DH.61 Giant Moth

The de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth was introduced in 1927 as the company’s first large, multi‑engine transport. Designed to meet the growing demand for reliable bush and commercial service, the aircraft combined a high‑wing, fabric‑covered wooden structure with two 420 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engines mounted on the wing leading edges. Its spacious cabin could accommodate up to eight passengers or a substantial cargo load, and the generous side doors allowed easy loading of mail, equipment, or livestock. The Giant Moth’s robust landing gear, featuring large, low‑pressure tires, gave it excellent rough‑field performance, making it popular in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa for remote‑area operations. Notable for its long range of about 600 km and a cruising speed near 150 km/h, the type demonstrated the practicality of twin‑engine reliability at a time when most transports relied on single‑engine designs. Although only 17 were built, the DH.61 established de Havilland’s reputation for versatile, dependable aircraft and paved the way for later successes such as the Dragon and the Dragon Rapide, influencing the evolution of civil aviation throughout the 1930s. Its legacy endures as a milestone in early twin‑engine transport design.