de Havilland Swallow Moth

DH.81 Swallow Moth
Role	sports aircraft
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd
First flight	21 August 1931
Retired	3 February 1932
Number built	1

The de Havilland DH.81 Swallow Moth was aimed at the low-cost sporting aircraft market during the Great Depression. It was a single-engined two-seat low-wing monoplane; only one was built.

Development

The DH. 81 Swallow Moth^[1] was a low-wing cantilever monoplane. This arrangement and its plywood-covered fuselage and closely cowled 80 hp (60 kW) inline Gipsy IV engine gave it a very clean aerodynamic look. The wings carried ailerons that were horn-balanced at the wingtips and the empennage was of characteristic de Havilland form, with a balanced rudder. There was separate tandem seating for two, initially open, but later enclosed with a one-piece hinged cabin top. With this enclosure the aircraft was called the DH.81A and the top speed increased by 12 mph (19 km/h). The main undercarriage was simple, the legs reaching to mid-fuselage in front of the leading edge of the wing, with bracing struts fore and aft to the keel; the later Leopard Moth used a similar arrangement. A small tailskid completed the undercarriage.^[1]

The Swallow Moth was first flown by Geoffrey de Havilland on 21 August 1931.^[2] Some alteration to the fin followed and the flight testing continued until February 1932. During this time the class B marking E-7 was allocated, but the Swallow Moth never reached the civil register. Its design influenced later de Havilland aircraft, particularly the 1938 Moth Minor.^[3]

Specifications

Data from Jackson 1978, pp. 302

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one
• Length: 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
• Height: 8 ft 4 in (2.56 m)
• Wing area: 149 ft² (13.85 m²)
• Gross weight: 1,330 lb (603 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy IV four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine, 80 hp (60 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 117 mph (188 km/h)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to De Havilland DH.81.

Notes

Bibliography

• Jackson, A.J. (1978). de Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0-370-30022-X.