de Havilland Hawk Moth

DH.75 Hawk Moth
Role	Cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	de Havilland
First flight	1928
Number built	8

The de Havilland DH.75 Hawk Moth was a 1920s British four-seat cabin monoplane built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware.

Design and development

The DH.75 Hawk Moth was the first of a family of high-wing monoplane Moths, and was designed as a light transport or air-taxi for export. The aircraft had a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a wooden wing. The Hawk Moth was first flown on 7 December 1928.^[1] The first aircraft used a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Ghost engine. This engine comprised two de Havilland Gipsys mounted on a common crankcase to form an air-cooled V-8.^[1] With the Ghost, the aircraft was underpowered and a 240 hp (179 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine was fitted to it and all but one production aircraft. Changes were also made to the structure including increased span and chord wings and the aircraft was redesignated the DH.75A.

In December 1929 the first aircraft was demonstrated in Canada with both wheel and ski undercarriage. Following trials with the second aircraft on floats, the Canadian government ordered three aircraft for civil use. The first Canadian aircraft (actually the first Hawk Moth) did not have any doors on the port side so could not be used as a floatplane, it was used by the Controller of Civil Aircraft. Further tests were carried out by de Havilland Canada in 1930, and the second and third aircraft were cleared to use floats. With restrictions on payload when fitted with floats the Canadian aircraft were only used on skis or wheels. In attempt to complete with American designed aircraft, the eighth aircraft was produced as the DH.75B with a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright Whirlwind engine. Production was stopped and two aircraft were not completed.

Operational service

With three aircraft operating in Canada a further two were exported to Australia. One of the Australian aircraft was used by Amy Johnson to fly from Brisbane to Sydney in 1930 when her Moth Jason was damaged.

Variants

DH.75

Prototype with de Havilland Ghost V8 engine; one built, later re-engined.

DH.75A

Production version with Armstrong Siddeley Lynx VIA radial piston engine; six built.

DH.75B

Final production aircraft fitted with a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright R-975 Whirlwind radial engine; one built.

Operators

 Australia

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force

 United Kingdom

Specifications (D.H.75A (Landplane))

Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 28 ft 10 in (8.79 m)
• Wingspan: 47 ft 0 in (14.33 m)
• Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
• Wing area: 334 ft² (31.03 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,380 lb (1,082 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,650 lb (1,659 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Lynx VIA radial piston engine, 240 hp (179 kw)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 127 mph (110 knots, 204 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 105 mph (93 knots, 169 km/h)
• Range: 560 mi (487 nmi, 902 km)
• Service ceiling: 14,500 ft (4420 m)
• Rate of climb: 710 ft/min (3.6 m/s)

See also

• List of de Havilland aircraft

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Jackson 1987, p.284.
2. ^ Jackson 1987, p.288.

References

• "The De Havilland "Hawk Moth"". Flight (7 February 1929): pp. 93–98. 7 February 1929. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929%20-%200243.html. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 
• Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10107 X. 
• Jackson, A.J (1987). De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 (Third ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0 85177 802 X.