de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth

Aircraft overview:

Probably the best known training aeroplane ever, the Tiger Moth open-cockpit tandem two-seat biplane was first flown in 1931 from Stag Lane. It is a single bay biplane, with normal forward stagger to aid pilot vision, reduce the aerodynamic interference between the two wings, and ease cockpit access. The wings were given slight sweepback to maintain the centre of gravity and lift positions while having the centre-section support struts forward of the front cockpit. This made exit from the front cockpit easier when wearing a parachute, to comply with Royal Air Force requirements. The aircraft has no wheel brakes, and uses a tailskid for landing drag. A gravity-feed fuel tank forms the top wing centre-section. Anti-spin strakes forward of the tailplane were adopted in World War Two. In total, more than 9,000 Tiger Moths were built.

Aircraft specifications:

Power Unit: One 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major 1

Wing Span: 29 ft 4 in (8.94 m)

All-up Weight (A.U.W): 1,825 lb (828 kg)

Max Speed: 104 mph (167 kph)

Ceiling: 14,000 ft (4,267 m)

Range: 300 miles (483 km)

On display at the Museum:

The Museum’s exhibit was built as N6550 at Hatfield in 1939, was used for training during the War. In 1956 it was converted for crop-dusting, as a single-seater flown from the rear cockpit. The hopper was placed in the front cockpit position, at the centre-of-gravity, to maintain aircraft balance whatever the hopper load level. Dispersion used a broad metal venture spreader, mounted below the fuselage and stiffened by a pair of dividers in the duct. Released under pilot control, the powder and granular chemicals were drawn by gravity and suction down into the spreader, where they were entrained by the airflow through the device, and spread laterally behind the aircraft. Last used in 1961, the aircraft was acquired by the Museum in 1976 and restored in 1991, with the engine returned to ground running condition.

The Robin Hangar at The de Havilland Museum, London Colney, UK. #horsa #cierva #autogiro #tigermoth #queenbee #dh53hummingbird #museum #prewar # #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA