De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk

1946

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De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk was designed to succeed de Havilland's classic Tiger Moth biplane trainer. Flying for the first time at Downsview, Toronto on 22 May 1946, the tandem- seat stressed-skin monoplane was the first indigenous design of de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. The prototype, put through its paces by Pat Fillingham from the parent company at Hatfield, was powered by a 108kW de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C. Chipmunks built to the prototype's specification were designated DHC-1B-1, while those with a Gipsy Major 10-3 were designated DHC-1 B-2. Most Canadian-built Chipmunks had a bubble canopy.

Downsview built 218 Chipmunks, the last in 1951. Two were evaluated by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down. As a result, the fully-aerobatic Chipmunk was ordered from Hatfield and Chester to Specification 8/48 as an ab initio trainer for the RAF.

The RAF received 735 Chipmunks out of 1,014 manufactured in the UK. The first to wear RAF roundels were flown by the Oxford University Air Squadron from February 1950; thereafter, the type replaced the Tiger Moth with all 17 university air squadrons, as well as equipping many RAF Volunteer Reserve flying schools in the early 1950s. National service pilots underwent their initial training on the 'Chip', which served intermittently at the RAF College, Cranwell. A few Chipmunks of No. 114 Squadron were pressed into service in Cyprus on internal security flights during the troubles of 1958.

Under an agreement concluded between de Havilland and the General Aeronautical Material Workshops (OGMA) of Portugal 60 Chipmunks were licence-manufactured from 1955 for the Portuguese air force, and the type was still being operated by this service until replaced in 1989. Other users included Burma, Ceylon, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Eire, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand and Uruguay.

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De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk

Specification 
 MODELChipmunk T.Mk 10
 ENGINE1 x De Havilland Gipsy 8, 108kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight914 kg2015 lb
  Empty weight646 kg1424 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.46 m34 ft 4 in
  Length7.75 m25 ft 5 in
  Height2.13 m7 ft 0 in
  Wing area15.97 m2171.90 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed222 km/h138 mph
  Cruise speed187 km/h116 mph
  Ceiling4815 m15800 ft
  Range451 km280 miles

Comments1-20 21-40
fred thompson, e-mail, 25.12.2010 23:03

i have checked my logs and my aircraft dhc-1-82-85
serial no. 190 /228 was actually manufactured in 1956

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fred thompson, e-mail, 24.12.2010 21:24

i believe my chhipmunk airforce number 052 was manufactured in 54 or 55..i will check log books and advise you.

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Peter Gunthorpe, e-mail, 15.05.2010 17:26

I was in the first batch of regular u /t pilots to train at RAF Thornhill S Rhodesia Jan 1952. all our brand new Chippies were Without spinners, Rumour had it that the CO put the first one to arrive onto it's nose and as no spares were available all the others had their spinners removed, to save him embarrassment!!I saw the last regular pilots to solo on Tigers and was the 1st to get the chop on a Chippy

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Ray Hollands, e-mail, 20.07.2009 05:34

You say that the last Chipmunk was built in 1951. My Canadian Chipmunk, serial # 18065, was built in 1956. If you would like a proper photo of a representative model, I'll gladly supply one.

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Jock Williams, e-mail, 19.04.2009 23:15

You have to get a picture of the trainer model with the Gipsy engine. The one you show lacks all beauty and grace!
The Chipmunk was the metal covered monoplane follow-on to the Tiger Moth -and an excellent offspring it was indeed!
With its wide track gear, bubble canopy and a vast reduction in drag compared to the Tiger it was a magnificent trainer. They could have made it a foot longer and given some more room in the cockpit -and of course a few hundred more horsepower and retractable gear would have almost made it a fighter -but the point is -it could be put back into production today and a lot of flying schools and air forces could make excellent use of it.
How many 1946 vintage aircraft can you say THAT about?

Jock Williams Yogi 13

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ismail, e-mail, 02.02.2009 16:21

for a drawing try this website- wp.scn.ru
look for trainer aircraft

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Bill Flannery, e-mail, 12.01.2009 20:40

Does anyone know where there are 3 view drawings of the Canadian Trainer model?

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Charles F. Holleman, e-mail, 22.08.2008 17:18

Why did you pick a duster aircraft for your illustration? It is the aircraft which least represents the typical .

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Rod Brown, e-mail, 13.11.2006 04:40

Sorry ... but your production figures are all wrong.
Total = 1283, Canada = 217, UK =1000 Portugal = 66
RAF = 740

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1-20 21-40

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