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The de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth is a three-seat high-wing cabin monoplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1933.

DH.85 Leopard Moth
Leopard Moth exported to Australia in 1935, exhibited airworthy at the Drage Air World Museum at Wangaratta Airport Victoria in 1988
Role	Three-seat cabin monoplane Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	de Havilland
First flight	27 May 1933
Introduction	8 July 1933
Primary users	United Kingdom private pilots Australian pilots
Produced	1933-1936
Number built	133

Design and construction

It was a successor to the DH.80 Puss Moth and replaced it on the company's Stag Lane and later Hatfield production lines. It was similar in configuration to the earlier aircraft, but instead of a fuselage with tubular steel framework, a lighter all-plywood structure was used which allowed a substantial improvement in range, performance and capacity on the same type of engine. The pilot is seated centrally in front of two side-by-side passengers and the wings can be folded for hangarage.

Operational history

The prototype first flew on 27 May 1933 and in July won the King's Cup Race at an average speed of 139.5 mph (224.5 km/h), piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland. A total of 133 aircraft were built, including 71 for owners in the British Isles, and 10 for Australia. Other examples were exported to France, Germany, India, South Africa and Switzerland. Production of the Leopard Moth ended in 1936.

44 Leopard Moths were impressed into military service in Britain and others in Australia during World War II, mostly as communications aircraft. Only a few managed to survive six years of hard usage although a small number were still airworthy seventy years after the last was completed. Six remained operational in the U.K. in 2009.

Operators

Military operators

 Belgian Congo

• Aviation militaire de la Force publique First aircraft (C-1) entered service 9 October 1940.[1]

 Germany

• Luftwaffe (small numbers)[2]

 India

• Royal Indian Air Force

 Netherlands

• Dutch Army Aviation Group

 Portugal

• Portuguese Air Force

 South Africa

• South African Air Force

 Southern Rhodesia

• Southern Rhodesian Air Force operated one aircraft only.

 Spain

• Spanish Air Force

 Straits Settlements

• Malayan Volunteer Air Force

 United Kingdom

• Royal Air Force impressed into service a number of former civil aircraft, using them as communications and liaison aircraft during the Second World War.
• Royal Navy impressed into service at least one former civil aircraft.

 Kingdom of Yugoslavia

• Royal Yugoslav Air Force operated one aircraft only.

Airline operators

 India

• Air India[3]

Specifications (DH.85)

Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 [4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
• Wingspan: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
• Height: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
• Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,290 lb (585 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,225 lb (1,009 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Major 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 130 hp (97 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 137 mph (220 km/h, 119 kn)
• Cruise speed: 119 mph (192 km/h, 103 kn)
• Range: 715 mi (1,151 km, 621 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 21,500 ft (6,600 m)
• Rate of climb: 550 ft/min (2.8 m/s)

See also

Related development

• DH.80 Puss Moth

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• RWD-13
• Comte AC-12

References

Bibliography

• Comas, Matthieu (September–October 2020). "So British!: 1939–1940, les avions britanniques dans l'Armée de l'Air" [So British!: British Aircraft in the French Air Force 1939–1940]. Avions (in French) (236): 38–61. ISSN 1243-8650.
• A. J. Jackson (1987). De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 (Third ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.
• A. J. Jackson (1988). British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume II (1988 ed.). London: Putnam (Conway Maritime Press).

На других языках

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[de] De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Die de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth war ein als Hochdecker konstruiertes dreisitziges Reiseflugzeug des britischen Herstellers de Havilland Aircraft Company aus dem Jahr 1933. Sie war die Nachfolgerin der DH.80 Puss Moth.

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- [en] De Havilland Leopard Moth

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[fr] De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Le De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth était un avion de loisirs triplace monoplan à aile haute, conçu et produit par le constructeur britannique de Havilland Aircraft Company en 1933.

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[it] De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Il de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth fu un monomotore da trasporto ad ala alta, in grado di trasportare tre persone pilota compreso, prodotto dall'azienda britannica de Havilland negli anni trenta.

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