Collection Item

DHC Chipmunk T.10: Cockpit Section

The prototype of this tandem two-seater, designed by W.J. Jakimiuk for de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd, first flew on 22/5/46 in Canada. In total, 158 DHC-1B-1 (145 hp Gipsy Major 1C) and 60 DHC-1B-2 (RCAF Mk 30 with 145 hp Gipsy Major 10-3) examples were built in Canada with another 1,000 produced in Britain - 111 at Hatfield and 889 at Chester, mainly T. Mk 10s for the RAF. British production included export T. Mk 20s for air forces of the Arab Legion, Burma, Ceylon, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Iraq, Ireland, Lebanon, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand and Uruguay. A few civil Chipmunk Mk. 21s were also built for Air Service Training Ltd at Hamble, for the Ministry of Civil Aviation at Stansted and for Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Tanganyika. Sixty others were built under licence by OGMA in Portugal. Many surplus military aircraft were later civilianised in Canada, Britain and Australia as Chipmunk Mk. 22/22As for world-wide sales.

WP921 was probably delivered direct to the RAF MU at Hullavington, destined for one of the Reserve Flying Schools (this was during 1953 when the Schools were upto strength). It eventually served with No. 10 Reserve Flying School at Exeter prior to 1956. That year WP921 joined the Home Command Servicing Unit, later passing to Oxford University Air Squadron and then to RAF Colerne Station Flight. On 12/11/65, the aircraft was loaned, with others, to the College of Air Training at Hamble, received the civil identity G-ATJJ, but remained in RAF colours - exchange controls on the purchase of American aircraft prevented the College buying Pipers. In December 1967 the non-standard civilianised aircraft returned to the RAF but then went to RAF Shawbury for spares recovery. The cockpit section became a Chipmunk passenger training aid for air cadets in Henley-on-Thames and later Croydon. It is now loaned to Brooklands Museum by Peter Smith of Folkestone, Kent.

DATA: (T. Mk 10) one 145 hp Gipsy Major 8 engine: wing span 34ft 4in. (10.46m); length 25ft 5in. (7.74m); weight (max.) 2,100 lb; max. speed 138 mph; cruise speed 119 mph; range 280 miles.