De Havilland Canada DHC1 Chipmunk – WP964, Army Air Corps

Aviation 72 1/72 scale AV7226016: De Havilland Canada DHC1 Chipmunk WP964 in Army Air Corps livery.

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engine primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and several other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years. The de Havilland Chipmunk was the first postwar aviation project of de Havilland Canada.Today, over 500 DHC-1 Chipmunk airframes remain airworthy with more being rebuilt every year.

The RAF received 735 Chipmunks, designated de Havilland Chipmunk T.10, manufactured in the UK by the de Havilland parent company to Air Ministry specification 8/48 as a Tiger Moth replacement. Production began at the DH Hatfield factory but soon transferred to their plant at Hawarden Airport, Broughton near Chester. They initially served with Reserve Flying Squadrons (RFS) of the RAF Volunteer Reserve (VR) as well as the University Air Squadrons. Chipmunks were pressed into service in Cyprus on internal security flights during the conflict in 1958. Eight disassembled aircraft were flown out in the holds of Blackburn Beverley transports. After reassembly, they operated as 114 Squadron for some months into 1959.From 1956 to 1990 the Chipmunks of the RAF Gatow Station Flight were used for covert reconnaissance by BRIXMIS over the Berlin area. Chipmunk T.10s were also used by the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm for primary training. WP964 depicted by this model is in a replica livery, actually civilian registered as G-HDAE. The real WP964 is now located in South Africa, registered as ZU-DXO.

Chipmunks remained in service with ATC Air Experience Flights until 1996 (the final AEF to use the Chipmunk was No. 10 Air Experience Flight, RAF Woodvale) when they were replaced by the Scottish Aviation Bulldog. The last Chipmunks in military service are still operated by the British historic flights the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (including one of the Gatow aircraft), the Royal Navy and Army historic flights, to keep their pilots current on tailwheel aircraft.