de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk

de Havilland Canada · Canada · first flew 1946 · light aircraft

A graceful tandem-seat primary trainer of 1946, the Chipmunk taught generations of RAF and Commonwealth pilots their first lessons.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.75 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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

Spot it by:

Slender tandem two-seat cockpit under a long canopy
Low tapered wing and a single nose propeller
Classic taildragger stance

Look for a slim, elegant low-wing taildragger with a long glasshouse canopy over tandem seats and a single propeller. It is more delicate and tapered than the chunkier, tricycle-geared PA-28 or Cessna trainers.

Specifications

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk has a length of 7.75 m (25 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.47 m (34 ft).
Its maximum speed is 222 km/h (138 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (instructor and pupil in tandem).

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

History

Designed by de Havilland Canada's Polish engineer Wsiewolod Jakimiuk, the Chipmunk first flew in 1946 as a modern monoplane replacement for the Tiger Moth biplane. It was built in Canada, Britain and Portugal and served the RAF as its standard ab-initio trainer for decades.

Variants

Canadian and British-built versions differed in canopy and detail; the RAF's T.10 was the principal British trainer, while civilian and aerobatic conversions abound. Many remain airworthy in private hands.

Where you'll see it

Two Chipmunks fly with the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at Coningsby, used for tailwheel training, and many more grace British airfields and vintage fly-ins. Their elegant lines are a familiar sight at summer airshows.

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