Planet Models 153 De Havilland D.H.85 Leopard Moth

The De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth was a British sports and communication aircraft from the interwar period. The plane was built in the high-wing configuration, with a fixed landing gear in the classic configuration. The machine was first flown in 1933. In the same year, serial production started, which lasted until 1936 and resulted in the production of about 130 examples of this aircraft. The drive was provided by the engine de Havilland Gipsy Major with 130 HP . The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament.

The DH.85 Leopard Moth was developed as a grassroots initiative by de Havilland Aircraft, which sought to refresh its market offering and wanted to replace the DH.80 with a new aircraft. Compared to its predecessor, the DH.85 had the same general layout, but received a new wing wing structure and numerous aerodynamic solutions were improved. As a result, the range of the aircraft has almost doubled. The machine gained a lot of recognition in the British Isles, but was also exported, for example, to Australia, India and Switzerland. During World War II, many of this machine was used by the RAF as communication aircraft. Interestingly, in 2009, there were six more airworthy DH.85 Leopard Moths registered in Great Britain.