Description
In the early 1930s the British Air Ministry issued a specification for a new trainer aircraft for the RAF. The RAF themselves were quite keen on the DH.60 Gypsy Moth due to its excellent handling characteristics and low running costs, but it fell short of the specification due to the position of the wings relative to the front cockpit which did not allow the pilot to easily bail out. Determined to win the order, de Havilland took a Gypsy Moth aside and had the top wings moved forward to meet the specification. However, this resulted in the balance of the aircraft being affected, so both sets of wings were swept back and when that wasn’t quite enough, the top wings were swept back a little further. It then became clear that the sweep had reduced the ground clearance of the lower wings and so the inter-plane struts were shortened and the dihedral of the bottom wing increased. Whether by accident or design, all of these changes made the DH.82 Tiger Moth an excellent training aircraft – often summarised by the phrase “easy to fly, but difficult to fly well”. This meant that it was safe in the hands of a novice but helped instructors weed out weaker pilots.
This kit is designed for you to build a traditionally constructed, rubber powered, free flight model of a DH.82A Tiger Moth. The kit includes the materials (other than paints) to complete the suggested authentic scheme of a yellow Royal Australian Air Force Tiger Moth.
Free flight means just that – once the model is launched, it is on its own. It must follow a predetermined flight path established when the model is initially adjusted for flight or “trimmed”. This type of traditional building technique and flying requires a degree of patience and skill, but is extremely rewarding. Typically for a small model and in the spirit of the traditional kits, profiles are simplified and adjusted from the original and a relatively large propeller is used. This is done so that the model is light and stable enough to fly on its own, is simple in construction and can work with the rubber motor. These adjustments have been done with care and sensitivity so that the shape and spirit of the original aircraft is preserved as much as possible.
In the spirit of the traditional kits, additional items required to build the model are things that can be found in the kitchen drawer or are easily available on the high street.
- Power System – Rubber Free Flight
- Wingspan – 18″ (460mm)
- Approximate AUW – 25g
- Difficulty – Beginner
- Designed & manufactured in the UK
