The de Haviland Chipmunk
Image courtesy of Chris Cannon
The Chipmunk first flew on 22nd May 1946. The “Chippie” as it is affectionately known is a two-seat single engine training aircraft, which was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces throughout the world.
Over a 1000 aircraft were built between 1947 and 1956. With over 500 hundred aircraft still in use throughout the world at the present time. The RAF flew Chipmunks in the training role until 1996, when the last examples were retired with The Air Experience Flight at RAF Woodvale.
Two aircraft were retained for use with The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The Chipmunk is still a very popular aircraft and can be seen at air shows, and most airfields throughout the country. Over sixty years after the Chipmunk’s first flight the aircraft can still be seen at air displays carrying out precise aerobatic displays and in recent years formation teams of two & three aircraft are quite commonly seen, and sometimes even four aircraft who go under the team name of The Red Sparrows have been known to display together.
Image courtesy of Guillaume D’hoore
Image courtesy of Richard Brown
Image courtesy of Richard Thomas
Image courtesy of Rick Brewell
Chipmunks WZ 879 and WG 407
Image courtesy of Ken Kelso
WD 286
Image courtesy of Daren Eaton
The 75th Chipmunk anniversary
On May 22nd, 2021, the 75th anniversary of the de Havilland Canada Chipmunk’s first flight was celebrated with a major gathering at Old Warden Airfield, Bedfordshire, UK, featuring over 30 Chipmunks.
This event honoured the “DHC-1” prototype which first flew on May 22nd, 1946. Among all the civilian-owned Chipmunks present, it was also good to see the last active RAF Chipmunks in attendance – WK518 and WG486 from the BBMF.
The gathering featured a wide variety of liveries and variants of the “poor man’s Spitfire,” including the red-“Royal” Chipmunk (WG308).
All images courtesy of Mark Young
The Chipmunk at 80
Image courtesy of Simon Tilling
Over the weekend of the 9th of May 2026, Duxford reverted to the sound of Chipmunks, they were at Duxford to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first flight
They came from all corners of the country, and even some came from abroad, the high light of the day, was a multi aircraft flypast
All images courtesy of Tim Liu unless otherwise stated.
