The biplane that taught a generation to fly, now flying at Ruritania. There are two of them: a yellow wartime trainer and the burgundy-and-silver colours of the very first Tiger Moth ever built.
The de Havilland Tiger Moth first flew in 1931. Through the 1930s and the Second World War it was the first aeroplane that tens of thousands of pilots ever flew, in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Many who went on to fly Spitfires and Lancasters made their first solo in a Tiger Moth.
It is a tandem two-seat biplane with open cockpits, a fabric-covered airframe and an upside-down Gipsy Major engine up front. It is also a tail-dragger: it sits nose-high on the grass, and on the take-off run the tail lifts first, before the wheels leave the ground. Ruritania's Tiger Moths do just that.
TypeDH.82A Tiger Moth
LiveriesA17-56 · G-ACDA
EngineGipsy Major
BuilderHanscoque Avionics
2Liveries
2Tandem seats
4Moving surfaces
4Camera views
G-ACDA and A17-56 on the grass in front of the hangar at Ruritania.
A17-56
The wartime trainer
Trainer yellow
A17-56Royal Australian Air Force serial
Bright trainer yellow told everyone in the sky that a pupil was at the controls. During the war, Tiger Moths were built under licence by de Havilland Australia at Bankstown, near Sydney, and served the Royal Australian Air Force with serials beginning A17, as this one wears.
These were the aeroplanes of the Empire Air Training Scheme, where young men from across the Commonwealth learned to fly before going on to frontline aircraft.
Colours Trainer yellow, roundels, red-white-blue fin
Role Elementary flying training
Serials RAAF "A17" series
A17-56 banking over the aerodrome.
G-ACDA
The very first Tiger Moth
G-ACDA low over the crowd and the classic cars.
De Havilland School of Flying
G-ACDAConstruction number 3175
G-ACDA carries the colours of the very first production Tiger Moth. With construction number 3175 it began the line of some 8,800 that followed.
Early in 1933 it was one of ten new Tiger Moths delivered to the de Havilland School of Flying at Hatfield, de Havilland's home aerodrome. The burgundy and silver was the School's own scheme. In the war it was taken into the RAF as BB724 to train pilots, and afterwards it returned to its old registration. It is still on the UK register, and is still seen at vintage fly-ins in the School's colours.
Colours Burgundy fuselage, silver wings
First operator De Havilland School of Flying, Hatfield
War service RAF serial BB724
The Instrument Panel
The Hanscoque panel, as in the Cub
Both Tiger Moths work with the same Hanscoque Avionics instrument panel as the Piper Cub Mark Five. You get a full six-pack of flight instruments, a row of engine and systems gauges, and the compass and view button above.
Pilots who already know the Cub will find everything where they expect it. The panel stays on screen while you fly, so you can keep an eye on speed, height and heading from the open cockpit.
The Hanscoque Avionics panel, shared with the Piper Cub.
Starting & Flying
Climb aboard, swing the prop, and fly
As in the real aeroplane, the pilot flies from the rear cockpit. Click the fuselage or a wing and the first person aboard takes the pilot's seat at the back, and the next takes the front seat as passenger. You can also click a seat directly to sit in it. When you're done, click your seat, the fuselage or a wing to step down onto the grass.
Engine
Page Up first press
Starts the engine. The wooden propeller gives way to a spinning blur and she settles to idle.
Page Up again
Adds power, a step at a time.
Page Down
Eases power off a step at a time. At zero on the ground, press again to stop the engine.
On the ground
←→
Steer as you taxi out across the grass.
add power
As she gathers speed, the tail comes up into the flying attitude, as on any proper tail-dragger.
↓ pull back
Once she's rolling, ease back on the stick to lift off.
In the air
←→
Bank into turns.
↑↓
Descend and climb.
Landing
Page Down
Ease the power off, settle her onto the grass and let her roll to a stop. The tail drops back onto the ground.
Camera
/5 chase
Follows the aeroplane from behind.
/5 front
Looks back at her from ahead.
/5 left
A broadside view, ideal for watching the surfaces move.
/5 shoulder
Over the pilot's shoulder, from the cockpit.
✦ Moving surfaces
The elevator, rudder and both ailerons move with every input, and you hear the controls work as they do.
✻ Two propellers
A carved wooden propeller at rest, and a spinning blur whenever the engine runs.
✈ Classic flight
The same flight model as the Cub: steady, forgiving and easy to love, with a proper tail-up take-off run.
Dual Controls
Instructor behind, pupil in front
The Tiger Moth was built to teach. Real instructors talked to their pupils through a Gosport tube, a rubber speaking tube running between the cockpits, because there was no radio. At Ruritania you can hand over control the same way the Cub does. Control only changes hands when the other pilot accepts it.
Handing over control
Whoever is flying says: you have control
The other pilot takes it by saying: i have control
Just type the phrase in local chat. The handover happens only once both have spoken.
At a Glance
Everything in the Tiger Moth
From the way you board to the way the tail lifts.
Two liveries: A17-56 and G-ACDA
Tandem two-seat open cockpits
Pilot in the rear cockpit, as in the real aircraft
Board by clicking the fuselage, a wing or a seat
Step out by clicking your seat or the fuselage
Hanscoque Avionics instrument panel
Classic flight model, shared with the Cub
Tail-up take-off run
Moving elevator and rudder
Moving left and right ailerons
Control-surface sound
Wooden propeller that turns to a blur in flight
Engine start, running and stop sounds
Four selectable camera views
Dual-control handover
Live readout of height, speed, heading and power
A note on regions
The Tiger Moth is a physical aircraft, so she flies best on a healthy region. If you see heavy rubber-banding or stutter, that's the region or your connection rather than the aircraft. A relog usually helps.
