de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth

de Havilland Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1932 · light aircraft

The de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth was a British single-engine biplane that carried up to four passengers in an enclosed cabin, with the pilot seated in an open cockpit behind and above the cabin.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.85 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-engine biplane with enclosed passenger cabin below the wing
Pilot in open cockpit above and behind the cabin
de Havilland Gipsy Major engine

Immediately recognisable for the unusual arrangement of the enclosed cabin below the wing with the pilot's open cockpit on top; the single biplane wing configuration is shared with other de Havilland Moths.

Specifications

The de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth has a length of 7.85 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.4 m (31 ft).
Its maximum speed is 171 km/h (106 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1932, the Fox Moth was designed as an economical air taxi and was built in the UK, Canada, and Australia. It proved popular with small operators and helped open bush flying routes in Canada and Australia. The Canadian-built version served into the postwar era.

Variants

The Canadian-built Fox Moth had a slightly modified structure; the Australian-built examples were broadly similar to the UK production aircraft.

Where you'll see it

Fox Moths served with air taxi operators, small airlines, and bush pilots in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries through the 1930s and into the 1950s.

Related aircraft

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