De Havilland Leopard Moth

Infobox Aircraft
name = DH.85 Leopard Moth
type = Utility aircraft
manufacturer = de Havilland


caption =
designer =
first flight = 27 May 1933
introduced = 8 July 1933
retired =
status =
primary user = United Kingdom
more users =
produced = 1933-1936
number built = 133
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth is a three-seat high-wing monoplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1933. It was a successor to the DH.80 Puss Moth and replaced it on the company's Stag Lane and later Hatfield production lines. It was similar in configuration to the earlier aircraft, but instead of a fuselage with tubular steel framework, a lighter all-plywood structure was used which allowed a substantial improvement in range, performance and capacity on the same type of engine.

The prototype first flew on 27 May 1933 and in July won the King's Cup Race at an average speed of 139.5 mph, piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland. A total of 133 aircraft were built, 71 of them for owners in the British Isles, before production ended in 1936.

44 Leopard Moths were impressed into military service in Britain and others in Australia during World War II, mostly as communications aircraft. Only a few managed to survive six years of hard usage although a small number were still airworthy seventy years after the last was completed.

pecifications (DH.85)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=1, pilot
capacity=2 passengers
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 24 ft 6 in
length alt= 7.5 m
span main= 37 ft 6 in
span alt= 11.4 m
height main= 8 ft 9 in
height alt= 2.7 m
area main= 206 ft²
area alt= 19.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,405 lb
empty weight alt= 640 kg
loaded weight main= 2,225 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,010 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= de Havilland Gipsy Major
type of prop=4 cylinder air-cooled inverted straight engine
number of props=1
power main= 130 hp
power alt= 97 kW
power original=
max speed main= 137 mph
max speed alt= 209 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 715 miles
range alt= 1,090 km
ceiling main= 21,500 ft
ceiling alt= 6,555 m
climb rate main= 625 ft/min
climb rate alt= 191 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*DH.80 Puss Moth

similar aircraft=
*RWD-13
*Comte AC-12
sequence=

lists=

see also=

References

*cite book| author=A. J. Jackson| title=British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II| edition=1988| publisher=Putnam (Conway Maritime Press)| location=London| year 1988|

External links

* [http://www.airwar.ru/enc/law1/dh85.html Photo at Ugolok Neba page]