VH-ADV  de Havilland D.H.85 Leopard Moth   (c/n  7016)


                           

                               The D.H.85 was the successor to the Puss Moth , but was cheaper to purchase and somewhat
                               lighter.  My two views of VH-ADV show it when new (with spats, above) and at Essendon in
                               the late 1940s (without spats, below).   All new Leopard Moths were delivered with spats, but
                               when using them from wet fields, mud tended to accumulate underneath and hence most owners
                               dispensed with them.    Formerly G-ACKY this aircraft was purchased by the Royal Aero Club
                               of South Australia.  It had various periods wherein it was withdrawn from active use, but was
                               restored in 1955 and registered in the club's sequence as VH-RSL.