1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. StateLibQld 1 115240 Canberra, a de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth, VH-UHW, ca. 1930: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
what is it?
The de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth was a 1920s British large single-engined biplane transport built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware. Intended primarily for use in Australia, a number were also shipped to Canada.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 15.9 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 99 years ago, in 1927.
- Top speed is 1.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 15.9 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1927
- introduced
- 1928
- number built
- 10
- role
- transport biplane
- makers
- de Havilland Aircraft Company
- engines
- 1× Bristol Jupiter XI
- crew
- 1
- passengers
- 6
- length
- 11.9 m
- wingspan
- 15.9 m
- height
- 3.7 m
- max take-off weight
- 3,175 kg
- top speed
- 212 km/h
- cruise speed
- 177 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 5,486 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1051944, Wikipedia: De Havilland Giant Moth (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.