De Havilland Moth
| Industry | Aviation, Aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founder | Geoffrey de Havilland |
| Products | Light aircraft (sports and military trainers) |
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Template:Lowercase title The de Havilland Moths represent a collection of light aircraft, including sports and military trainer models, developed by Geoffrey de Havilland. During the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, these planes dominated civilian aviation in Britain. At that time, the term "Moth" became a generic label for any light aircraft operating in the UK, regardless of whether it was manufactured by de Havilland.Template:Dubious
Development and models
The inaugural Moth model was the DH.60, a two-seat biplane featuring straight wings. To facilitate compact storage, its wings were designed to fold backward alongside the fuselage. Geoffrey de Havilland, an enthusiastic lepidopterist, likened this folding motion to that of a moth, which inspired the aircraft’s nickname Moth from its inception.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Significantly, the Moth was among the earliest light aircraft engineered specifically for civilian pilot training and leisure flying, rather than military applications. It also stood out as one of the first light planes to be produced on a large scale, making flying more accessible to the general public than previous designs.
Name variations initially emerged based on the type of engine fitted to the DH.60: versions equipped with a Cirrus Hermes, Armstrong Siddeley Genet, or de Havilland Gipsy engine were respectively branded "Hermes Moth," "Genet Moth," or "Gipsy Moth." The original DH.60 with an ADC Cirrus engine was later identified as the "Cirrus Moth." As demand for the DH.60 grew, de Havilland capitalised on its popularity by assigning each subsequent model a name ending with Moth.
The first of these was the DH.61, a large single-engine biplane accommodating five passengers, aptly named "Giant Moth." Additional models included cabin biplanes such as the Leopard Moth and Hornet Moth, the cabin monoplane Puss Moth, and the low-wing two-seater Moth Minor. By far the most renowned and widely produced is the DH.82 Tiger Moth, with nearly 9,000 units built. This biplane trainer played a crucial role during World War II across Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, serving as the primary training aircraft for all Royal Air Force pilots of that era.
Variations
| Name | Number | Notes | Produced | Named after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moth, Gipsy Moth and Moth Major | DH.60 | biplane | some | Lymantria dispar |
| Giant Moth | DH.61 | biplane, 8 passengers | 10 | |
| Tiger Moth Racer | DH.71 | monoplane | 2 | some of the Arctiinae |
| Hawk Moth | DH.75 | monoplane, 4 seats | 8 | some of the Sphingidae |
| Puss Moth | DH.80A | monoplane | 284 | Megalopyge opercularis or Cerura vinula |
| Swallow Moth | DH.81 | monoplane | 1 | |
| Tiger Moth | DH.82 | biplane | 8,868 | some of the Arctiinae |
| Fox Moth | DH.83 | biplane | 154 | Macrothylacia rubi |
| Leopard Moth | DH.85 | monoplane | 133 | Zeuzera pyrina or Hypercompe scribonia |
| Hornet Moth | DH.87 | biplane | 164 | Sesia apiformis |
| Moth Minor | DH.94 | monoplane | about 140 |
The prototype for the DH.84 Dragon, a light passenger aircraft, initially carried the name "Dragon Moth." However, as it evolved into a civilian airliner, the "moth" designation was removed to reserve that suffix exclusively for sports aircraft models.
1979 Rally
In June 1979, a convoy of 63 De Havilland aircraft, predominantly Tiger Moths, participated in a multi-stage race beginning at the De Havilland aerodrome located in Hatfield and concluding at Strathallan airfield in Perthshire over a span of three days. This event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1929 Gypsy Engine Reliability Tour. Known as the "DH MOTH AIR RALLY," the rally was supported by the Famous Grouse. The aircraft arrived at Strathallan on Saturday, 30 June 1979, followed by a public aerobatic demonstration held the next day.