Tiger!

When the first Tiger Moth lifted off from de Havilland's Stag Lane Aerodrome in 1931, few could have thought that this fabric-covered biplane would become an iconic airplane in its own right, recognized all over the world and still in widespread flying service more than 80 years later. Designed to meet a British Air Ministry specification for a completely new basic training aircraft, the 'Tiger', as the Tiger Moth soon became known, was a popular and versatile aircraft. Although Tiger Months were fitted with machine guns and even bombs, and also flew on skis and floats, it was as a wartime trainer that the aircraft found fame. Over 8,700 Tiger Moths were built and tens of thousands of WWII British and Commonwealth air force pilots learned their trade on the type. Remarkably the Tiger Moth remained in military service as late as the 1960s. During the austerity years following WWII the ready supply of surplus ex-military Tiger Moths which could be put into operation for a few hundred pounds, meant that Tiger Moths quickly became the stalwart of flying schools and clubs through the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The aircraft was also used as a crop sprayer, glider tug, wing walker platform, joy rider and air ambulance. Even today, there are at least 600 airworthy Tiger Moths around the world and they remain an everyday sight in the summer skies above many an airfield. Written by the acknowledged world expert on the type, Tiger! is the most comprehensive and readable account of this remarkable and versatile aircraft, a fitting tribute to a true aviation icon.