de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk
The first aircraft designed at de Havilland's
Canadian subsidiary, the DHC-1 first flew in May 1946
as a successor to the D.H.82 Tiger
Moth. Large scale production took place in Canada
and Britain up to 1956 and many were exported abroad.
Among the type's many operators was also the Egyptian Air Force which employed the type as a primary trainer
during the 1950s. The Chipmunk has a fixed tailwheel
landing gear and tandem accommodation for the two crew,
and is of an all metal stressed-skin construction.
The Chipmunk was one of three single engined trainers
evaluated for the IAF's flight school during the early
1950s. The IAF purchased one example which arrived
in Israel during May 1950 and although the type proved
to be an excellent training platform, it also suffered
from the local weather. The IAF finally rejected the
Chipmunk for its relativly high price, the Fokker
Instructor selected instead. The sole DHC-1,
registered 3001, was still in IAF service during
November 1951.
Specification: de Havilland Canada
DHC-1 Chipmunk
Type: two seat training monoplane.
Powerplant: one de Havilland Gipsy
Major 8.
Performance: max speed - 145mph, range
- 300 miles.
Weights: empty - 650kg, max takeoff
- 907kg.
Dimensions: span - 10.45m, length
- 7.75m, height - 2.13m.
Armament: none.
Sources: IAF Inventory |