87 Hornet Moth series was not chosen for impressment by the RAAF or RNZAF for communications duties.

One Hornet Moth, ZK-ACP (c/n 8096 – ex G-ADSJ [ntu]), a DH.87B, was registered in New Zealand for some time. It was registered to Air Survey Transport Company Ltd. In 1937 ownership was tansferred to the Hawkes Bay and East Coast Aero Club at Hastings.  It was damaged in an incident at Crownthorpe, Hawkes Bay on 18 April 1938 and was written off.

A number of DH.87s have survived in New Zealand and all have been restored or are being restored to airworthiness at Rangitata Island. They include: DH.87A ZK-ANR (c/n 8038 – ex HB-OBE, F-AQBY); ZK-APR (c/n 8036 – ex VH-UUD); ZK-AUR (c/n 8041 – ex VH-UUW); VH-UYX (c/n 8139) and DH.87B G-ADSK (c/n 8091 – ex AV952) which was imported for spares.

In more recent times another DH.87B was imported from the United Kingdom to Australia, this aircraft G-ADUR (c/n 8085) being restored by its new owner at Maryborough, VIC but, after the demise of the owner, his collection of aircraft and aviation paraphernalia was sold at auction, the Hornet Moth being exported back to the United Kingdom.