de Havilland Vampire, Kemble 2010 ©Nigel Key
ROLE
Fighter.
FIRST FLIGHT
29 September 1943.
The Vampire was designed by de Havilland as a fighter around the use of a single H.1 jet engine, known as the Goblin.
The initial design, the DH.99, was an all metal double boom aircraft which kept the jet pipe as short as possible resulting in less power loss than a conventional fuselage.
The prototype DH.99 was altered from an all metal construction to a mixture of wood and metal and renamed DH.100.
The Chief test pilot of de Havilland, Geoffrey de Havilland Jr, flew the prototype 'LZ548/G' on the 29th of September 1943.
The production version of the aircraft the Vampire Mk I flew in April of 1945 but was still being developed and consequently did not see action during WWII.
The early Goblin engines gave a limited range which was a common problem with all early jets. As later engine designs advanced the fuel capacity and performance of the Vampire greatly improved.
PRODUCTION
The De Havilland Vampire was produced from 1945, with 3,268 built.
ENGINE
Goblin 35, producing 3500 lb st.
ARMAMENT
4 x Hispano cannon
2,000 lb (907 kg) Bomb/Rocket load
As a private venture de Havilland produced a night fighter, designated DH.113. It incorporated a two-seater cockpit which was closely based on the Mosquito night fighter and had a lengthened nose to house the Al Mk X radar.
The RAF placed an order for the DH.113 as a replacement for the Mosquito and as an interim aircraft before the introduction of the Meteor night fighter.
| Crew - 1 or 2 (side-by-side) |
| Length - 34ft 6.5in (10.51m) |
| Wingspan - 38ft 0in (11.59m) |
| Height - 6ft 2in (1.88m) |
| Empty Weight - 7,380lb (3,347kg) |
| Max. Weight - 11,150lb (5,060kg) |
| Max. Speed - 538 mph (866 km/h) |
| Range - 853 miles (1,370km) |
