7

The 'Tiger Moth

By Leo Kohn, EAA 4

HE VENERABLE old "Tiger Moth", probably as inde- you have ground control. A few more notches, and full
T fatigable as the DC-3, is still busily performing its
daily yeoman tasks in every corner of the world. In
parking is had on both wheels.

areas where it has been replaced by more modern air- Another feature is the differential aileron control.
This action allows the aileron on the inside of a turn to
craft, it is moving into its well deserved roll as an "an-
have more travel than the outside aileron. During the
tique", to be loved and cherished from this day forward!
complete cycle of aileron travel, there is a point where
This "Tiger", CF-CTN, resplendent in its yellow, blue both ailerons are up, and this can be confusing.
and black color scheme, is the result of a tedious restor-
The ''Tiger Moth" was used for primary pilot train-
ing job by Walter Huron (EAA 5933) of R. R. 2 in Whitby,
ing in many of the British Commonwealth nations during
Ontario. It was over a year in the rebuilding, six months
the war, and was built in England, Canada, Australia
of which were steady work. Walter farms for a living, so
and New Zealand. Especially in the latter two countries
the last two winters were spent solidly working on the
have these biplanes seen extensive service in agricultural
plane, otherwise it might have carried on for several application. Two hundred Canadian built "Tigers" served
years.
in the USAAF as the PT-24 primary trainer.
The "Tiger Moth", or DeHavilland DH-82A, is not
an easy aircraft to rebuild, but the end result was cer-
tainly worth the work. Unfortunately, few people realize
that the type is all too rapidly vanishing, and as with the
Stearman, their numbers have been reduced through the
hazards of crop-dusting and other specialties.
A few interesting features, oddities as compared to
other aircraft, can be attributed to the "Tiger". The way
it is fastened together is a good example. With the excep-
tion of a few high tensile bolts, all of the rest are of
mild steel and are continuous thread. The correct diameter
bolt is selected, the nut threaded on after the bolt is in-
serted in its place, and the excess, with the exception of
a few threads, is cut off. The part of the bolt remaining
beyond the nut is then peened over for safety. Many of
the fasteners are oval head screws, and in the peening,
when the head is bucked, the slot is usually damaged,
making them lots of fun to have to replace.
The brake system is almost beyond description. The
brakes are applied both with the rudder bar and a handle.
With the brake handle off, there is no action through
the rudder bar, and all there is is the rudder for steer-
ing. However, with a few notches taken up on the handle,
the cables to the Bendix wheel brakes tighten up, and PASSENGER WARNING

THIS AIRCRAFT IS AMATEUR-BUILT AND DOES

NOT COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL SAFETY
McCULLOCH REGULATIONS FOR "STANDARD AIRCRAFT."
Drone Engines
& Parts
New & Used
Write for your needs AIRCRAFT PLACARDS AVAILABLE FROM EAA
D. F. DeLong
619 E-8th Ave. AT $2.00 PER SET
Eugene, Oregon

SPORT AVIATION 43