de Havilland Vampire
de Havilland Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1943 · fighter
Britain's second jet fighter, the twin-boom Vampire was the first RAF jet able to cross the Atlantic and went on to a long career as fighter, fighter-bomber and trainer.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.37 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin tail-booms running back from the wings to a linking tailplane
- Short egg-shaped central pod housing cockpit and single jet
- Wing-root intakes feeding the single Goblin engine
Unmistakable for its twin booms and short central pod, with the cockpit and engine packed into the nacelle and the tailplane bridging the booms. Only the Sea Vixen shares the twin-boom look among RAF and RN jets.
Specifications
- The de Havilland Vampire has a length of 9.37 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.6 m (38 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 882 km/h (548 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
De Havilland's DH.100 first flew in 1943 and entered RAF service in 1946, using a stubby pod-and-boom layout to keep the single Goblin turbojet's tailpipe short and efficient. Its part-wooden construction drew on de Havilland's Mosquito experience and made it light and nimble.
Variants
The F.1 and F.3 fighters were followed by the FB.5 fighter-bomber, the most numerous single-seater, with strengthened wings for ground attack. Later came the tropicalised FB.9, the NF.10 night fighter, the widely exported T.11 two-seat trainer and the carrier-capable Sea Vampire.
Where you'll see it
FB.5s equipped many RAF squadrons across Europe, the Middle East and Far East, seeing combat in the Malayan Emergency before being relegated to training. Vampires are preserved at the RAF Museum Cosford, IWM Duxford and the Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland Chipmunk T.10
- de Havilland DH.112 Venom
- de Havilland T.K.4
- de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly
- Arado Ar 440
- Brewster F3A-1 Corsair
- Brewster XA-32
- Curtiss P-40 N Warhawk
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