The DH.82 was a direct development of the earlier DH.60 "Moth" which had straight wings and made rapid exit from the front cockpit difficult.  The British Air Ministry rejected the DH.60 for this reason and the deHavilland was forced to further develop the otherwise good aircraft in order to win the R.A.F. contract.  A Moth trainer was dismantled and modified to serve as the prototype for the proposed new aircraft.  The center-section of the top wing was moved forward 22" to allow adequate clearance for easy departure from the front seat.  This forward shift of the top wing caused a balancing problem and in order to achieve the proper center of gravity, the upper wings had to be swept back by 11" each and the lower wings swept back 9" each.  At this time a new 120 HP Gipsy III engine was installed as well.  This aircraft was hastily put together and a new airplane featuring all of these alterations was built and designated the DH.82.  The result was a hugely successful aircraft that was accepted by the R.A.F. and became one of the world’s all-time classic biplanes.

This example is privately owned by longtime Aerodrome pilot, Bill King.