de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth

de Havilland · United Kingdom · first flew 1929 · light aircraft

The de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth was a high-wing cabin touring monoplane that offered enclosed comfort for three occupants while retaining the economy and simplicity of the Moth family. It was extensively used for long-distance record flights in the early 1930s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.62 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

High-wing cabin monoplane with braced folding wings
Enclosed cabin for pilot and two passengers
Gipsy III inline engine with smooth cowling

The braced high monoplane wing, enclosed three-seat cabin with large side windows, and inverted Gipsy III engine giving a flat-bottomed cowl distinguish the Puss Moth from the biplane Moth family.

Specifications

The de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth has a length of 7.62 m (25 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.2 m (37 ft).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

First flown in September 1929, the Puss Moth offered a significant advance in comfort over the open-cockpit Gipsy Moth while using the same Gipsy III engine. Jim Mollison used a Puss Moth for his solo Atlantic crossing in 1932, and Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison together flew one from Britain to India in a record time.

Variants

The DH.80A was the main production version with folding wings; detail changes in engine cooling and fuel system distinguished minor sub-variants; no major separate production variants existed.

Where you'll see it

Puss Moths served widely with private owners and charter operators across the British Empire, with military examples used for communications duties by the RAF and several Commonwealth air forces.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.