De Havilland Moth Minor

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DH.94 Moth Minor
Moth Minor A21-42 Benalla 2012-06-03.jpg
An ex-RAAF DH.94 Moth Minor at the Benalla Aviation Museum in June 2012
RoleTourer/Trainer
National originUnited Kingdom
Manufacturer de Havilland
DesignerJ.P. Smith
First flight22 June 1937
Number builtc.140

The de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor was a 1930s British two-seat tourer/trainer aircraft built by de Havilland at Hatfield Aerodrome, England. With the start of the second world war production of the Moth Minor was moved to de Havilland Australia at Bankstown Aerodrome, Australia.

Contents

Design and development

DH.94 Moth Minor Coupe at Portsmouth Airport in September 1954 DH.94 Moth Minor Coupe Portsmouth 1954.jpg
DH.94 Moth Minor Coupe at Portsmouth Airport in September 1954

The Moth Minor was designed as a low-wing monoplane to replace the biplane Moth series, and was intended to give similar performance with less power, and without the need for rigging of the biplane's tensioners and struts. Its predecessor was the DH.81 Swallow Moth monoplane of 1931, of which only one was built. The wooden prototype of the DH.94 was first flown by Geoffrey de Havilland on 22 June 1937 at Hatfield Aerodrome. [1] Production started and nearly 100 examples had been built by the outbreak of the Second World War. With a selling price of only £575 [1] the Moth Minor was popular with flying clubs keen to acquire modern monoplanes. Nine aircraft were specially built with hinged coupe tops instead of the normally open cockpit.

As the factory at Hatfield was needed for the war effort, the drawings, jigs, components and unfinished aircraft were shipped to the de Havilland factory at Bankstown, Sydney. More than 40 aircraft were produced in Australia. [1]

Civil aircraft operated in the United Kingdom were commandeered for use by the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm, and one example was used by the United States Army Air Corps. A large number of civil aircraft from the UK were sent to Australia, where they and a handful of locally built Australian civil aircraft were commandeered by the Royal Australian Air Force. [2]

After the Second World War several Moth Minors continued to be flown by private owners in the United Kingdom.

During World War two, de Havilland took over the small grass airfield at Witney in Oxfordshire where they operated as a Civilian Repair Organisation on behalf of the British Government. They carried out complete overhauls to battle-damaged Spitfires and Hurricanes, plus any de Havilland types. An ex-Battle of Britain RAF pilot had been posted in to Witney to carry out the test flights as the aircraft were completed by the factory but he was de-mobbed as the war drew to an end, and test-flights carried out by de Havilland pilots who flew down to Witney from Hatfield.

An experimental variant with a tricycle landing gear and canopy over the rear seat was first flown on 29 April 1940. [3]

Variants

Operators

Military operators

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
British Raj Red Ensign.svg  India
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
The De Havilland Moth Minor featured very simple instrumentation which was helpful when training new pilots De havilland mothminor simplecockpit.jpg
The De Havilland Moth Minor featured very simple instrumentation which was helpful when training new pilots
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Specifications

Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Vol 2 [1]

General characteristics

Performance

Surviving aircraft

A number of Moth Minors have survived, including:

Australia

New Zealand

United States

United Kingdom

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. ISBN   0-370-10010-7.
  2. ADF Serials list of RAAF Moth Minors. Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 11 December 2008
  3. Jackson 1987, p. 396
  4. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  5. Welch, Dave. "De Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor, VH-AAM / 94002, Private". abpic.co.uk.
  6. "Aircraft Data VH-AGO, 1937 De Havilland DH-94 Moth C/N 9404". www.airport-data.com.
  7. 1 2 ADF Serials list of RAAF Moth Minors. Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  8. Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  9. Airliners.net. Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  10. Ed Coates Aircraft Photographs. Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  11. Adventure Flights Benalla – List of Aircraft Archived 1 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  12. Australian Warbirds. Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  13. Airliners.net. Retrieved: 16 June 2012
  14. "Aviation Heritage Museum | Bull Creek, Perth".
  15. "Aircraft Data ZK-AKM, De Havilland DH-94 Moth Minor C/N 94012". www.airport-data.com.
  16. "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - de Havilland DH-94 Moth Minor, c/n 94020, c/r N94DH". www.aerialvisuals.ca.
  17. "CAF Aircraft Available For Assignment - Commemorative Air Force Blogs". commemorativeairforce.org. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016.
  18. "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - de Havilland DH-94 Moth Minor, s/n HM579 RAF, c/n 9403, c/r N9403". www.aerialvisuals.ca.
  19. "Aircraft Data G-AFPN, 1939 De Havilland DH-94 Moth C/N 94016". www.airport-data.com.
  20. "DH94 Moth Minor G-AFNG | John S Shaw Aviation".
  21. "Aircraft Data G-AFRR, De Havilland DH-94 Moth Minor C/N 9403". www.airport-data.com.

Bibliography