De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH60 Moth ( " Moth " ) was a two-seat biplane of the British manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company. Several other models have been derived and named after different moth species from the built aircraft since 1925. The Moth was one of the most successful British aircraft of the interwar period.
The designer Geoffrey de Havilland was an avid butterfly collector and gave his aircraft often the names of insects.
History
The DH60 Moth was the successor to the current underpowered DH53 Hummingbird. The maiden flight took place on 22 February 1925.
The Moth was a biplane with a plywood hull, which was placed on the bottom wing. The wing consisted of a wooden structure with fabric covering. As drive Geoffrey de Havilland chose the four-cylinder in-line engine ADC Cirrus, which was based on a Renault eight-cylinder engine from the First World War. Later were self-developed, more powerful drives, the Gipsy engines available.
Due to their low purchase price and their " good nature " was the Moth very popular with individuals. The Gipsy Moth dominated at times 85 percent of the private aircraft market in the UK, an average of more than three machines per day were then delivered.
In the 1930s, the Moth was further developed into a training aircraft. Most pilots of the Battle of Britain had been trained on the Tiger Moth.
Versions
The D.H.60 Moth was a A.D.C. Cirrus motor. Some models received a modified suspension with X-shaped braces and were therefore referred to as DH60X.
The 1927 is provided with a Gipsy - drive machines were given the name Gipsy Moth DH60G, while the original version was referred to the distinction as Cirrus Moth. Later, the version DH60 GIII Moth Major was a Gipsy Major engine.
Some machines got a Armstrong Siddeley Genet drive and therefore were called Genet Moth.
More Moth aircraft
The most famous was the DH82 Tiger Moth Moth of 1931, a further development of the Moth Major.
- Giant Moth ( D.H.61 )
- Tiger Moth ( D.H.71 ) ( monoplane )
- Hawk Moth ( D.H.75 )
- Puss Moth ( D.H.80A )
- Swallow Moth ( D.H.81 )
- Tiger Moth ( D.H.82 )
- Fox Moth ( D.H.83 )
- Leopard Moth ( D.H.85 )
- Hornet Moth ( D.H.87 )
- Moth Minor ( D.H.94 )
Military user
- Egypt 1922 Egypt
- Ethiopia 1897 Ethiopia
- Australia Australia
- Belgium: 1
- Belgian Congo Belgian Congo
- Burma Burma 1751
- Brazil Brazil
- Chile Chile
- Denmark Denmark
- Deutsches Reich Nazi Germany: some
- Finland Finland
- Iraq 1924 Iraq
- Ireland Ireland
- Canada 1921 Canada
- Cuba Cuba
- New Zealand New Zealand
- Norway Norway
- Austria Austria: 1927-1938
- Paraguay Paraguay
- Poland Poland
- Portugal
- China Republic of China in 1928
- Romania Romania Kingdom
- Sweden Sweden
- Spain Second Republic Spain
- Spain 1938 Spain
- South Africa 1961 South Africa
- Hungary 1918 Hungary
- United States 48 United States
- United Kingdom United Kingdom