Canadian Warplanes 2: de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
de Havilland DH.75A Hawk Moth, DH.80A, DH.82 Tiger Moth
(DND Archives Photo, PL-3582)
de Havilland DH.82C Tiger Moth, RCAF (Serial No. 4388).
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab-initio training, the Second World War saw RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers.
The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was succeeded and replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently entered into civil operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military and civil applications, and it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in several countries. It is still occasionally used as a primary training aircraft, particularly for those pilots wanting to gain experience before moving on to other tailwheel aircraft.
Overseas manufacturing of the type commenced in 1937, the first such overseas builder being de Havilland Canada at its facility in Downsview, Ontario. In addition to an initial batch of 25 Tiger Moths that were built for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the Canadian firm began building fuselages which were exported to the UK for completion. Canadian-built Tiger Moths featured modifications to better suit the local climate, along with a reinforced tail wheel, hand-operated brakes (built by Bendix Corporation), shorter undercarriage radius rods and the legs of the main landing gear legs being raked forwards as a safeguard against tipping forwards during braking. In addition the cockpit had a large sliding canopy fitted along with exhaust-based heating; various alternative undercarriage arrangements were also offered. By the end of Canadian production, de Havilland Canada had manufactured a total of 1,548 of all versions. (Wikipedia)
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth (26), (Serial Nos. 238-258, 275-279). DH.82C Tiger Moth (1,384), (Serial Nos. 1100-1299, 3842-3991, 4001-4404, 4946-5175, 5800-5999, 8851-8999, 9645-9695), for a total of 1410 Tiger Moth variants, DH.82C2 Menasco Moth Mk. I (9), (Serial Nos. 4936-4944), DH.82C4 Mk. II (126), (Serial Nos. 4810-4933, 4935, 4945), Mk. III (1), (Serial No. 4934), for a total of 136 Menasco Moth variants in use by the RCAF. The combined total of Tiger Moths and Menasco Moths is 1,546 aircraft.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3523312)
de Havilland DH.82C Tiger Moth, RCAF (Serial No. 4398), Rockcliffe, Ontario.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205816)
Compass swinging a de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, RCAF (Serial No. 253), from No. 111 Coast Artillery Co-operation Squadron during a compass swing at Vancouver, on 31 May, 1939. The squadron operated from Vancouver City Airport, British Columbia. It was upgraded to a DH-82C a few years later. (Chris Charland)
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4327535)
Flight instructor R.W. McRae assists a student as he prepares for a training flight in a de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth at No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School in Vancouver, British Columbia, 27 Sep 1940.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4327527)
Four Leading Aircraftmen, E. Fleishman, E. Burton, J. Grant, and T. Blenkinsop walking past a row of Tiger Moths at No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School in Vancouver, British Columbia, 27 Sep 1940.
(Bzuk Photo)
de Havilland DH.82C Tiger Moth, RCAF (Serial No. 5945), DHC1534, C-GTAL. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643685)
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, (Serial No. 4398), RCAF.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3650709)
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, (Serial No. 5894), No. 17 Elementary FTS, RCAF.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3650711)
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, No. 17 Elementary FTS, RCAF.
de Havilland DH 82C Tiger Moth (Serial No. 724), CF-FGL, painted as (Serial No. 4394), CASM.
(DND Archives Photo, PCN-4631)
de Havilland DH 82C2 Menasco Moth Mk. I (Serial No. 4861), preserved with the Canada Air and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario.
In the event that U-boat attacks caused a break in supply of British-made engines to Canada, American-built Menasco engines were installed in some Canadian-built Tiger Moths. This is the major difference between the Menasco and de Havilland Tiger Moths. Because this engine could drive a large generator, most Menasco Moths were used for radio training. The Menasco engine was not as powerful as the Gypsy engine, resulting in a somewhat reduced performance. This loss of power made the Menasco Moth a less than ideal pilot-training airplane and contributed to the Menasco Moth being used almost exclusively for radio training. (Wikipedia)
(Author Photos)
de Havilland DH 82C2 Menasco Moth Mk. I (Serial No. 4861), (1052).
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3227902)
de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth (Serial No. BB728), 20 June 1942. This aircraft was built by The De Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Hatfield and was registered to them as G-ACDG on 6 February 1933. It was operated out of Hatfield by D.H. Ltd. under the guise of 1 E&RFTS. On 3 Sep 1939, this unit was re-designated as 1 EFTS. On 30 Oct 1940 it was impressed by the RAF and given the RAF serial BB728. It was slightly damaged in a landing accident at Hatfield on 15 May 1941 and Cat B/FA was recorded, from there it was transported by road to Taylorcraft Ltd. at Rearsby for repair. On 2 Jul 1941 on completion of the repair it was flown to Brough to be taken on charge by 4 EFTS. As a result of the mishap on 7 Jul 1941 near Brough Cat B/FA damage was recorded. On 9 Jul 1941 it was transported by road to Taylorcraft Ltd. at Rearsby for repair again. When the repair was complete on 26 Aug 1941 it was flown to 27 MU at Shawbury for storage. On 19 Sep 1941 it was taken on charge by No. 414 Squadron, RCAF, Army Co-operation Command based at Croydon. On 28 June 1942 it was damaged in a heavy landing at Croydon which resulted in the undercarriage collapsing, Cat B/FA damage was recorded, on 7 Jul 1942 it was transported by road to Taylorcraft Ltd. at Rearsby for repair again. On 25 Aug 1942, the repair was complete, and it was flown to 5 MU at Kemble for storage. On 3 Jun 1943 it was released to Aircraft Products Ltd. of Burnley for communications duties.
On 15 Jun 1944 under a MAP (Ministry of Aircraft Production) Permit the registration G-ACDG was restored, and the aircraft was transferred to Vosper Ltd. at Portsmouth where it remained until 10 Oct 1945. On this date it was registered to Cecil James Packer at Burton, Wiltshire. On 21 Dec 1945, the Certificate of Airworthiness was renewed, and the aircraft was registered to Marshall's Flying School Ltd. at Cambridge. (This aircraft was the first to carry out a flying lesson post war). On 12 Oct 1946 it was sold to Rijksluchrvaartdienst (RLD - the Dutch Civil Aviation Authority) at Schipol and registered PH-UAY. It arrived there in Mar 1947 and was then based at Ypenburg. On 19 Aug 1947 it was damaged in an emergency landing at Ypenburg, the repairs took some two years, and the aircraft was re-registered on 1 Oct 1949. Over the coming years it was damaged on a number of occasions, on 28 Oct 1949 it was damaged in a take off accident at Ypenburg and later repaired. On 15 Mar 1951 it was damaged at an unknown location while in a hangar tent during a storm. On 14 Dec 1953 it made an emergency landing at Utrecht and on 23 Aug 1957 it was damaged in an emergency landing at an unknown location. On 21 Jul 1960 it was registered to The Nationale Luchtvaart School. On 30 Jul 1963 it made an emergency landing on a beach on Texel Island. On 11 Apr 1964 it was severely damaged in an emergency landing near Benschop and was then not repaired and withdrawn from use. The registration was cancelled on 30 Aug 1965 with the aircraft reported to have been scrapped.
