De Havilland Hawk Moth

infobox Aircraft
name = DH.75 Hawk Moth
type = Cabin monoplane
manufacturer = De Havilland Aircraft Company


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designer =
first flight = 1928
introduced =
retired =
produced =
number built = 8
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variants with their own articles = The de Havilland DH.75 Hawk Moth was a 1920s British four-seat cabin monoplane built by De Havilland Aircraft Company at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware.

Design and development

The DH.75 Hawk Moth was the first of a family of high-wing monoplane Moths. The aircraft had a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a wooden wing. The Hawk Moth was first flown on 7 December 1928. The first aircraft used a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Ghost V-8 engine. The aircraft was underpowered and a 240 hp (179kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx VIA radial engine was fitted to it and all other Hawk Moths. 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 trails 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 eight aircraft was produced as the DH.75B with a 300 hp 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, 6 built.;DH.75B:Final production aircraft fitted with a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright R-975 Whirlwind radial engine, one built.

Operators

;AUS;flag|Canada|1921;UK

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

aircraft specification
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=
length main= 28 ft 10 in
length alt= 8.79 m
span main= 47 ft 0 in
span alt= 14.33 m
height main= 9 ft 4 in
height alt= 2.84 m
area main= 334 ft²
area alt= 31.03 m²
empty weight main= 2,380 lb
empty weight alt= 2080 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,650 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1656 kg
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Lynx VIA
type of prop= radial piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 240 hp
power alt= 179 kw
max speed main= 127 mph
max speed alt= 204 km/h
range main= 560 miles
range alt= 901 km
ceiling main= 14,500 ft
ceiling alt= 4420 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament=

ee also

aircontent

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see also=
* List of de Havilland aircraft

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2|year= 1973|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10107 X

External links