DH 82 Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Burkhard Reinsch

An English aircraft enthusiast, John Pothecary, discovered in the 90´s a  completely dismantled Tiger Moth in various barns and hangers which he restored as an early version of the Tiger Moth, that was first delivered to the RAF Pilot training squadrons towards the end of 1931. These first batches of Tigers had the rear top fuselage decking covered in linen and doped, the rudder did not have mass balancing. Later versions had the rear fuselage sheeted with plywood.

The RAF Central Flying School had in 1932 five of these early Tigers modified, so they would be able to fly inverted for a longer period. The display team, in this same year, flew a formation inverted, something really special for this time. John Pothecary has used the original paint scheme from these RAF CFS display Tigers. The checkered scheme on the top wing surfaces was intended to enable the public to recognize that the Tigers being inverted. I discovered a photograph of these inverted flying display Tigers in that superb book by the well known aerial photographer Gordon Baines, called Silvered Wings. The colours really got me, as well as checkering, instead of all the many different sunburst schemes. The Pothecary Tiger is no way out of place with such other colour schemes.

The summer suddenly appeared over Diepholz, result being our two models were in the air together, which enabled me, with the huge propeller, to cut a very small portion from the wing tip of the Avro Tutor, which naturally was not greeted with any enthusiasm from Gerd. The photo´s of the two airborne models are not in any way doctored, this was exposed micro seconds before the not to be forgotten wing tip slotting.

Titan ZG 38SC with 2.8:1 reduction gear and tuned stainless steel muffler #5770. 31.5 x 18" GRP prop. ACT S3D 2.4GHz.

Burkhard Reinsch

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Gerhard Haas

Hello Mr. Reinsch,
after the Piper PA 18 in 2006, the maiden flight of my Big Tiger, built over last winter, has just taken place, powered with the 38 and reduction gear.
The model is utterly fantastic ...but you can see for yourself in the video here:

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Dre van Nassau, Netherlands

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Albert Erhard

...started with this project in 1987 and first flown in August 2005, took quite some time but is such a joy to fly.
The ZG 38 and reduction gear is as old as the kit.

Will enter her by the ESC Cup in 2006. The red finish belongs to my club colleague Harald Zimmer. The photo´s were taken on our model flying field MFC Sielenbach (Bavaria).

Best regards,
Albert Erhard

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Rüdiger Dorow

Good evening Mr. Reinsch,
as I promised at the Göttingen flying meet, herewith a few photo´s of Rüdiger Dorows Big Tiger. He bought the kit from you in 1986 and two years later
made the maiden flight. Early this year the  Big Tiger was  refitted with more modern RC gear and  re engined with a de Vries VT 852R twin in line four stroke engine.
My father flies her very enthusiastically and stunts the Tiger to its limits.

Best regards,
Philipp Dorow

Manfred Ricken's Tiger Moth, built per the traditional
"zero zero rigging scheme" and it's consequences.

... The Tiger exhibited some nasty vices, she could not fly straight and level well, reacted very strangely to the controls. The CG was moved forward in small steps to no avail.
After intensive persuasion, Manni checked the rigging angles: as feared the Tiger builder had set the tailplane at zero degrees. This was bad enough, but both wings incidences did not match and were both set at a false angle of attack...

DH 82a Tiger Moth built by Andreas Paul

Photo: Heiner Wintermann

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 from Andreas and Guenter Scholl

... Yesterday my father´s Tiger Moth made it´s maiden flight without the slightest mishap.

This would not be something remarkable especially when...

The kit and the engine had been bought 14 years before. During these 14 years some building was carried out in small stages. Two wing sets were requisitioned from the kit to repair my Tiger, then the missing two wings were built from the plan.

The engine being a ZG 38 with reduction gear, after two turns on the prop to suck in, the engine immediately fired and ran (due to the lengthy storage time we were a bit more than skeptical). A tick aileron and slight down trim and that was all there was to it.

And when my father had not chosen the colour scheme from a Tiger Moth he had previously flown in Australia!

Best regards,
Andreas Scholl

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Etienne Perozzo

Hello Toni,
finally after bad weather conditions, my Tiger did his maiden flight yesterday.
A very great pleasure with this plane, but on the second flight, I have broken my propeller, because after landing, the tiger goes on his nose and propeller was destroyed. I have to be very careful when landing.
My aircraft registration is from a Piper PA-44-180 and the literal translation in French means "I am thirsty".
You can also see all pictures on my web site http://www.aerofun.be ...unfortunately it is in French.

Etienne Perozzo
Belgium

PS: The tendency to go on the nose is when the Tiger Moth is nose heavy. The problem is solved with a correct CG. Please see - How to set the CG on a Tiger Moth...

How to set the CG on a Tiger Moth.

Pictures by Etienne Perozzo

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Gary Cundall

Hi Tony
I have flown my Moth. Flys a dream, sounds and looks so realistic. Have attached photo. Still have detail to finish.

Regards
Gary Cundall

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Oliver Schakel

Our Tiger is Oliver Schakel's first big model he built. Oliver had just turned 17 and then must sit for his school certificate, so almost a whole year went by before the first flight...
Fitted with modern high power servos, the really well powered model is an unbelievably agile performer. In fact, aerobatics with the Tiger is far more fun than with a "proper" aerobatic machine...

10 meter Nimbus towed aloft by the DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3

The Tiger Moth towed a 10 meter Nimbus at the La Ferte Alais large model meeting in 2002, because the tug aircraft had engine problems.
Result was, in such seemingly hopeless situation, that not only the smaller gliders have been hung onto the Tiger, but as well the 27 kilo Nimbus of Marc Hauss. The flying field at La Ferte Alais is so big, that even after take off, one still could land straight ahead - it could not go wrong.

We were positively surprised to see how realistic and effortless this duo climbed, the altitude limit was only set by the Gray colour of the Tiger Moth, a while later, I could no longer see the orienteering of the Tiger Moth and Marc had to pull the tow line release at half of his usual altitude.

Next year we met up again at the Lehrte Flying Display, Marc had his Nimbus and I the Tiger Moth, many pilots present thought we were crazy but they could not know we had done this before...

The Tiger Moth is powered with the Titan ZG 38SC, Quadra tuned pipe and reduction gear. With the 31.5x18 prop it produces a thrust of 15 kilos.

Gerhard Reinsch

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Heiner Wintermann

... at the Fronhausen Flying Day I was allowed (once again) to fly Heiner Winterman´s Tiger Moth. Heiner used this opportunity to try out his new Cannon Digital camera.

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Christian Kettner 

Dear Mr. Reinsch,
my DH 82a Tiger Moth is 5 years old this year. She has appeared on many Flying Days and always attracts a lot of attention. I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank you for this superb kit.
The two photo´s attached were taken last year in the Eversberg (Sauerland). Should you organize a flying day and need willing assistance, I would gladly attend with my Moth and other models.

I wish you good luck and success.
Christian Kettner

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3,3 built by Ralf Muskens

Dear Mr Reinsch,
many thanks for your helpful answers during the building of my Tiger Moth, she has already made 11 flights powered by a Saito 300 horizontally apposed twin, what a model! She flies as if she were on rails ( maiden flight only two ticks up trim).

The building was a real joy and flying is even better! The Saito has a super sound fitting perfectly to the Moth, not exactly scale but who cares...
The 12,5 kg climb effortless, looping from horizontal, rolls very easy, knife edge I find requires some effort.

But the best are low fly by's at 25% power, the landings are nice to see with the sprung undercarriage taking the rough surface without difficulty.
The model is really very "practical", robust and easy to transport. I will (hopefully) continue to have a lot more fun.

Many thanks for a super model.

My regards.
Ralf Muskens
Netherlands

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Norbert Simon

Dear Mr. Reinsch,
due to your excellent kit, it was possible for me to build a scale model of a Tiger Moth, so I wish to thank you by way of the enclosed photo´s.

Best regards.
Norbert Simon,
MFC Rheinbach-Swisttal e.V.

Full size DH 82a Tiger Moth

Oliver Schakel had a flight in this full size Moth.

DH 82a Tiger Moth 1:3.3 built by Rainer Hudewenz

Hello Mr. Reinsch and Mr. Clark,
from my standpoint a few nice photo´s of the Tiger Moth towing a Grunau Baby as well as an SG38, if you feel these photo´s have merit, perhaps they are good enough for your Gallery.

The pictures were taken in 2006 on the model flying field at Welzow/Brandenburg.

Best regards,
Rainer Hudewenz