Original Skybirds D.H.80A Puss Moth restored.

[Mark Braunlich]

My first posting at SMM:

I've just put the finishing touches on my original Skybirds DH80A Puss Moth, actually the completion of a build started by some unknown youth in the 1930's; the DH80A one of the first two Skybirds kits released (July,1932), the very first 1/72 scale kits made anywhere.  These were made by the A.J. Holladay & Co. Ltd in London and designed by a youthful James H. Stevens.

After a long search, I located six very crudely built Skybirds models in Nova Scotia, Canada.  These models were just an assembly of the parts as they came out of the box, with no refinement of the wood parts and no paint.  It was only a few minutes work to disassemble them back to exactly as they came from the box.  This Puss Moth is the first of these models to be completed. 

Mark

[lastvautour]

A very promissing restoration. Looks great so far. I don't recall having seen your name before. So welcome to the group and thanks for posting pictures.

Lou

[Will]

Hi Mark, that looks like a nice job you're doing there.
"Skybird Notes" (Sinclair 1994) records kit 2 the Puss Moth as only 1/6 (one shilling & sixpence) the cheapest in the range when first introduced.  What were the tail parts made of - some kit photos i've seen are white (celluloid - these are earlier kits) and some reddy-brown (composition - like some old fashioned auto gaskets?)?  The book also notes that early kits would have wire struts and brass turnings for wheels and spinners, until later the company acquired aluminium stamping and cast whitemetal facilities.  No GA drawing either before 1934.  Not sure your kit would have any of these later "refinements"as the book also states that the Leopard Moth (kit 2A) replaced the Puss in the range in December 1934.
An extra bracing strut was added on either the Puss or Leopard Moths to stop the wings falling off, which I imagine would have been disconcerting to say the least!
What are the other planes you acquired?
Hope these notes are of interest
regards
Will Booth
Romsey England

[Mark Braunlich]

The model having come from Canada, it was decided to make it represent, CF-AGO, the fourth Puss Moth built by de Havilland Aircraft Co. and the first to come to North America, being the Canadian company demonstrator; hence the name "Puss Moth" painted on the cowling.  It was involved in a lengthy North American tour in 1930.

The fuselage and wings are two simple solid wood parts, the struts are aluminum and brass, the only plastic on the model is the two tail components, an early cream colored celluloid very prone to warping.   The wheels are an update, being Aeroclub white metal castings.  As with my modeling of vintage flying models, it is always a constant effort to strike a balance between building them as they originally were and making any improvements that they desperately need as seen through the prism of 78 years of model kit progress.   For instance, I really don't like the propeller and spinner but they are original kit parts being an aluminum pressing and a miniature turned brass component respectively.  I'm still debating with myself about exchanging them for an Aeroclub casting.

The model isn't terribly accurate and there seems to have been indecision as to exactly what scale they were supposed to be, at least on these very first Skybirds models.    The wing span of the model works out to 1/70 scale but other dimensions are very close to 1/72.   Seen from above, the aspect ratio of the wings is too great.   These models were much closer to being toys than our current kits in this scale and most of them that one finds these days are very crudely built. This was my attempt to show what could be done with the kits, albeit with a wealth of information that wasn't available to the schoolboys of the 1930s. My appologies to the Skybirds purists.

My thanks to my brother Martin for printing the decals.

The next Skybirds model to receive similar treatment will probably be a Hawker Fury but first I have a solid 1:48 Caudron C.460 to complete.

Mark

[lastvautour]

Thank you for the fine pictures. You did an outstanding job on the Puss Moth. I downloaded the pictures for upload to our gallery. In due course I will place at least one in the Model of the Year post.

Lou

[dave_t]

1) What kind of paints did you use?
2) What is the white-ish color of the fuselage? It looks a little different in each photo.
3) Are the wheels wood or metal?
4) Are the kits you mentioned made primarily from balsa?

Very attractive little model. Nice to know it finally got built after these years.

[Mark Braunlich]

Thank you for the kind comments everyone.

dave_t,
1.  Diana Cream color is Sig butyrate dope as are the gray cabin windows.  The Hunter Green is Rustoleum enamel (nice paint), the silver window frames and cowling trim are Humbrol enamel.   It's all sprayed on.  The nice thing about using enamel over (curred) butyrate dope is that if you mess up the trim, you can wipe if off with mineral spirits without harming the underlying dope.

2. The color is, as mentioned, Diana Cream.  My newest digital camera washed out the color a bit.  Here is another picture taken with the same lighting but a different camera, showing the color more accurately.  

3.  Wheels are white metal castings by Aeroclub; not the original kit wheels which are brass turnings.  

4.  Skybirds kits were made from mahogany during the pre-war years....probably used other timber during WW2.   Not sure, as all of my Skybirds are pre-war.

[lastvautour]

Thanks for the info.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Skybirds used thin grade brown fibre to stamp out the tail surfaces,they continued to use this right up until some of the last kits built,I have a Skybirds Westland Lysander kit in my collection with the same material,the only example that I have come across for sale.
Nice job on the Puss Moth and a lovely pre war touring aeroplane as well.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

Barry,
The tail surfaces of the earliest Skybirds were made of a creamy white celluloid.  I don't know the date at which they changed over to the fibre board but I bet the reason was that the celluloid was prone to warping.  If Graham Bailey is reading this, maybe he can fill us in on the details of the change.  The attached photo shows my early Skybirds Hawker Fury awaiting restoration and its original tail surfaces.

Mark

[Balsabasher]

Very interesting Mark,the material looks very similar to modern day Plastikard sheet,you learn something every day.
Barry.