de Havilland Vampire FB.5
de Havilland · UK · first flew 1948 · fighter
The FB.5 is the definitive single-seat Vampire fighter-bomber, distinguished by clipped square wing tips and a strengthened wing with underwing stores capability, making it the most produced Vampire variant.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| 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:
- Clipped, square-cut wing tips — the FB.5's most visible change from the F.1's rounded tips, shortening wingspan from 12.19 m to 11.58 m
- Strengthened wing with four underwing pylons for bombs or rocket projectiles, absent on the F.1 fighter
- Twin-boom tail with a central nacelle housing the Goblin engine — the Vampire's signature silhouette shared across all marks but with the squarer wing confirming FB.5
Square-cut wingtips are the instant distinguisher from F.1/F.3 marks. The underwing pylons confirm fighter-bomber role. Against the T.11 trainer: the FB.5 is narrower at the cockpit (single seat, oval cockpit) vs the T.11's wide side-by-side canopy. The twin-boom configuration distinguishes every Vampire from all contemporaries.
Specifications
- The de Havilland Vampire FB.5 has a length of 9.37 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.58 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
First flown in 1948, the FB.5 replaced the F.1 on RAF production lines; 1,369 built for the RAF plus exports to 30 nations. It was the first RAF jet to carry out a deck landing on a carrier (HMS Ocean, 1945, with an F.1, but the FB.5 confirmed carrier compatibility). The type gave many Commonwealth air forces their first jet equipment.
Variants
FB.6 (export mark with Goblin 3), FB.9 (tropicalised for Middle East and Far East, 328 built), F.3 (interim mark with longer nose), F.1 (original rounded-wing fighter).
Where you'll see it
RAF, RNZAF, RAAF, RSAF, Indian Air Force, Swiss Air Force, and dozens more. Swiss examples flew until 1990. Airworthy survivors in the UK (Vampire Preservation Group), Australia, and Switzerland.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland Comet
- de Havilland Venom FB.1
- de Havilland Vampire T.11
- de Havilland Devon
- Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk
- Gloster Meteor F.8
- Gloster Meteor T.7
- Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
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