On 2 June 2015, with the landing of his Chipmunk at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, retired de Havilland Canada test pilot George Neal established a new world record for the oldest active licensed pilot at the age of 96 years 194 days.

Portugal

thumb|ex-[[RAF de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk 22, built in England in 1951, pictured in 2008]]

The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) received its first DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk. 20 in 1951, being delivered to the Military Aeronautical School in Sintra. It was the first of an eventual 76 that would be delivered, replacing its almost two decade old de Havilland Tiger Moths. Its first 10 were constructed in the United Kingdom while the following 66 were licence-built by OGMA in Portugal. The Chipmunks would fly with the Elementary Flying Training Squadron (Esquadra de Instrução Elementar de Pilotagem). As of 2018, Esquadra 802 still operates the remaining 6 Chipmunks. By 2001, several hundred Chipmunks were reportedly operational in private service. It is familiarly known as the "Chippie".

Variants

Canadian-built

;DHC-1A-1 (Chipmunk T.1)

:Powered by de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C engine, only partially aerobatic.

British-built

thumb|Super Chipmunk (fixed gear)

;Chipmunk T.10 (Mk 10)

:de Havilland Gipsy Major 8 engined version for the Royal Air Force, 735 built.

thumb|The Sundowner conversion at [[Bankstown Airport Sydney in 1970]]

;Super Chipmunk

:Single-seat aerobatic aircraft, powered by a Avco Lycoming GO-435 piston engine, equipped with revised flying surfaces and retractable landing gear; four conversions. and extra fuel capacity.

;Aerostructures Sundowner

:One Australian Chipmunk was fitted with a Lycoming O-360 flat-four piston engine, wingtip tanks, clear-view canopy and metal wing skinning as the Sundowner touring aircraft.

;Sasin Spraymaster

:Three Australian Chipmunks were converted into single-seat agricultural spraying aircraft. A similar modification was carried out to seven Chipmunks used by the Portuguese Air Force Academy as basic training aircraft and as glider tugs.

thumb|FAP 1335, a Portuguese Air Force Academy Supermunk at Beja Air Force Base

thumb|Aerobatic pilot Harold Krier taxiing a Super Chipmunk, at an airshow in Fairview, Oklahoma 1970

;Scholl Super Chipmunk

thumb|upright|A Super Chipmunk on display at the [[Udvar-Hazy Center.]]

:A number of Chipmunks were modified as aerobatic aircraft in the United States as the "Super Chipmunk". Along with an uprated engine, the aircraft underwent an extensive makeover including clipping its wings, adding retractable landing gear, converting to a single-seat layout, adding an autopilot and being fitted with a red, white and blue wingtip and tail smoke system. The control stick was lengthened by for greater control during extreme aerobatic manoeuvres. For over 25 years, a Super Chipmunk in distinctive bright colour scheme of blue stars and sunburst effect was displayed by the aerobatic pilot Art Scholl. Four Super Chipmunk conversions were modified, Scholl's N13A and N13Y, Harold Krier's N6311V and Skip Volk's N1114V. Another more recent "Super Chipmunk" was converted by air show performer, Jim "Fang" Maroney, who similarly modified an ex-RCAF example by strengthening the airframe, replacing the original engine with a version incorporating an inverted fuel and oil system, clipping off the wings and adding 30% more rudder and 10% more elevator. A spatted landing gear was retained. Another similarly modified "Super Chipmunk", N1804Q, is owned and flown by air show pilot Greg Aldridge. N13Y is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington-Dulles International Airport., while N1114V is preserved at the EAA AirVenture Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA.

Operators

Civilian operators

Today, the Chipmunk remains popular with specialized flying clubs and is also operated by private individuals located in many countries worldwide.

Military operators

Specifications (DHC-1 Chipmunk)

thumb|de Havilland DHC-1B-2-S5 Chipmunk Gipsy Major 10 engine installation

thumb|Front cockpit of a Chipmunk

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). London: Orbis Publishing.
  • RAF Museum
  • National Air Force Museum of Canada
  • "The D.H. Chipmunk" a 1947 Flight article
  • "The Turbine Chipmunk" a 1967 Flight article on the Rover TP.90 experiments
  • "In Vogue Again: The de Havilland Chipmunk" a 1974 Flight article
  • Article on the RAF BBMF (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight)