history

The DH.60 was developed from the larger DH.51 biplane. The first flight of the Cirrus powered prototype DH.60 Moth (registration G-EBKT) was carried out by Geoffrey de Havilland at the works airfield at Stag Lane on 22 February 1925. The Moth was a two-seat biplane of wooden construction, it had a plywood covered fuselage and fabric covered surfaces, a standard tailplane with a single tailplane and fin. A useful feature of the design was its folding wings which allowed owners to hangar the aircraft in much smaller spaces. The original production Moths were later known as Cirrus I Moths.

Although the Cirrus engine was reliable, its manufacture was not. It depended on components salvaged from World War I–era 8-cylinder Renault engines and therefore its numbers were limited by the stockpiles of surplus Renaults. Therefore, de Havilland decided to replace the Cirrus with a new engine built by his own factory. In 1928 when the new de Havilland Gipsy I engine was available a company DH.60 Moth G-EBQH was re-engined as the prototype of the DH.60G Gipsy Moth.

The Gipsy Moth quickly became the mainstay of British flying clubs as the only real recreational aircraft in the UK. By 1929 it was estimated that of every 100 aeroplanes in Britain, 85 were Moths of one type or another, most of them Gipsy Moths. This in spite of the fact that with de Havilland switching from the Cirrus to its own Gipsy engine, surplus Cirrus engines were now pouring into the 'free' market and a trove of Cirrus powered aircraft like the Avro Avian, the Klemm Swallow or the Miles Hawk started fighting for their share of the flying club and private market.

Although replaced in production by the DH.60G-III Moth Major and later by the DH.82 Tiger Moth, the Gipsy Moth remained the mainstay of the British flying scene up to the start of WWII. The war however marked the end of the Gipsy Moth and post-war it was quickly replaced by ex-RAF Tiger Moths pouring into the civilian market.

the kit

The kit box contains 32 resin parts cast on 5 sprues, clear acetate for the windscreens with wire and decals. All the parts are attached to substantial pour stubs and surrounded by a fair it of flash. Some of the parts are crammed quite close together. Removing them cleanly may be a challenge. Each pour stub of parts is sealed into its own section of a plastic bag, ensuring that any parts which may break off will not go far astray.

A piece of clear acetate sheet to be cut to size is pr0vided for the windscreens.

The fuselage is a one piece moulding. The cockpit furnishings are a floor, 2 seats, joysticks, rudder pedals and instrument panels. The cockpit opening is moulded in with a separate upper deck to be placed after installing the cockpit components

One piece upper wing and two piece lower wings are provided. The struts are cast resin.

The undercarriage is made up from four pieces. There are two different styles of wheels provided, although the smaller Tiger Moth style wheels appear not to be used for this boxing. The only indication of this is that the instruction sheet does not provide a number for them.

Markings are offered for one aircraft, HRH the Prince of Whales' G-AALG in blue over red with silver doped flying surfaces.

The instructions are one folded sheet divided into in four sections:

1. Aircraft data.

2. Decal and sprue parts layout.

3. Exploded assembly view.

4. Three colour views of the aircraft.

A build review will be published in future. This model is being built for the de Havilland campaign, and interested readers may follow its progress in the campaign thread.

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