de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth

Basic Trainer Biplane

United Kingdom | 1932

"For its time, there was no more a trusted basic trainer than the storied de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth biplane."

Image courtesy of the United States Air Force Museum of Dayto, Ohio, USA.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/17/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The famous de Havilland DH.82 "Tiger Moth" biplane was a dedicated military-minded basic trainer derived from the preceding DH.60T with its 120 horsepower Gipsy II series engine. The DH.82 was specifically developed by the de Havilland concern as a military product from the beginning and instituted a series of modifications to suit the role including a reinforced airframe and provisions for practice drop bombs or reconnaissance equipment. The Tiger Moth incorporated a metal skin and seated the student and instructor in tandem and the product went on to become a famous British-designed and developed biplane trainer which provided many-an-airman their first taste of heavier-than-air powered flight.

The DH.82 was born through eight pre-production airframes that were assigned the same DH.60T designation as the previous "Moth" trainer line. The aircraft retained the same biplane wing arrangement save for the upper assembly being moved slightly forward to ease cockpit entry-exit and improved vision about the aircraft. This forced the use of angled parallel struts. The engine was fitted to a forward compartment and drove a two-bladed assembly. The student and instructor sat in separate open-air cockpits. The undercarriage was fixed through two landing wheels and a tailskid while the empennage utilized a large-area rudder and low-set horizontal planes. Power was served through 1 x de Havilland Gipsy III series engine of 120 horsepower. First flight of the prototype was recorded in October of 1931 with revised wings incorporating more sweep-back.

Serial production of DH.82 aircraft was massive for the inter-war years and totaled 8,868 units from 1931 to 1944. It was formally introduced in 1932 and saw consistent service into 1952 while remaining a popular mount for civilian pilots. The definitive mark became the DH.82A Tiger Moth Mk II with revised rear-decking. Another version, the DH.82B "Queen Bee", was used as a remotely-piloted target drone. The DH.82C became a "winterized" model for Arctic conditions and operations. There were several sub-variants of this mark.

Military operators proved numerous and ran the gamut of Commonwealth nations. Other foreign operators became Brazil, Denmark, France, Iran and Iraq, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the United States among others. Having served prior to, and during, World War 2, some examples fell to the enemy Germans (Luftwaffe) during the conflict. However, the true Tiger Moth value was well-known to the host nation of the United Kingdom where the aircraft stocked the inventories of some twenty Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons and served within the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) as well.

The Tiger Moth remains a popular air show traveler even today (2014) and is used in large numbers despite production having begun in the 1930s.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth Basic Trainer Biplane.

1 x de Havilland Gipsy Major inline engine developing 130 horsepower.
Propulsion

109 mph
175 kph | 94 kts
Max Speed

13,599 ft
4,145 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

301 miles
485 km | 262 nm
Operational Range

675 ft/min
206 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth Basic Trainer Biplane.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

23.9 ft
7.29 m
O/A Length

29.3 ft
(8.94 m)
O/A Width

8.8 ft
(2.69 m)
O/A Height

1,102 lb
(500 kg)
Empty Weight

1,830 lb
(830 kg)
MTOW

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth family line.

D.H.82A "Tiger Moth" - de Havilland Model Designation

"Tiger Moth II" - T.26/33 Models Built to Air Ministry Specification; rear cockpit instrument training hood; plywood rear fuselage.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 8,868 Units
Contractor(s): de Havilland Aircraft Company - UK

[ Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Burma; Canada; Ceylon; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Czechoslovakia; Denmark; Egypt; Finland; France; Nazi Germany; Greece; India; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Malaya; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Rhodesia; Spain; Southern Rhodesia; Sri lanka; Sweden; Thailand; United Kingdom; United States; Uruguay; Yugoslavia ]

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Image of the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth

Image courtesy of the United States Air Force Museum of Dayto, Ohio, USA.

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Image courtesy of the United States Air Force Museum of Dayto, Ohio, USA.

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Image courtesy of the United States Air Force Museum of Dayto, Ohio, USA.

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Going Further...
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth Basic Trainer Biplane appears in the following collections:

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