April 2016
DeHavilland DH82A Tiger Moth
Britannia Royal Naval College Air Experience Flight
Roborough (Plymouth Airport) 1957
Airfix 1/72 with own decals
www.gengriz.co.uk
Background Image: Tiger Moth at the RNAS Yeovilton Airshow
The recent Airfix issue of the Tiger Moth is a superb little kit, with very fine
detail and a well thought-
One area of difficulty area the very fine main struts between the upper and lower
wings. Airfix have added X shaped positioning links between these that ensure an
accurate and easy fit, but subsequent removal of these parts is not easy and can
lead to broken struts (ask me how I know this -
The kit has been issued in 3 versions to date -
The Tiger Moth first flew in 1931 and was quickly established as one of the leading primary trainers across the world. Over 500 were in RAF service alone by the start of WW2 with an eventual production run of over 7,000, over 4,000 of which went to the RAF. Tiger Moths were built in the UK by DeHavilland, Morris and Scottish Aviation, in Canada by DHC, in Australia by DH Australia as well as in New Zealand, Sweden, Portugal and Norway.
The Royal Navy used a small number of Tiger Moths as target tugs and "air experience" machines, with an additional batch of refurbished ex civil examples purchased in 1956, one of which made the last biplane landing on an aircraft carrier (HMS Eagle)in 1967.
Several air experience and hack aircraft remained in Fleet Air Arm service until
the early 1970s including the subject of this model which started out as an RAF aircraft
with serial DE395. After disposal by the RAF and refurbishment by Hants & Sussex
Aviation, it was purchased by the RN and given the new military registration XL715.
Unfortunately, the aircraft was damaged beyond economical repair in a crash shortly
after take-
The real thing: Tiger Moth at the IWM Duxford
The real thing: Tiger Moth at the FAA Museum Cobham Hall