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Post by kiwi on Jan 10, 2007 17:19:39 GMT 12
Can anyone tell me if the DH 60 Moth originally had wing slats , many photos of restored aircraft show these fitted , but are these a feature added later ?
What do the initials added after the DH 60 stand for ?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 10, 2007 18:02:23 GMT 12
I know that the suffix in DH60M stands for metal, as in Metal Moth, due to its construction from metal rather than wood.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 14, 2007 21:49:02 GMT 12
The Handley-Page slots were developed in the 1920s in an attempt to reduce the number of stall/spin accidents then occurring, particularly during the landing approach phase of the flight, where a spin at low level was usually fatal.
A spring loading system kept the slot closed during normal flight, but would automatically open when airspeed over the wing dropped to a dangerous level and provide extra lift.
This was a succesful solution to the problem, and Handley-Page made considerable profits by licencing the system to other manufacturers and operators (I recollect reading that the US Navy alone paid him three million dollars for a perpetual licence).
DH Moths could be bought with the autoslot system installed, at extra cost, and a number of NZ Moths were equipped. Some of the prewar registration cards actually carried the aircraft ID as 'DH Moth autoslot'.
There is a often-seen photo of Dave Allen in Moth AAU performing a steep turn over the then Auckland Aero Club clubrooms at Mangere, where it can be clearly seen that slot on one wing is open and the other closed.
The first Moths in 1926 were just known as DH60, and had the ADC Cirrus engine.
The 1928 version had a spilt axle ( 'X' shape) undercarriage and a lower engine mount - known as the DH60X.
With the cessation of manufacture of the Cirrus engine, the DH Gipsy engine was developed and fillted to models which were sold as the DH60G - the Gipsy Moth.
Wooden airframes detriorate rapidly in the tropics, so to secure these markets the Moth was redsigned with metal fuselage frame and known as the DH60M.
The final major development of the DH60 was persuading the motor to run inverted (with the cylinders beneath the engine). DH60G aircraft to the specification were built as the DH60GIII
There were other minor variants, but this was the general scheme of things.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 14, 2007 22:15:36 GMT 12
Which was he Moth model that had an engine fit that looked just like the Tiger Moth's? Was that the DH60GIII?
I have a Moth question too, a specific one. Does anyone know which Moth was it that Ted Harvie wrote about in an article I have. He said he was at Mangere watching a Moth do aerobatics. The pilot's family were on the ground watching. Suddenly the spun down and crashed right in front of everybody, to the horror of his family. The aircraft was a wreck, and it was certain he was dead. Then after a bit the pile of woodwork moved and the pilot crawled out and walked away unharmed! It sounds amazing, and Harvie wasn't the type to embellish on a story judging by his other works. Any ideas who the pilot and plane were? And the date? Ted wasn't specific.
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Post by kiwi on Jan 15, 2007 5:49:24 GMT 12
Thank you for all the info , that helps a great deal .
The Moth with the engine set up similar to the Tiger , was I think called the Moth Major , but maybe someone else can give a more complete explanation .
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Jan 15, 2007 7:00:01 GMT 12
Correct on the Moth Major - all the best features of a DH60? and all the best of a Tiger Moth.
Wooden fuse, straight wings (no sweep back) giving faster roll and generally better handling as well as a bit more speed, inverted engine so you could see where you were heading and more streamlined (less drag more speed again).
Nice aircraft.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 15, 2007 9:53:48 GMT 12
Thanks for that. Is there anu in NZ of the Moth Major, Ryan? I guess if there are they aren't currently flying?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 15, 2007 21:09:19 GMT 12
Correct on the Moth Major - all the best features of a DH60? and all the best of a Tiger Moth. The Moth Major was indeed the DH60GIII with the Gipsy II 120hp motor replaced with the 130hp Gipsy Major. More go!! The DH60M was developed into the DH60T Moth Trainer, intended for military use. The DH60T was still not entirely suitable for military use, so was developed further into the DH82 and DH82A Tiger Moth. Six Moth Majors came to NZ in 1935, ZK-ADK to ADP. ZK-ADO had a very short life, crashing when a roll of newspapers intended for aerial delivery jammed the controls, the other five all survived to be impressed for service with the RNZAF in 1939. I did hear that a Moth stored at Mandeville was going to be restored as a Moth Major - care to comment on that Ryan?  Ed Coates photograph |
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Jan 16, 2007 7:01:29 GMT 12
Would be great to have a Moth Major, would be nice to fly with all the best characteristics of a Gipsy and the extra power and visibility of a Tiger. Unfortunately no plans to do one here in the near future but who knows....
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 7, 2007 8:46:17 GMT 12
UK Moth Major replica recent first flight:
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 15, 2019 9:53:02 GMT 12
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Post by madmax on Feb 15, 2019 12:08:27 GMT 12
Several decades ago a start was made by Bruce Coulter and partners to rebuild a DH82 as a Moth Major, the project never progressed far and was later taken over by others and later still by Stan Smith who and I understand is working on it. This aircraft was originally registered ZK_ATG.
Someone who visits North Shore may be able to add more about its progress
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 15, 2019 12:27:48 GMT 12
I saw it last week madmax. It's still a bare fuselage. I did not have a good look so I am not sure if it has progressed much lately. It's a cool project though.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Feb 16, 2019 19:11:46 GMT 12
The ID on that is incorrect. ZK-ADD was NZ's one-and-only Robinson Redwing Mk.II
'Bell Bird' was Angus McIntosh's DH60G Moth ZK-AAD
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