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The de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk was
developed just after World War II. It
was the first aircraft designed by de Havilland of Canada to
replace the de Havilland Tiger Moth as a single-engine basic
trainer.
The prototype
first flew on 22 May 1946. 218 Chipmunks were built for the
Royal Canadian Air Force, followed, after a change to the Gipsy
Major 8 engine, by 735 planes for the RAF’s primary pilot training
bases. These were designated as T.10s.
The British version also
differed by being fully aerobatic and having a sliding, multi-paneled
canopy rather than the ‘bubble’ typical that
is seen on Canadian exmaples.
Another 217 of the versatile, easily-mastered Chipmunks were built
for export sale, and 60 were built under license in Portugal.
The Chipmunk T.10 was used as the elementary
trainer for the Royal Air Force, also serving in the same role in
the Royal Navy and Army Air Corps. In addition to its training role
the Chipmunk was also used for communications flights in Germany and
for internal security duties in Cyprus. The Chipmunk eventually
retired from military service in 1996 however 2 are still flown in
RAF service by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF).
The Chipmunk is still a valuable
training aeroplane into the 21st Century. Teams such as the BBMF,
Aircraft Restoration Company and Historic Aircraft Collection use
the aeroplane for pilot training for a range of World War II
fighters including the Spitfire and Hurricane.
The “Chippie”
has also been voted as “the greatest light aeroplane ever flown”
and is renowned for its excellent training qualities. May 2006 is
the 60th anniversary the first flight of this classic de
Havilland aeroplane.
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DHC-1 Chipmunk |
Wing Span:
Length:
Height:
Power:
Weight:
Maximum Speed:
Service Ceiling:
Range: |
34ft 4in (10.46m)
25ft 5in (7.75m)
7ft (2.13m)
De Havilland Gipsy Major 145hp
2,100lb (953kg)
173 knots (320 km/h)
18,000 ft (5486m)
280 miles (450 km) |
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