de Havilland Venom FB.4
de Havilland · UK · first flew 1953 · fighter
The FB.4 is the final and definitive single-seat Venom fighter-bomber for the RAF, adding an ejection seat, power-operated ailerons, and redesigned fins and rudders to the refined airframe — the peak of the Vampire/Venom single-seat lineage.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Martin-Baker ejection seat fitted as production standard — the first single-seat Venom mark so equipped, with the headrest sitting visibly higher in the cockpit than the FB.1's
- Redesigned fin and rudder shape atop the booms, plus power-operated ailerons — the FB.4's revised tail surfaces are the external tell against the FB.1
- Thin, slightly swept wing with wingtip fuel tanks distinguishes any Venom from the broader straight-winged, tankless Vampire at a glance
Against Vampire FB.5: the Venom's wing is thinner with a swept leading edge and carries wingtip fuel tanks; the nacelle is sleeker. Against Venom FB.1: the FB.4's redesigned fin and rudder shape and the taller ejection-seat headrest are the tells — canopy differences often cited actually belong to the NF.2A upgrade, not the FB.4. Against Venom NF.3: the NF.3 has a bulbous radar nose and a wide side-by-side two-seat cockpit. Twin booms are common to all.
Specifications
- The de Havilland Venom FB.4 has a length of 9.7 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.7 m (42 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1030 km/h (640 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown 1953; 150 built for the RAF. The Venom was a substantial development of the Vampire, introducing a new thin wing and Ghost engine for higher performance. The FB.4 resolved early Venom handling issues and served with RAF squadrons in Germany and the Middle East through 1962. The Swiss built the FB.54 under licence and operated it until 1983.
Variants
FB.1 (original production, no ejection seat), FB.4 (ejection seat, revised fins), NF.2/NF.3 (two-seat night fighters), Sea Venom (Royal Navy carrier variant), FB.50/FB.54 (Swiss licence-built).
Where you'll see it
RAF Germany and Middle East squadrons 1955–1962. Swiss Air Force as FB.54. Sea Venom with Royal Navy. Swiss FB.54s were the last operational Venoms.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland Venom NF.3
- de Havilland Sea Venom
- de Havilland Vampire T.11
- de Havilland Comet
- Aerfer Leone
- Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.12
- Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.14
- Avia S-103
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