The DH53 monoplane was built for the Daily Mail light aeroplane trials at Lympne in October 1923. Two aircraft were built for the competition 'Humming Bird' entered by de Havillands and 'Slyvia II' entered by A.S. Butler. Originally the aircraft were powered by the troublesome 750cc Douglas motorcycle engine and neither aircraft fared well in the competitions. However a memorable aerobatic display was put on by H.S. Broad in 'Humming Bird'.
This is the prototype DH.53 "Humming Bird".
Fitted with a 26hp Blackburne Tomtit engine, given increased fuel tankage and registered as G-EBHX. A.J. Cobham flew 'HX to Brussels non-stop for the Aero Show, for which it was re-christened 'L'Oiseau Mouche'. It made the journey in 4 hours at a fuel cost of 10 shillings. In 1924 Cobham flew 'HX to fourth place in the 1924 Grosevenor Trophy Race at Lympne.
Sidney Camm's little Hawker Tomtit.
The Tomtit was designed as a replacement (for the Avro 504) and became the first Hawker biplane to enter service with the RAF. The Tomtit was one of the pace-setters in the change-over from wooden to metal construction, with a steel tube fuselage of a pattern that became the Hawker norm as far ahead as the Hurricane.
In 1929 Tomtits were issued to No.3 Flying Training School at Grantham and to the Central Flying School at Wittering. A Tomtit on the strength of No.24 (Communications) Squadron at Northolt was flown regularly by the then Prince of Wales. The type was withdrawn from service in 1935 and several were sold to civilian owners, to join a small number that had been built especially for the civil market. Six Tomtits were flying at the outbreak of the Second World War and all became camouflaged but they were all kept on the civil register for use on communications duties.
K1786 was the last Tomtit built and is the Worlds ONLY surviving Hawker Tomtit.
The Comper Swift 'The Scarlet Angel'
