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1/72 - de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth by Airfix - released - new boxing in September 2024

Homebee

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Glen T Established Member

Glen T

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I see they're doing ACDC, I had a very nice flight one cold and sunny February afternoon a few years back in Kilo Papa out of Headcorn so it would be nice to do both.

Glen.

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Wez Completely Obsessed Member

Wez

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What are strakes?

Look at the box-art for the civvie version (G-ACDC), look in front of the tailplane you'll see a horizontal surface at the top of the fuselage, these are strakes.

Strakes are used to direct airflow in a certain direction, in the case of the Tiggie they were used to direct the airflow around the tailplane to assist its spinning charachteristics.

HTH

Wez

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Homebee Blabber Mouth

Homebee

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From Aircraft in Miniature Ltd

Source: http://www.aim72.co.uk/page6.html

 

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New & revised kits in preparation:
(...)
1:72 DH 83 Fox Moth conversion for Airfix Tiger Moth kit

 

Source:  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wingsofpeace/conversations/messages/99608

 

DH83-exterior_1.jpgDH83-exterior.jpg

 

DH83-interior_3.jpg

 

V.P.

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Homebee Blabber Mouth

Homebee

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Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/three-years-of-airfix-exclusives

 

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De Havilland’s prolific pilot maker

 

l_airfix_tiger_moth_exclusive_artwork_re

Exclusives galore in this anniversary edition of our Workbench blog. This de Havilland Tiger Moth artwork reveal shows a Royal Navy Tiggie flying over the idyllic Scottish coastline.

 

Although we currently find ourselves in the centenary year of the Royal Air Force, it is unlikely that many of the events held during 2018 will extol the aviation virtues of the de Havilland Tiger Moth training aircraft, in spite of the fact that it must be considered one of the most important aircraft in RAF history. It is easy to enthuse about the Spitfires, Lancasters and Mosquitos of the Second World War, but a training biplane with a top speed of just over 100mph is usually found languishing in the background, however unjust this may be. Despite this undeniable fact, without the availability of thousands of Tiger Moths to train a constant stream of pilots for military and civilian service, Britain and her Commonwealth would have been in real trouble and most pilots who would go on to fly the numerous aircraft types of the Second World War would have more than likely spent some time on this classic training aircraft.

 

Coming from a line of successful biplane designs, the DH.82 Tiger Moth made its first flight in October 1931 and was the result of the Company’s founder wanting to produce an aircraft superior to its predecessors and possessing enough appeal to attract interest from several different aviation sectors. Its success resulted in an immediate order from the RAF, who viewed the aircraft as an ideal primary trainer for pilots beginning on their flying careers. Their modest original order was followed up with several subsequent orders and as the world descended into conflict, the RAF could boast around 500 Tiger Moths on strength, with many additional aircraft owned by flying clubs all over the country also pressed into military service. With its growing reputation, the aircraft also secured many overseas orders, ensuring that the de Havilland production lines were fully committed in the production of this superb aircraft.

 

From the perspective of the student pilot, the Tiger Moth was a relatively stable and forgiving aircraft to fly, with few handling vices and generally supportive of the odd silly mistake. It has been described as an ‘easy aeroplane to fly but a difficult one to fly well’, which seemed to have made this the ideal aircraft to serve as a primary/basic trainer for large numbers of future pilots destined for the war effort. As Britain prepared for invasion during the early summer of 1940, there were plans for the good natured Tiger Moth to show a much more aggressive side and support the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots they had previously trained by attacking any potential invasion force by all means at their disposal. ‘Operation Banquet’ called for the use of every available aircraft in the defence of Britain’s coastline, equipping even the most unlikely aircraft with bomb racks and giving them an offensive capability. Should a German invasion have been attempted, there would have been the very real possibility of swarms of bomb laden Tiger Moths raining fury on the enemy troops below, as Britain used every means in their power to ensure the failure of such a cross channel incursion. Thankfully, due in no small part to the qualities of this effective pilot maker and the resolve of the Royal Air Force, German invasion plans were indefinitely postponed following the Luftwaffe’s inability to score a decisive victory during the Battle of Britain.

 

de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth XL717, Royal Navy, RNAS Abbotsinch, Paisley, Scotland, 1962.

 

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The Tiger Moth not only trained tens of thousands of pilots during the Second World War, but went on working long after the end of hostilities and is still an important tail dragger trainer to this day.

 

This particular Tiger Moth was built by Morris Motors at their Cowley plant for the Royal Air Force and went on to serve with a number of Elementary Flying Training Schools before being sold to a civilian operator after the war. She was later bought by the Royal Navy and allocated to Britannia Royal Naval College with the serial XL717, but would go on to see plenty of service north of the border, with several units based in Scotland. Whilst based at RNAS Lossiemouth, this aircraft performed a number of valuable duties, such as providing training and currency support, glider towing duties and representing the Navy at Airshows and open days around Scotland. Wearing this smart silver and yellow training scheme, XL717 was noted as attending the 1962 Royal Naval Air Station Abbotsinch (HMS Sanderling) Open day, where she will have been just one of a great variety of naval aviation types present on the airfield for this event.

 

RNAS Abbotsinch was in use by the Royal Navy from 1939 until1963 and was a major facility for reserve aircraft storage, aircraft maintenance and various training facilities. The regular Open Days were extremely popular events and would attract thousands of people from the surrounding areas, keen to support their local base and see what interesting aircraft they currently had stored there. In October 1963, the Navy handed the base over to civilian operators, who gradually developed the airfield for the growing air travel market in Scotland and is today the site of Glasgow International Airport. The airport still retains links with its former Naval heritage and displays HMS Sanderling’s ships bells in the main hall and has a bar and restaurant named ‘The Sanderling Bar’ in the main terminal building. Tiger Moth XL717 returned to RNAS Yeovilton and the Fleet Air Arm Museum in 1972 and was later repainted to represent Sir Alan Cobham’s G - ABUL and take its place in their Inter War Years aviation exhibition.

 

de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth A17-489/L-TA, No.12 Local Air Supply Unit (LASU), Kiarivu Airfield, Papua New Guinea, August 1945.

 

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The training credentials of the Tiger Moth ensured that the aircraft was a significant export success, used by many air forces across the world, including the Royal Australian Air Force.

 

Built by de Havillands in Australia, this aircraft was delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in May 1942 where it would go on to serve in a training and communications role for the next three years. May 1945 would prove to be a particularly eventful time in the operational history of this aircraft - during this month, the aircraft was assigned to 12 Local Air Supply Unit (LASU) and coded L-TA, however early into its LASU service it struck an obstacle during its take-off run and suffered not insignificant damage. Following its repair, it was involved in another incident just two months later, when it struck tree tops after a particularly low transit across the airfield boundary and despite sustaining further significant damage, the aircraft was once again repaired back to airworthy status.

 

On 13th August 1945, A17-489 was the first aircraft to land and take off from the newly constructed Kiarivu Airfield, which is interesting as the runway was still soft from construction and parachute bundles from previous air supply drops were used to indicate the most suitable sections of the runway for the pilot to use. Perhaps of even greater significance, this famous Tiger Moth was used the following month to transport surrendered Japanese Army Commander Lt. General Hatazo Adachi in its front cockpit, returning once again to Kiarivu Airfield, where he was brought back to his former headquarters to face trial and internment.

 

Following the end of the war, the aircraft left military service and was sold to a civilian operator for the princely sum of £175 pounds, however its eventual fate is unknown and it is thought to have been either scrapped or may even be lying undiscovered at some old disused airfield. This interesting scheme is a representation of the many Tiger Moths which went on to see service with overseas air arms and underlining the effectiveness of this exceptional aeroplane. Just as it was during the war years, the Tiger Moth is still proving to be an important aircraft in the training of pilots hoping to progress to fly Warbirds on the historic aviation scene, allowing them to gain valuable tail-dragger experience in this proven flying tutor. It also allows members of the public to enjoy experience flights in what must surely be considered one of the most significant aircraft in the history of flight. de Havilland DH 82A Tiger Moth A02106 is scheduled for a September release and will therefore be gracing our workbenches in the very near future.

 

V.P.

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Work In Progress Completely Obsessed Member

Work In Progress

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I am not seeing any sign here that they have any understanding of the differences between a Tiger Moth and a Queen Bee.  A Queen Bee conversion needs to included a new larger centre-section fuel tank, and a slatless upper wing. The fuselage construction is completely different too being all-wood instead of metal, but I suppose it looks much of a muchness in 1/72. Many Queen Bees were not on floats, either.

Edited by Work In Progress
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