de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth

About ‘de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth’ – Source Wikipedia

Role: High-speed research and racing monoplane
Manufacturer: De Havilland Aircraft Company
First flight: June 24, 1927
Introduction: 1927
Number built: 2

Specifications (de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth)

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 18 ft 7 in (5.66 m)
• Wingspan: 22/19 ft 6 in (6.86/5.79 m)
• Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
• Wing area: 76.5 ft2 (7.11 m2)
• Empty weight: 618 lb (280 kg)
• Gross weight: : 905 lb (411 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × ADC Cirrus II inline piston/de Havilland Gipsy prototype., 85/135 hp (63 kW) each

Development

The de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth was a single-seat monoplane, designed to research high-speed flight and test replacement engines for the Cirrus engine. The plane was designed around its test pilot, Hubert Broad, to make it as streamlined as possible: this resulted in the fuselage sides being sloped outwards in order to accommodate his shoulders. The first aircraft built (G-EBQU) was initially fitted with an 85 hp Cirrus engine to check its handling characteristics. This was then replaced with Major Halford’s prototype engine, by then named the Gipsy. The second example, G-EBRV, was fitted with a Cirrus engine.
Both aircraft were entered for the 1927 King’s Cup race but ‘QU was withdrawn in order to be tuned for record-breaking purposes. Broad flew ‘RV in the race but retired.
In August 1927, Broad flew a 62-mile (100 km) closed-circuit record for Class III Light Aircraft of 186.47 mph (300.09 km/h). Five days later he flew to 19,191 ft (5,849 m) without oxygen in an attempt to break the altitude record for its category. For these record attempts the aircraft was fitted with a new set of mainplanes with a reduced span of 5.79 metres.
In 1930, the first DH.71 crashed when the engine cut out while practising for a race in Australia, killing pilot David Smith. The second airframe was for a time displayed outside de Havilland’s Hatfield factory, eventually being destroyed there in a Luftwaffe air raid in October 1940.