De Havilland Hornet Moth
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920 in United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
The de Havilland DH.87 Hornet Moth is a single-engine cabin biplane developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1934, intended as a potential successor to the popular de Havilland Tiger Moth trainer. Featuring a side-by-side seating arrangement within an enclosed cabin, it offered a layout more akin to the contemporary aircraft military trainee pilots would eventually operate. Despite this, the RAF showed no interest, and production proceeded primarily for private ownership.
Design and development
The prototype took to the skies for the first time at Hatfield on 9 May 1934. Alongside two pre-production units, it underwent an extensive evaluation program that led to modifications for the initial production model (designated DH.87A), completed in August 1935. This version featured wings with increased taper towards the tips. However, these tapered wings presented issues during three-point landings, as the tips tended to stall, often resulting in pilot difficulties and damage to the aircraft. Beginning in early 1936, de Havilland offered DH.87A owners replacement wings with a squarer planform at a discounted rate in exchange for their original tapered wings. Aircraft produced from approximately serial number 68 onward were built with these new squared-off wings and designated DH.87B. This wing redesign reduced the overall wingspan by 8 inches (20 cm) and caused a slight increase in weight, which marginally affected performance.
In total, 164 units were manufactured, with 84 registered in Britain.[1] At the outbreak of the Second World War, over seventy British Hornet Moths were requisitioned for military use. Early in 1940, the Royal Air Force deployed them on unarmed coastal patrols aimed at deterring German U-boat activity; later, many served as liaison aircraft throughout the conflict.[2] South Africa also commandeered nineteen Hornet Moths for communication roles, while at least three were taken into service in India.[2]
A limited number survived beyond wartime and gradually became highly sought after by vintage aircraft collectors. Even today, more than eighty years after production ended, some remain airworthy and continue to fly.
Variants
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- DH.87 Hornet Moth : initial prototypes
- DH.87A Hornet Moth : standard production version
- DH.87B Hornet Moth : production variant featuring altered wing design
Civil charter users and pilots from 1935 to 2009
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Military users
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- Royal Air Force (service period 1940–1945)
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- One aircraft impressed and four units acquired from Canada[5]
Specifications (DH.87B)
Notes
- ↑ Jackson 1987, p. 352.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McKay 2002, p. 79.
- ↑ Hitler's Savage Canary by David Lampe ISBN 978-1-84832-574-6 pg15
- ↑ Comas 2020, pp. 47–48.
- ↑ Sturtivant & Burrow 1995, p. 59.
Bibliography
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- Follett, K. "Hornet flight" (originally published in Italian as "Il volo del calabrone", Mondadori Editore S.p.A., Milan, 2003 ISBN 88-04-54428-7). This fictional novel, first released in 2002, features a hornet moth as a significant element within the narrative.
External links
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- 1930s British civil utility aircraft
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