The story
De Havilland built the Vampire's egg-shaped cockpit pod the way it built the Mosquito: moulded plywood and balsa. Behind it sat a Goblin turbojet and two slender booms, a layout chosen to keep the exhaust short in the days when a jet lost thrust in a long tailpipe. It was the RAF's second jet fighter and the first to cross the Atlantic. Switzerland flew Vampires until 1990, which is why most survivors wear Swiss roundels.
On 3 December 1945 Eric 'Winkle' Brown landed a Vampire on HMS Ocean, the first time a pure jet had ever landed on an aircraft carrier.
Quick answers
How do you identify a DH.100 Vampire?
Twin tail booms with a flat tailplane between them and a stubby central pod. If the booms are there and the wing is straight, it is a Vampire; a swept wing with the same booms is a Venom.
What does a DH.100 Vampire sound like?
A soft centrifugal-jet whine, far quieter than any modern fighter, with a hiss on the flypast.
How fast is the DH.100 Vampire?
Top speed is 476 kts.
How many people does the DH.100 Vampire carry?
Typical configuration: Single-seat fighter or side-by-side T.11/T.55 trainer.
How far can the DH.100 Vampire fly?
Range is about 1,060 nmi.
How big is the DH.100 Vampire?
It is 30 ft 9 in long and 38 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the DH.100 Vampire first fly?
Its first flight was in 1943.
How many DH.100 Vampires have been built?
3,268 UK-built, 1,512 more abroad built.
What do crews call the DH.100 Vampire?
The Vamp.
How rare is a DH.100 Vampire in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first DH.100 Vampire catch is worth 250 points.
