1941 deHavilland Tiger Moth, Canadian Model

The de Havilland DH 82C Tiger Moth is a biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was built in Canada under license to the de Havilland Company in England. 

The original design was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. During WWII, the RAF Tiger Moth was used for maritime surveillance, defensive anti-invasion preparations, and some aircraft were outfitted to function as armed light bombers. 

Canadian-built Tiger Moths featured modifications to better suit the local climate, along with a reinforced tail wheel and moving the landing gear forward 4 inches to safeguard tipping forward on landing in the snow. Hand-operated brakes were added and the cockpit enclosed with a large sliding canopy with exhaust-based heating. Pins were added around the oil tank to snap on an insulated blanket. 

Three sets of tools are needed to work on the engine and aircraft – British, American, and metric. The wings are made of wood, covered with Grade A cotton, making them very flexible. Instrumentation for the Canadian Tiger Moth was “American”. The struts were changed to metal (British struts were made of wood). The tail is a full swivel tail to assist with landings and take-offs in snow and rough terrain landings. The fuel tank is corrugated and holds 19 gallons. The handholds on the wings assist in folding the wings along the fuselage for transport. One of the instruments in the aircraft is a morse code unit. 

This plane was purchased in Canada by the Schildbergs and was one of the first planes they purchased.