DH82 Tiger Moth question

[Dave Homewood]

So often I have been told by veterans, and read in books too, about the moment where a student pilot at an EFTS will land the aircraft and suddenly the instructor will get out, taking the control column with him, and tell the pilot to go solo.

My question is, is the DH82 Tiger Moth that well balanced that when the weight of the instructor is no longer there it can still fly fine without added ballast in the empty cockpit?

Did the student pilot have to re-trim the aircraft? And in the excitement and blur of being told to go on their first solo flight could this have een overlooked?

Just wondering.

[Dave Homewood]

Would the instructor have always been in the front cockpit at the point where he sent the student solo, and therefore sitting over the centre of gravity?

[Damon]

The trim would have been set as part of the pre take off checks I would imagine.C of G would be a consideration if being flown from the front cockpit.As ballast would be needed in the rear cockpit.I would imaging in agricultural days with a full load of phosephate the trim would have been well forward ,and as the load decreased during runs the trim and handling would have become better.The Tiger certainly would have better performance, shorter take off run ,climb better when the instructor was out of the aircraft.
My two cents.

[avenger]

I flew the DH 82 in the RNZAF but post WW 2 ! The instructor was in the front seat and vacated that when sending me solo. No additional ballast was loaded.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for this!