de Havilland Puss Moth
The de Havilland DH80 Puss Moth was a continuous tape a high wing, single-engine airplane travel of the British manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company. Built from 1929 to 1933 model could accommodate two to three persons. It was at a speed of approximately 200 km / h one of the fastest private aircraft of its time.
History
De Havilland DH80 developed for the UK private aviation. The still largely composed of wooden prototype made its maiden flight on September 9, 1929. When driving, the newly developed de Havilland Gipsy III served in-line engine. In the closed cockpit, two seats were arranged behind one another.
After completion of the test flights are de Havilland decided from fabric -covered steel tube for a fuselage. This revised version was given the designation DH80A Puss Moth. The first production model in March 1930 denied its maiden flight in order to then marketing purposes to be brought to Australia and New Zealand.
By the time production ended in March 1933 284 copies were built, including 25 models by the subsidiary de Havilland Canada. The DH80A served mainly the private aviation. Some were used for air mail transport. Most of the aircraft were given the improved Gispy Major engine. In the passenger version could be accommodated on staggered and arranged seats, excluding the two pilots passengers.
With the DH80A some flight records were set. Thus succeeded July-August 1931 solo flight from England to Tokyo in just eight days. In the same year, a pilot needed only 22 hours to cross the South Atlantic in the west-east direction. It was only the second solo flight across the Atlantic. The first transatlantic solo flight from East to West denied a Puss Moth in August 1932.
The Puss Moth was from 1933 replaced by the Leopard Moth, which could be made cheaper, thanks to their plywood construction.
Military user
- Belgian Congo Belgian Congo
- Deutsches Reich Nazi Germany: some
- Iraq 1924 Iraq
- Canada 1921 Canada
- Croatia 1941 Croatia
- New Zealand New Zealand
- Spain Second Republic Spain
- Spain 1938 Spain
- South Africa 1961 South Africa
- United States 48 United States
- United Kingdom United Kingdom