The de Havilland DH87 Hornet Moth was designed by Arthur Hagg and the prototype constructed in 1934. The first flight was on 9th May. Two further aircraft were constructed for testing and the first production models, configured with a tapered wing as the DH87A, left the factory in August 1935. The tapered wing was soon replaced with a square wing, which reduced handling problems in roll. A total of 165 were built, numbered 1997 and 8000 to 8163 inclusive, the last given a C of A in October 1938. Of these, some 36 survive, of which about 14 are airworthy around the world; the rest are museum exhibits or wait patiently for a return to the skies.