By Garth Calitz

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a single-engine, two-seat aircraft widely utilized as a primary training aircraft. Its basic design features a low-mounted wing and a tandem cockpit for two, covered by a clear perspex canopy that provides full visibility for the pilot/student in the front and the instructor/passenger in the rear. The Chipmunk is equipped with conventional tailwheel landing gear and has fabric-covered flight control surfaces, with the wing also fabric-covered behind the spar. In terms of performance, the Chipmunk is known for its gentle and responsive flight characteristics. While early production models were only semi-aerobatic, most later models were fully aerobatic.

The Chipmunk's structure extensively utilizes metal, with most of the airframe made from a stress-skinned alloy. This design enabled thinner wings, enhancing performance and durability. Several features were integrated to enhance its role as a trainer, such as hand-operated single-slotted wing flaps, anti-spin strakes, disc brakes on the wheeled undercarriage, a thin propeller made from a solid lightweight alloy, an engine-driven vacuum pump replacing external venturi tubes for cockpit instrumentation, options for electric and Coffman cartridge engine starters, cockpit lighting, an onboard radio system, and an external identification light beneath the starboard wing.

In civilian use, individual aircraft frequently undergo modifications. Such adaptations often involve extensive modification programs to enable competitive aerobatics, where aircraft are commonly re-engined and equipped with constant speed propellers and inverted fuel systems. A significant number of Chipmunks have been assigned as dedicated glider tows. Re-engining Chipmunks, typically with the 180 hp Lycoming O-360, has become a common practice.

History

Immediately following the conclusion of the Second World War, there was a desire amongst some figures within Canadian aviation circles to take advantage of the recently expanded aircraft manufacturing industry which had been rapidly built up in Canada during the peace years.

Driven by this desire, the decision was made to develop aircraft to replace outdated designs in light of the rapid advancements in aviation during the war. One company, de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd, aimed to create their own aircraft designs and decided to focus on producing a modern aircraft for pilot training. Specifically, they intended this new aircraft to succeed the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainer, which had been extensively used by various military services during the recent war and was developed before the conflict.

de Havilland Tiger Moth

Wsiewołod Jakimiuk, a Polish engineer from the pre-war era, was the chief designer and headed the design team responsible for creating the new aircraft, later named the Chipmunk. He developed a cantilever monoplane that featured several advancements compared to the standard trainer aircraft widely used at the time.

These features included an enclosed cockpit with a rear-sliding canopy and various aerodynamic elements to enhance the aircraft's flight performance. Strakes were installed to prevent spin conditions, and stall breaker strips were added along the inboard leading edges of the wing to ensure that a stall would start in this area rather than in the outboard section.

The Chipmunk was the inaugural aircraft design developed and produced by de Havilland Canada. The prototype, CF-DIO-X, took its first flight on 22 May 1946 at Downsview, Toronto, with test pilot Pat Fillingham, who had been temporarily assigned from the parent de Havilland company, at the controls. Initially, the prototype was equipped with a 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C air-cooled reciprocating engine, which was later replaced in the production version by a 145 hp inline de Havilland Gipsy Major 8 engine.

De Havilland Canada built the type at their Downsview factory in Toronto, Ontario, producing a total of 217 Chipmunks during the 1940s and 1950s, with the last one completed in 1956. Additionally, 1,000 Chipmunks were manufactured under license in the United Kingdom by British aircraft maker de Havilland. Initially, production was carried out at the company's Hatfield Aerodrome facility in Hertfordshire; later, it was decided to move production to another plant at Hawarden Aerodrome in Broughton near Chester. An additional 66 Chipmunks were license-manufactured by OGMA (Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico) in Alverca from 1955 to 1961 in Portugal for the Portuguese Air Force.

British-built and early Canadian-built Chipmunks are significantly different from the later Canadian-built RCAF/Lebanese models. The later Canadian-built versions featured a bubble canopy, replacing the multi-panelled sliding canopy used on the early Canadian-produced Chipmunks, as well as on all Portuguese and British-built aircraft.

Canadian-built RCAF/Lebanese version

In the early canopy design, the rear panels were deliberately bulged to give the instructor better visibility. British-manufactured Chipmunks featured several modifications to meet the RAF's specific preferences. These changes included repositioning the undercarriage legs, using a variable-pitch propeller, adding anti-spin strakes, installing landing lights, and incorporating an all-around stressed airframe.

There was a time when work was underway on a Chipmunk derivative that included a significant cabin modification to allow for side-by-side seating. This aircraft, known as the DHC-2, was never constructed. The DHC-2 designation was later reassigned to the company's following product, the DHC-2 Beaver.

DHC-2 Beaver

Photo Karsten Palt

General characteristics

Crew: 2, student & instructor

Length: 7.75 m

Wingspan: 10.47 m

Height: 2.1 m

Wing area: 16.0 m²

Empty weight: 646 kg

Loaded weight: 953 kg

Max. takeoff weight: 998 kg

Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C, 145 hp

Performance

Maximum speed: 120 knots at sea level (140 mph is also given)

Cruise speed: 90 knots

Range: 225 NM

Service ceiling: 15,800 ft

Rate of climb: 900 ft/min

Wing loading: 57.82 kg/m²

Power/mass: .072 hp/lb

Military operators

Belgium

• Belgian Air Force In 1948, the Belgian air Force acquired two DHC-1 for evaluation as a possible replacement for their De Havilland Tiger Moth trainers. In the end, they choose the Stampe SV.4 instead and the two Chipmunks were sold off to the civilian market in 1955.

Burma

• Burma Air Force

Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force

Ceylon

• Royal Ceylon Air Force

Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force

Egypt

• Egyptian Air Force

Ghana

• Ghana Air Force

Ireland

• Irish Air Corps

Iraq

• Iraqi Air Force

Israel

• Israeli Air Force - One aircraft only.

Jordan

• Royal Jordanian Air Force

Kenya

• Kenya Air Force

Lebanon

• Lebanese Air Force

Malaysia

• Royal Malaysian Air Force

Portugal

• Portuguese Air Force

• Squadron 802, Águias (Sintra)

• Air Force Academy (Academia de Força Aérea, Sintra)

Saudi Arabia

• Royal Saudi Air Force

Spain

• Spanish Air Force - One aircraft only.

Syria

• Syrian Air Force

Southern Rhodesia

• Rhodesian Air Training Group 4 Flying Training School. One aircraft WG354 preserved by South African Airforce Museum

Thailand

• Royal Thai Air Force, developed as RTAF-4

United Kingdom

• British Army - Army Air Corps

• Basic Fixed Wing Flight

• Army Air Corps Historic Aircraft Flight

• Royal Air Force

• RAFVR RFS, No.8 Sqn, No.31 Sqn, No.114 Sqn, No.275 Sqn, No.613 Sqn, No.663 Sqn, RAF Gatow (Berlin) Station Flight, University Air Squadrons, Air Experience Flights (Air Training Corps), Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

• Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm

• 771 NAS

• 781 NAS

• 727 NAS Britannia Royal Naval College Flight

• Royal Navy Historic Flight

Uruguay

• Uruguayan Air Force

Zambia

• Zambian Air Force