Canadian DH82C conversion of the Airfix 1/48 Tiger Moth

[Tail-Dragon]

I'm trying to make a list of the mods needed to make a Canadian DH82c Tiger Moth from the nice little Airfix 1/48 kit.

 

So far, this is what I've come up with ...

 

DH82A

- Fuselage. A 2-inch (5-cm) thick foam rubber crash pad was to be fitted around the instruments.

-  Cockpit doors eliminated, opennings cut down to upper longerons.

- A cockpit canopy, dimensionally similar to those already installed by DHC on five British-built,  D.H.82As, to be constructed similarly to the Fleet 7’s.

-  A cockpit heating system was to be installed consisting of a hot-air muff around the exhaust pipe and suitable ducting. Other detail changes in the cockpit were called for.

-  Wings. Wider walkways were wanted on each lower wing, and plywood leading edges on the lower wings.

-  Hand holds were to be fitted on the lower wingtips.

-  Interplane struts were to be made of steel tubing, and the ailerons were to be mass balanced.

-  Engine installation. The engine cowls were to be hinged on the aircraft centre-line for improved access,  R/H cowl not cut out for exhaust pipe

-  Enlarged filler necks were to be fitted to the fuel and oil tanks and an insulating cover provided for the oil tank.

-   Undercarriage. Heavier axles were to be installed to take the additional loads imposed by operation on skis

 

DH82C

Following manufacture of the D.H.82A(Can)s, further engineering changes were introduced which resulted in the D.H.82C. The designation D.H.82B had already been used by the parent company for the Queen Bee target aircraft. These changes listed on  DND specification AP/3/39.

 

-  Fitting of wheel brakes and a tailwheel. This required the wheels being moved forward about 9 3/4 in  (24.7 cm) to prevent nosing over on brake application, and the front undercarriage members were    shortened to do this.

-  American instruments, of smaller size than the original British, were installed which permitted a more logical instrument layout and a reduction in panel size which in turn permitted a reshaping of the    coaming between the cockpits to improve the view from the rear cockpit.

-  The ‘cheese cutter’ elevator trim was replaced by trim tabs controlled by a wheel in each cockpit.

-  The elevators were mass balanced to compensate for the weight of the tabs.

-  The RCAF also wanted a new type of cockpit canopy, jettisonable in an emergency and higher than that on the D.H.82A(Can).

-  Also included was the fitting of the higher-powered Gipsy Major 1C engine, although 100 airframes   retained the Menasco engine. (Menasco Moth - cooling intake on R/H side of nose)

 

What I'm having trouble documenting is that at some point, upper wing slats were not fitted, but I can find no info on that (absent on most - but not all, period photo's).  Also, were there any nav lights fitted on the WW2 trainers (most of the restored warbirds have them)

 

Would anyone have any info on the slats and lights?

 

Most of the mods (with the exception of vacuforming the canopy) seem fairly straight forward.

 

Colin

Edited September 12, 2020 by Tail-Dragon

[halfwit]

According to Michael Jerram's book (Tiger Moth Super Profile) there was an accident where 'the automatic slots opened in flight at high airspeed, overstressing the wing and causing it to fail'. As a result in May 1941 'the RCAF decided that the slats served no valid purpose and ordered them to be removed'.

Edited September 12, 2020 by halfwit
Clarity.

[Tail-Dragon]

Excellent info, thanks. That explains why they appear in some photo’s only.

Thanks, 

Colin

[halfwit]

That book's my current bedside reading. I recently picked up an old Aeroclub 1:72 Tiger on eBay for peanuts which includes the 82C canopy and Menasco alternative nose, which is why I remembered that part about the differences.

[RJP]

Add to that the heel wells for the occupant of the rear seat.  They appeared as small round fairings on the belly.  One wonders why it should have been necessary to do this.  Perhaps we're taller in this country.

 

Canadian Tigers could also be fitted with skis.  I have no idea if this was a Canadian mod or one simply used here.

 

 

[Work In Progress]

 

13 hours ago, RJP said:

Perhaps we're taller in this country.

This was exactly the reason.

[Tail-Dragon]

7 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

 

This was exactly the reason.

No way, Eh!  Those were Beer holders - a requirement of the Great White North Air Training Plan  (GWNATP).

[Trivic]

On 12/09/2020 at 13:29, RJP said:

Add to that the heel wells for the occupant of the rear seat.  They appeared as small round fairings on the belly.  One wonders why it should have been necessary to do this.  Perhaps we're taller in this country.

 

Canadian Tigers could also be fitted with skis.  I have no idea if this was a Canadian mod or one simply used here.

 

 

Must be for our big mukluks for winter operation. 

[Trivic]

On 12/09/2020 at 13:29, RJP said:

Add to that the heel wells for the occupant of the rear seat.  They appeared as small round fairings on the belly.  One wonders why it should have been necessary to do this.  Perhaps we're taller in this country.

 

Canadian Tigers could also be fitted with skis.  I have no idea if this was a Canadian mod or one simply used here.

 

 

Must be for our big mukluks for winter operation. 

[Trivic]

Thank you Tail-Dragon for this list of differences. If you come across any other differences, please let us know here. I see that ICM is coming out with a 1/32 DH-82C but there still isn’t an RCAF Tiger Moth in 1/48. The question is whether Airfix will come out with an RCAF version of their Tiger Moth at some point. 

[Beazer]

FYI apparently ICM is in the final stages of a DH82c in 1/48 scale.

I have the same airfix kit and was also curious how to modify it until that little tidbit of info crept up on me today.

[marvinneko]

I'm interested in looking for an 82C Tiger Moth as my great uncle probably trained in one at No. 3 Wireless School in Manitoba in 1941. I have some cool pix of the plane and its radio setup in the back seat for trainees.

 

I'll be dropping by the LHS this weekend and they have used and new kits.

 

Any tips before I comb through kits on Saturday?

[Paul J]

This will be an interesting mod to the Airffix 48th kit. I have somewhere in my bits box a 1/48 vacform canopy suitable that came with the 48th Aeroclub kit. It's yours if interested. But if you are in Canada, it could  be awkward to send across to you.

[marvinneko]

On 26/01/2023 at 14:15, Paul J said:

This will be an interesting mod to the Airffix 48th kit. I have somewhere in my bits box a 1/48 vacform canopy suitable that came with the 48th Aeroclub kit. It's yours if interested. But if you are in Canada, it could  be awkward to send across to you.

 

Thanks for such kindness. However the postage would be more than a whole used kit I expect. Postage is bananas for Canada. We are a stupidly large country with very few people in a few places along the border  I'll see what I can find at the LHS.