Tiger Moth

Fame comes in many shapes and sizes, remember Charlie Chaplin, zany, crazy, full of fun and very famous to boot.

A character full of emotion and from an era when laughter and enjoyment were in short supply. Charlie oozed charisma and charm, and whether you’re young or old, novice or veteran, this new release allows your very own virtual touch with fame, however you get far more than the fifteen minutes suggested. This one is for keeps.

From the golden age of cinema to the golden age of aircraft design comes this giant, not in size (like Charlie) but in stature and created by the company DeHavilland. Even today this marvel of the skies still wows people all around the globe.

Starting it’s long life way back, firstly named the Moth then Gypsy Moth, this familiar image in the skies reformed again to become the Tiger Moth. Now for the first time we can truly welcome this classic onto our desktops, historic boundaries have long gone as the future of the Tiger Moth rolls on into the 21st century.

Powered by a 120hp Gipsy III engine, D.H.82 first departed for the skies way back in 1931, with war on the horizon the RAF at the time decided to bring 500 of these into service for pilot training. Privateers also showed great interest in the aircraft and many went to private flying clubs and training schools.

Over 75 years later the Tiger Moth has now been grasped with open arms by Aeroplane Heaven and Just Flight with this rendition built especially for flight simulator fans worldwide, giving all an opportunity to feel the magic, and witness at virtual first hand, just what it must have been like as one of those first pioneering pilots who took this dual winged bird into the heavens.

This package includes many great schemes some known, some not, all beautifully rendered and by now expected from high quality simulation companies. Five popular models are shown from the Trainer, Civilian, Canadian along with standard RAF scheme and private aircraft.

 

Just load this aircraft and fly! It’s simplicity is probably one of the reasons the Tiger has been so successful over the years, nothing daunting here for anyone, it’s frame may give some misgivings initially as you take a look around this double winged plane. Wires streaming from upper to lower wing, struts that look no stronger than a piece of balsa wood holding the whole bird in place. But strength comes in small packages and this is by no means a model built on paper technology.

 

Even the skins which go around the fuselage look weak in appearance and to be honest are to a certain extent, even in early aviation days the lighter the craft the more viable for production and total costs in performance were still important. But at speeds touching 70 knots who cares, there is some serious enjoyment to be had here!

 

As you enter the cockpit it must have felt like getting ready to be propelled off into space as the only thing you can see is the sky, it’s two main wheels strutting out under the lower wing and a tailskid at the rear, the first moments for any pilot must have been quite uncomfortable.

 

So here we are, flying helmet on, scarf nicely starched and sticking out to the side, goggles impressively waiting to be pulled down over our eyes. Ahead lies the cockpit, as we look around the flight deck, the major components are all handily accessible and in perfect alignment. Airspeed indicator, turn and slip indicator, engine rpm, altimeter, oil pressure gauge.

To be honest there is not much more to see and quite frankly you won’t be concerned when airborne.

 

There are a number of internal animations with the models mostly by using the SHIFT + E keys you can do wonderful things like open a locker, access doors, open engine cowlings. On the civilian model we even have a radio, no not the one playing the Ink Spots (vocal group from 1932) a real radio for communication with a tower, all the latest technology on these babies. If we come further forward we can take a lovely Canadian Moth skywards with a glass canopy.

Now we’re really talking!

 

Time to get going, once placed in your seat fastened into your harness and strapping, a simple check list takes place to get you moving, this really is child's play and you won’t have any problems locating the items required. Unlike on the more modern day airliners for instance. We’re off, trundling down the runway as the rear of the aircraft lifts and for the first time we can see where we’re going, which is a relief! At around 45 knots we gently pull the stick and the plane lifts effortlessly into the air, we’re now living the dream. As we continue to climb, we get thrown around by the bumpy weather conditions but nothing to serious to cause panic, in fact it helps put the mind at rest as to just how solid this aircraft is.

 

Eventually reaching 3,000 feet it’s time to relax and enjoy the views. The noise coming from the engine quells any conversation you might want to have, but it also places you in a position of being at one with the skies, you can imagine how those early pilots must have felt on their maiden voyage, filled with pride and excitement.

 

Turn after turn gives us stunning views of the countryside below, and after a while I’m ready to throw this bird around!

Out comes my virtual aerobatics book, now really I should have had this attached to my knee, I’ll explain why.

It’s one thing flying this aircraft it’s another thing altogether to fly it and try and read your book at the same time, you can guess what's coming... Well lets say I had to buy another book back at the airport shop after landing....

 

So loops, yep according to my manual I can enter at 100 knots pull back the stick gently and DO NOT stress the airframe, which I did, just pleased the strapping and harness holding us in held the weight. The manual gives other possible manoeuvres you can do while flying the Tiger like a Stall turn, inverted flight (fun) slow roll, not after a big lunch and an immelmann turn which is something else.

 

It was time to turn for home, a brilliant, nay fantastic trip was had by all as the sun began to set on our virtual horizon it was time to take her back to the airfield. Landing is just another part of the whole experience, gently guiding the aircraft around and approach for landing, which is suggested to be around 35 knots, after the mini bump we close the throttles and allow the tailskid to lower itself back onto the ground.

 

Taxi back to the club but slowly, remember no brakes on this... After climbing out it’s time for a refreshing cup of tea. You can talk for hours about your exploits in the air, and am sure this is the case for many real world pilots of this classic aircraft.

 

The title will not suit everyone, speed seems to be king today and glimpses of these golden oldies rarely get the chance to shine, in the virtual world. But there is a niche market, and more and more PC pilots are coming round to the thinking, that no matter what you have in front of you if it flies, then lets fly it. The latter being the opinion of myself.

 

Just Flight and Aeroplane Heaven have created a beautiful package, and historically, a perfect rendition of this most famous aircraft. Here is an aircraft that has been doing what it was meant to do from it’s birth over 75 years ago, and that was to firstly educate young people into the art of airmanship and secondly to give as much happiness as possible to everyone who partakes a flight.

 

Lets hope this will continue for many years to come and however strange it may seem now the centenary of this aircraft is not that far away.

 

Charlie Chaplin was a class act, and fame never seemed to take over this unassuming little man but the delight and joy he brought to millions worldwide was something we can never forget, the same can be said of the Tiger Moth, it’s untidy looking structure and jaunty behaviour brought and still does bring bags of joy to all who have flown in her.

If this is fame, then long may the Moth remain famous.

I’ll certainly be back for more.