Vampire - Britain's first 500 mph fighter
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
Our subject for this week's development update blog is the latest addition to our popular range of newly tooled 1/48th scale aircraft model kits, our interpretation of a particularly distinctive early generation jet fighter, but one which is always in the shadow of the aircraft which preceded it into Royal Air Force service. The de Havilland Vampire would have the distinction of being the second British jet fighter to enter Royal Air Force service, but would also have many 'firsts' to its name, all of which we will discover during our initial historical overview of this fascinating aircraft. We will also see why this diminutive jet fighter was an unfortunate victim of circumstance and how had it not been for a unique series of factors, might have seen its service introduction take place during WWII and possibly even prior to the introduction of the Gloster Meteor.
As readers would expect from a new kit release perspective, we will be exclusively revealing the stunning new box artwork produced in support of what is only the second release from this magnificent new tooling, before moving on to look a little more closely at the THREE scheme and decal options included with this release. Interestingly, this will be the first time that we have included markings for the FB.5 and FB.9 variants of this famous aircraft, machines which were destined to serve both in the warmer environments of the Far and Middle East, in addition to locations a little closer to home.
In this larger scale, the Vampire is a real beauty of a model and we hope you will join us as we place this diminutive little British jet under our Workbench magnifier this first June weekend for 2023.
From Mosquitos to Vampires
Despite being one of the world's early jet fighters, the de Havilland Vampire still made use of the same wood lamination techniques the company perfected during production of their multi-role Mosquito.
As the magnificent Mosquito was just about entering service with Royal Air Force squadrons in 1941, recent advances in the field of jet propulsion technology resulted in the design team at the de Havilland Aircraft Company being asked to turn their attentions to developing a new jet engine of their own, one which could be used to power a new generation of high speed fighter aircraft for the RAF. This work was entrusted to the exceptional talents of designer Frank Halford, a man who was determined that his jet engine would be less complicated and of simpler overall design than the one being developed by his rival, Frank Whittle. By April 1942, he was ready to test his new engine and during all subsequent test conditions, the unit showed great promise, producing at least the levels of thrust required and leaving just one test outstanding - how it performed in the air.
It will come as no surprise to learn that during these early stages of development, jet technology held great promise, but was still somewhat immature, with these early engines not possessing huge amounts of power and being rather slow to respond to power input commands. For these reasons, de Havilland’s decision to produce their first jet aircraft as a single engined design was a brave one to say the least and was an illustration of the great faith they placed in Halford and the performance of his new jet engine. The diminutive new aircraft their design team created was initially designated de Havilland DH.100 ‘Spider Crab’, with this codename used to mask the highly secretive nature of the aircraft’s ongoing development.
Constructed around the new de Havilland Goblin 1 turbojet, the aircraft featured a relatively short, egg shaped fuselage nacelle and employed a distinctive twin-boom tail configuration for control stability, whilst at the same time allowing the engine’s thrust to egress directly from the central fuselage, something which was considered essential in this early design. With a requirement to take the pressure off the wartime aviation industry, this experimental aircraft had to be constructed of both wood and metal and it is interesting to note that the majority of the cockpit section of the fuselage (from frames 1 to 4) employed the same laminated plywood/balsa construction the company had perfected during Mosquito production.
In fact, the incredible success of the Mosquito would prove to be both a help and quite a significant hinderance throughout the development, testing and production of the Vampire. The aircraft was proving so vital to the war effort that nothing could be allowed to disrupt the production of new aircraft and with the new jet fighter being classified as an experimental project, initial development works would have to be carried out with the assistance of the English Electric company in Lancashire.
Designing a jet classic. This CAD screenshot was taken straight from Product Designer Thomas Alderman's design files and helps to give us some understanding of the work he did in ensuring this was a faithful representation of this historic jet.
In addition to accurately replicating the exterior of the Vampire, Tom also had to break everything down into an accurate model construction kit, one which was both highly detailed and enjoyable to build.
The jet bridesmaid no more, its time the de Havilland Vampire stepped out of the shadows of the Gloster Meteor and showed modellers just how spectacular an aircraft it actually was.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only frustrating delaying factor to beset the Vampire development program. The first flight of the new de Havilland jet would be further delayed due to an almost unbelievable development - the only serviceable de Havilland jet engine in existence at that time was ordered to be sent to America to help with the advancement of their own competitor jet powered aircraft project. The unfortunate combination of factors listed above and the associated delays they caused proved significant in allowing the rival project under development with the Gloster Aircraft Company to take the lead, with their Meteor going on to take the honour of being Britain’s first jet aircraft to enter service, and indeed, take the historic distinction of being the only Allied jet to see service during the Second World War, and all the recognition that went with it.
Had the Vampire project not suffered the delays described earlier, it remains a subject of some debate as to whether it would have actually beaten the Meteor into RAF service, but if it had, surely this historic positioning would have made the Vampire much more of a household name over the years and not just Britain's second jet fighter and the seventh jet powered aircraft in the world to fly.
Making its first flight on 20th September 1943 (six months after the Gloster Meteor), de Havilland DH.100 ‘Spider Crab’ LZ548/G took off from the company’s Hatfield airfield in the hands of chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. As a matter of interest, the ‘G’ used at the end of the aircraft's serial number highlights the secret nature of the project and was an instruction that the aircraft must be placed under guard at all times whilst on the ground. Impressing right from the outset, an order was almost immediately placed for the diminutive new jet fighter, but as de Havilland’s manufacturing capacity was still fully committed to existing wartime aircraft production, these first Vampire jets continued to be manufactured and test flown by English Electric at their Samlesbury facility, near Preston in Lancashire.
Vampire jet in 1/48th scale Airfix form
Captivating new artwork produced in support of what is just the second release from this magnificent new tooling, featuring the second scheme included with the kit, the Squadron Leader's aircraft of No.502 (Ulster) Squadron, RAuxAF, based at RAF Sydenham, Belfast in 1955.
From a modelling perspective, 1/48th scale has long been a popular choice amongst aircraft modelling enthusiasts, not only because the finished models are so much larger than in the more traditional 1/72nd scale, but also because this scale gives a much more pleasing representation of the subject aircraft being modelled. In recent years, Airfix have directed significant investment support towards enhancing their range of 1/48th scale aircraft kits, so much so that at one point, it seemed as if the majority of all new tooling projects were produced in this scale, something which has resulted in a really appealing range of classic aircraft for modellers to choose from.
Workbench readers will probably remember how we introduced the new 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire kit project to them back at the beginning of 2021 and how this presented the range with a beautifully accurate representation of this classic early British jet for the first time in this popular larger scale. It also slipped in nicely between the Gloster Meteor and Hawker Hunter kits which were already available at that time and despite the diminutive nature of the Vampire, produced a really appealing model, one which allowed the viewer to appreciate the design aesthetics of this historic little jet fighter.
The designer responsible for this project was Thomas Alderman, a chap who has since moved on to pastures new, but at that time was becoming quite the de Havilland expert, having previously produced the Tiger Moth kit in the same scale. You can re-visit this edition of Workbench by using this Vampire Introduction link, where you will also find details of Tom's trip to the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection in Oslo, where he scanned not only the collection's pristine de Havilland Vampire F.3, but also their Canadair Sabre for a future new tooling project. It proved to be a short, exhausting, but ultimately fruitful trip for him, as he flew to Oslo, inspected and photographed both aircraft and flew back home all in the same day - quite the whirlwind visit.
The first release from this impressive new tooling included three different F.3 variant scheme options to select from when building your kit, however for this second release, we are including options to build FB.5 and FB.9 variants of the Vampire for the very first time. Let's take a look at the details behind each of those schemes now.
Although the de Havilland Vampire was initially designated as a single engined jet powered interceptor, it wasn't long before the aircraft was required to perform additional duties, most noticeably taking over the ground attacking fighter-bomber duties of the RAF's Hawker Tempest fleet. The Vampire F.3’s of No.32 Squadron would also become the first RAF jet fighters to be deployed outside Northwest Europe and the first to operate in the higher temperatures of the Mediterranean.
The RAF's decision to retain the Meteor in a fighter interceptor role could have been detrimental to the future development of the de Havilland Vampire, however, designers at de Havilland were quick to submit their proposal to produce a low/medium altitude fighter-bomber version of their jet, knowing that the RAF were looking for a modern replacement for their Hawker Tempests. With some rather demanding performance requirements to satisfy, the new aircraft would require a more powerful variant of the Goblin engine, a shortened, but strengthened wing to cope with the additional weight of fuel and ordnance and additional protection for vital components which could be vulnerable to ground fire.
The resultant FB.5 would become by far and away the most heavily produced variant of the Vampire, with just over 1000 aircraft produced for Royal Air Force service both at home and operating from various locations around the world. When operating in warmer climates, just as had been experienced with its predecessor the Mosquito, the Vampire did have a few issues, eventually resulting in the development and introduction of the aircraft many aviation experts have described as the 'Ultimate Vampire', the FB.9 variant. Amongst other improvements, this variant featured a modified starboard air intake extension at the wing root, to accommodate the inclusion of a Godfrey refrigeration unit, providing the pilot with some much appreciated cockpit cooling when operating in these warmer conditions. Around 350 of this variant were eventually produced and whilst they were all intended for use by Middle/Far Eastern based units, rotations, training and servicing meant that many could often be spotted at bases around the UK.
Full scheme details of this most attractively presented 'Ultimate' Vampire.
de Havilland Vampire FB.9 WR120 was delivered to the RAF on 4th April 1952 and was destined to become one of the most flamboyantly presented aircraft of its kind to fly with the force. As the Squadron Leader's aircraft, this Vampire clearly drew inspiration from No.213 Squadron's unit crest and nickname of 'The Hornets', with its black and yellow detailing setting this machine apart from all others. Having served valiantly during WWII, firstly during the Battle of France, then during the Battle of Britain, No.213 Squadron would go on to fly Hurricanes, Spitfires and Mustangs as part of the Desert Air Force in the Middle East.
Following the end of the war, the unit would remain in this theatre, initially flying their Hawker Tempests in a fighter-bomber role, before entering the jet age with the de Havilland Vampire. They would be stationed at RAF Deversoir in Egypt until their disbandment in September 1954.
The airfield at RAF Deversoir was built by the British prior to the start of the Second World War, constructed as part of a wider project to protect the ongoing security of the strategically vital Suez Canal. It was used extensively throughout WWII in actions against Axis forces and following the end of the conflict, was home to three squadrons of de Havilland Vampire jets, all assigned to patrol and protect the 'Canal Zone'. Establishing something which was similar to what we now refer to as Quick Reaction Alert, a number of Vampires would be kept at a state of readiness to scramble at a moment’s notice to meet an identified threat, which would often be probing Egyptian Air Force aircraft, including their Meteor jets.
RAF No.213 Squadron would be the last unit to operate from the airfield whilst still in British hands, but would finally disband at the end of September 1954, with aircraft and personnel being assigned to other operational units - the airfield itself was taken over by the Egyptian Air Force.
De Havilland Vampire WR120 would have a relatively short seven year service career, which ended in May 1959 when the aircraft was sold for scrap at No.10 M.U at Hullavington, in Wiltshire.
Even though this was still relatively new aviation technology, de Havilland cleverly designed their Vampire to be simple to maintain and operate, earning the aircraft an enviable reputation for reliability amongst air and ground crews alike, whilst at the same time allowing more pilots to safely make the transition from piston to jet powered flight. With a number of significant 'firsts' to its name, the Vampire was the first RAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph, with the extra range of the later F.3 variant also allowing it to be the first jet fighter to cross the Atlantic and all on just that single engine. The Vampire would also have the notable distinction of being the first jet aircraft type to equip Britain’s Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
RAF No.502 (Ulster) Squadron was originally formed in May 1925 as a reserve bomber squadron based at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, initially made up of a mixture of full time regulars and reserve personnel. During the Second World War, the unit served as part of Coastal Command, fighting against the U-boat threat and attacking surface shipping, using such aircraft types as the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Handley Page Halifax.
Following the end of the war and the reactivation of the Auxiliary Air Force, No.502 Squadron reformed once again, with Aldergrove as its home base, but this time as a light bomber unit equipped with de Havilland Mosquitos. A later directive that all RAuxAF Squadrons should convert to a day fighter role saw the unit trading their Mosquitos for Spitfire F.22 fighters, however, they would use these potent piston engined fighters for less than three years, before entering the jet age with the de Havilland Vampire at the beginning or 1951. Within a matter of weeks, the squadron had traded their original Vampire F.3s for FB.5s and these would be joined by additional FB.9 variants from July 1954, with the unit operating both concurrently until the RAuxAF was disbanded in March 1957.
The stunning scheme replicated in the box artwork for this second Vampire release, this RAuxAF aircraft will prove difficult to overlook for many.
Reformed at Aldergrove once again in September 2013, No.502 (Ulster) Squadron has the distinction of being the oldest of all the reserve squadrons, and now is engaged in preparing a new generation of service personnel for a wide variety of roles within the force, embracing the technologies and challenges facing the modern Royal Air Force.
De Havilland Vampire WR128 was built at Broughton, Chester and delivered to the Royal Air Force in April 1952 as an FB.9 variant of this jet fighter-bomber. During her time with No.502 (Ulster) Squadron, she also served as the Squadron Leader's personal aircraft, resplendent with squadron crest, Squadron Leader's pennant and red lightning flashes on blue rectangular backgrounds - she must have made for a most attractive sight. Unfortunately, as was the case with many of these aircraft, WR128 only had a relatively short service life and by September 1960 had been sold for scrap and was awaiting collection by Messrs H H Bushell & Co of Birmingham and an all too familiar fate.
Scheme C - de Havilland D.H.100 Vampire FB.5 VX950, Armee de l'air, France, 1959.
With the end of the Second World War not only allowing for a period of reflection and recouperation, it also resulted in a large number of extremely capable aircraft becoming surplus to requirements and available to nations looking to bolster their own long neglected defensive forces. In addition to this, the emergence of jet power offered a valuable and potentially lucrative sales opportunity for such companies as Gloster and de Havilland, who actively promoted the many technological virtues of their aircraft. Offering their aircraft at appealing prices made an attractive proposition for less affluent nations, giving them access to the latest technology and therefore hopefully enabling them to maintain peace in those volatile times.
Keen to maintain the current levels of production at their various manufacturing facilities, de Havilland regularly entertained overseas delegates at their Hatfield site, arranging for thrilling demonstrations of their aircraft's capabilities, whilst at the same time highlighting how easy the Vampire was to operate and maintain.
France would prove to be an early admirer of the Vampire, signing an agreement in 1948 for the purchase of 30 former RAF Vampire F.1 fighters, allowing them to equip their Armee de l'air with a capable jet fighter. As the aircraft were readied, a number of French pilots arrived at Hatfield to undergo an intensive conversion course, at the end of which, the first five French Vampires were flown to their new base across the Channel. Even before this order could be fulfilled, a further order for 94 former RAF FB.5 Vampires was placed, with these aircraft all being delivered between the end of May 1949 and early March 1950.
In addition to helping the Royal Air Force transition to the jet age, the de Havilland Vampire did the same for the Armee de l'air, whilst at the same time helping to establish their post war indigenous aircraft manufacturing industry.
Of even greater significance than this, an additional agreement was reached whereby 67 Vampires would be constructed in France, using components supplied by de Havilland and a further undertaking to allow 120 aircraft to be produced using components actually manufactured in France, including a licence built variant of the Nene engine. Clearly, not only did the de Havilland Vampire help to propel the RAF into the jet age, it also did the same for many other air arms, including the post war Armee de l'air. The French manufactured machines were not without their problems in service, however, the Vampire did prove to be an excellent starting point for a post war French aviation industry which would go from strength to strength.
This particular Vampire was built by English Electric at their Samlesbury plant and formed part of the former RAF FB.5 order placed by the French in 1949. French Vampires would see relatively heavy action flying suppression missions against indigenous rebel forces in French North Africa, in a struggle which would last almost ten years from 1951 onwards.
Chocks Away, this beauty is already available and awaiting your modelling attention.
Notwithstanding the fact that the de Havilland Vampire occupies a significant position within the history of aviation, it's just a beautiful looking aircraft and in 1/48th scale model kit form, has that extra size to allow us to gain a more effective appreciation for its distinctive and attractive design. Only the second release from our new Vampire tooling, this latest FB.5/FB.9 version of the kit is available now, ready to take its place on workstations everywhere - don't we all need a little early jet aviation indulgence in our lives at some point?
We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence.
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