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History of the de Havilland Vampire

History of the de Havilland Vampire

by David Watkins
History of the de Havilland Vampire
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History of the de Havilland Vampire

History of the de Havilland Vampire

by David Watkins

Overview

The de Havilland Vampire was the second of the RAF's first-generation, post-Second World War jet fighters to enter service. It began life as an interceptor but was soon re-tasked in the day fighter/ground attack roles with the 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany from 1948 to 1954 and with the RAF's Middle and Far East Air Forces. Throughout its forty-six-year career, it collected many notable firsts: it was the first jet fighter to cross the Atlantic; the first jet to land on an aircraft carrier; and the first jet trainer on which student pilots qualified for their 'Wings'. In addition to playing a full part in the RAF's order of battle during the 1940s and 1950s, the Vampire also served with the Fleet Air Arm and became an export success story for the British aircraft industry with hundreds sold to air forces worldwide. For a brief period during the 1950s, the Vampire formed the backbone of the RAF's night-fighter force and between 1952 and 1967 the Vampire trainer was responsible for a steady flow of trained pilots for the RAF, Royal Navy and foreign air forces. This comprehensive history covers the Vampire's development and operational service. It has been written with the full co-operation of the manufacturer, MoD, RAF and other world air forces, mixing narrative and technical detail with vivid personal accounts from those involved with the aircraft. Comprehensive appendices include technical specifications, production details, serials and export details. It is also lavishly illustrated and includes more than one story of encounters with UFOs by RAF Vampire pilots.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781781556160
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Publication date: 09/06/2017
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 384
Product dimensions: 6.70(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Watkins is a former member of the RAF and a keen aviation historian with previous works including a history of RAF Chivenor, the de Havilland Vampire and Venom, 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn, RAuxAF and a history of RAF aerobatic teams from 1920.

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Acknowledgements 9

Selected Bibliography 11

Introduction 12

1 Airframe Development 15

2 Into Service 30

3 Goblin Engine Development 32

4 Rolls-Royce Nene 38

5 DH 108 44

6 Vampire F Mk 3 48

7 Vampire FB 5 56

8 Vampire FB 9 70

9 Vampire NF 10 76

10 Vampire T 11 92

11 Sea Vampire 113

12 Sea Vampire T Mk 22 126

13 Flexible Deck Experiments 133

14 Deck Landing Mirror System Trials 137

15 RAF Fighter Command 140

16 Vampires in Germany 155

17 Middle East Air Force 170

18 Far East Air Force 183

19 RAF Flying Training Command 189

20 Foreign Sales 212

21 Australia 213

22 Austria 220

23 Burma 222

24 Canada 223

25 Ceylon 230

26 Chile 231

27 Dominican Republic 233

28 Egypt 235

29 Finland 238

30 France 241

31 India 247

32 Indonesia 253

33 Iraq 254

34 Ireland 257

35 Italy 260

36 Japan 265

37 Jordan 266

38 Katanga 268

39 Lebanon 269

40 Mexico 271

41 New Zealand 273

42 Norway 280

43 Portugal 284

44 Rhodesia 285

45 Saudi Arabia 293

46 South Africa 294

47 Sweden 299

48 Switzerland 303

49 Syria 309

50 Venezuela 310

51 From the Cockpit 312

Appendix I Vampire Performance Details 323

Appendix II RAF Vampire Serial Allocations 335

Appendix III RAF Vampire Squadrons 341

Appendix IV Preserved Airframes 370

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