De Havilland DH-100 Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire was Britain's second operational jet fighter, distinctive for its twin-boom tail layout that let designers use a short, simple fuselage without needing a long jet-pipe running the full length of the aircraft. Its wooden-and-metal composite construction, drawing on de Havilland's earlier experience building the wartime Mosquito, was an unusual choice for a jet fighter that helped keep weight low with early, low-thrust jet engines. It became Britain's first jet fighter to serve with squadrons overseas and the first jet to operate from an aircraft carrier. Numerous export customers and licence-builders kept it in worldwide service for decades after its 1943 first flight.
_(G-DUSK)_(6888516841).jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
The Vampire's twin-boom tail let designers use a short, simple fuselage without a long jet-pipe, and its wood-and-metal build echoed de Havilland's Mosquito.
Specifications
| Length | 9.4 m (31 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.6 m (38 ft) |
| Height | 2.7 m (9 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 5.8 t |
| Range | 730 NM (1,352 km) |
| Maximum speed | 460 kt (852 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 43,500 ft (13,259 m) |
| Rate of climb | 4,800 ft/min (24.4 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,500 l |
| Engines | 1x de Havilland Goblin |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the De Havilland DH-100 Vampire starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer De Havilland, the DH-100 Vampire family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.