DH.60 Moth
de Havilland · United Kingdom · first flew 1925 · light aircraft
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth created the British light-aeroplane movement, putting private flying within reach of the middle classes for the first time.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Plywood box fuselage with tandem open cockpits and door cutouts |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Light two-seat biplane with folding wings for garage storage
- Plywood box fuselage with tandem open cockpits and door cutouts
- Straight, unstaggered-looking wings unlike the swept-back Tiger Moth
Distinguish it from the later Tiger Moth by its straight wings without sweepback and the uncluttered centre section above the front cockpit. The slab-sided plywood fuselage and simple cabane make it look lighter and squarer than military biplanes. Look for the fold hinges at the wing roots.
Specifications
- The DH.60 Moth has a length of 7.29 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 164 km/h (102 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Geoffrey de Havilland flew the first Moth from Stag Lane in February 1925, and government-subsidised flying clubs adopted it en masse. Cheap, docile and fitted with folding wings so it could be towed home behind a car, it made 'Moth' a household word for any light aeroplane. It spawned the entire de Havilland Moth dynasty.
Variants
Early Cirrus-engined Moths gave way to the definitive DH.60G Gipsy Moth with de Havilland's own Gipsy engine, plus the metal-fuselage DH.60M. Amy Johnson's 1930 solo flight to Australia in Gipsy Moth 'Jason' made both her and the type immortal.
Where you'll see it
Britain remains the heartland of the Moth: the de Havilland Moth Club's annual gatherings bring dozens of airworthy DH.60s together, and Amy Johnson's 'Jason' hangs in the Science Museum. Airworthy examples appear regularly at Old Warden and vintage fly-ins. Many are still privately owned and flown as they were in the 1920s.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth
- de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth
- Tiger Moth
- de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth
- Aero A.11
- Atlantic Aircraft F-10A
- Blackburn R.2 Airedale
- Loening OL-2
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