From an information panel on site:
The original member of the famous family of de Havilland Moths, the D.H.60, first flew in 1925 and was an instant success as a sport aircraft and trainer for flying clubs. In 1937, the elegant Moth biplane was equipped with the new Gipsy engine. Gipsy Moths proved to be so reliable that many took part in early long-distance flights. The most famous of these, made by Amy Johnson in May 1930, was the first solo flight from England to Australia by a woman.
A direct descendant of the Gipsy Moth was the Tiger Moth, first flown in England in October 1931 and the most prolific of all the Moths. It served the Royal Air Force for fifteen years as a standard elementary trainer and its widespread use among air forces throughout the world made it one of the best known training aircraft, equivalent to the Avro 504k of World War I.
Shortly after the first Tiger Moth came to Canada in 1935, de Havilland of Canada began to develop the D.H.82A (Can) for the Royal Canadian Air Force, a slightly modified version with a heated and enclosed cockpit better suited to Canadian conditions. Further modifications were made to the World War II version, the D.H.82C, including brakes, a more durable undercarriage and a heavy duty tailwheel.
Most of the 1,4000 Canadian-built Tiger Moths were equipped with engines imported from Britain but a small number featured the American-made Menasco engine. In the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Tiger and Menasco Moths were used together with Fleet Finches for elementary pilot training (some of the Menasco Moths serving as wireless trainers) until 1943, when they began to be replaced. Following the war many were sold to civilians, and quite a few still fly today.
The Museum's aircraft was built as a Menasco Moth II wireless trainer in 1941 and served with No.3 Wireless School, Winnipeg. In 1943, it was converted to a D.H.82C Menasco Moth I elementary trainer serving at No. 5 Air Observer School, Winnipeg. In the post war period it remained in storage until entering the Museum's collection on 1964.
From the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum's Website:
Highlights:
A British biplane used primarily as a training aircraft by the RAF and RCAF, it became one of the best-known trainers of the Second World War
More than 1,400 Tiger Moths were manufactured in Canada and many were sold for civilian use after the war (some were still being flown in 2010)
Canadian-built models were specifically modified (e.g., with wheel-brakes and a tail wheel) for the Canadian landscape
Almost identical to the Menasco Moth: the latter has a Canadian-built frame fitted with an American-built Menasco engine
First flight was in October 1931
Artifact no.:
1967.0651
Manufacturer:
de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.
Manufacturer Location:
Canada
Manufacture Date:
1941
Registration no.:
4861
Acquisition Date:
1962
History:
The Tiger Moth was first and foremost a military trainer and was used mainly for elementary pilot training in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan . Modifications were made to the basic design to adapt it better to Canadian conditions. Many Canadian Tiger Moths were sold as war surplus and some are still flying in the 1990s.
Canadian-built Tiger Moths were modified by adding wheel-brakes, a tail-wheel, a stronger undercarriage with the wheels set slightly forward, and a cockpit that could be closed by a sliding hood. One of the best known trainers in Second World War, the Tiger Moth was used by the air forces of Britain, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Iraq, New Zealand, Persia, Portugal, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, and Sweden. Many flying clubs were re-equipped after Second World War with surplus Tiger Moths, some of which were bought for as little as $25 (without instruments).
Current Location:
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan display area Main Hangar, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Purchase
This Menesco Moth was built by de Havilland Canada in 1941. It served with the RCAF until May 1942, when it crashed and was retired from service. In 1943, the damaged aircraft was transferred to the Department of Transport, where it remained until the end of the Second World War in 1945. After the war it was transferred between several private owners but was never repaired. The Museum acquired the incomplete aircraft in 1962.
Technical Information:
Wing Span 8.9 m (29 ft 4 in)
Length 7.4 m (24 ft 2 in)
Height 2.7 m (8 ft 9 1/2 in)
Weight, Empty 557 kg (1,229 lb)
Weight, Gross 828 kg (1,825 lb)
Cruising Speed 130 km/h (80 mph)
Max Speed 155 km/h (96 mph)
Rate of Climb 183 m (600 ft) /min
Service Ceiling 3,660 m (12,000 ft)
Crew two
Power Plan tone Menasco D.4 Super Pirate, 125 hp, inverted in-line engine
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