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119-550: The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a British twin-engine , twin boom -tailed, two-seat, carrier-based fleet air-defence fighter flown by the Royal Navy 's Fleet Air Arm from the 1950s to the early 1970s. The Sea Vixen was designed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company during the late 1940s at its Hatfield aircraft factory in Hertfordshire , developed from the company's earlier first generation jet fighters . It

238-649: A great circle route. Hence, in case of an engine failure in a twinjet (like Boeing 777 ), the twin-jet could make emergency landings in fields in Canada , Alaska , eastern Russia , Greenland , Iceland , or the British Isles . The Boeing 777 has also been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for flights between North America and Hawaii , which is the world's longest regular airline route with no diversion airports along

357-518: A podded engine usually mounted beneath, or occasionally above or within, each wing. Most notable examples of such a configuration are the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 . The second has one engine mounted on each side of the rear fuselage, close to its empennage , used by many business jets , although some airliners like the Fokker 70 , Douglas DC-9 and COMAC ARJ21 utilise such a design as well. In

476-711: A "snap gear". Because the Hornet used the American "3-point" system of catapult-assisted takeoff , two forged steel catapult bridle hooks were fitted, one below each wing, close to the fuselage. The de Havilland rubber-in-compression undercarriage legs could not absorb the rebound energies imposed by carrier landings. They were replaced by more conventional hydraulic oleos which embodied torque links. Merlin 133/134s (derated from 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) to 2,030 hp (1,510 kW)) were fitted to all Sea Hornets. Other specialised naval equipment (mainly different radio gear)

595-689: A British design in having propellers that rotated in opposite directions; the two engine crankshafts rotated in the same direction but the Merlin 131 added an idler gear to reverse its propeller's rotation (to clockwise, viewed from the front). This cancelled the torque effect of two propellers turning in the same direction that had affected earlier designs (such as the Mosquito). It also reduced adverse yaw caused by aileron trim corrections and generally provided more stable and predictable behaviour in flight. De Havilland tried propellers that rotated outward at

714-528: A Royal Navy operation designed to prevent oil reaching landlocked Rhodesia via the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique . The Sea Vixen also saw service in the Far East . In 1967, once again in the Persian Gulf, Sea Vixens helped cover the withdrawal from Aden . There were a number of Royal Navy warships involved, including the carriers HMS  Albion , HMS  Bulwark and HMS Eagle (carrying

833-616: A Vampire and two Sea Furies, were embarked on HMCS Magnificent for a tour of North America in 1948. During the North American tour, multiple Sea Hornets performed several spectacular flying displays at the International Air Exposition in New York City between 31 July and 8 August. In mid-1948, one Sea Hornet, PX219, was adapted to carry a pair of Highball bouncing bombs in an installation that

952-481: A crew of two to handle its radar and navigation equipment, as well as to fly the fighter, and that two engines were required for a safety factor over the ocean , and that swept wings were desirable. The fighter would also have a moderate wing loading for manoeuvrability at altitude and acceptable takeoff and landing performance from aircraft carriers . Highly effective wing flaps would be needed for landing and taking off. de Havilland decided to pursue development of

1071-531: A design to meet the requirements of the British Royal Navy. The proposed aircraft, which was designated as the DH.110 by de Havilland, was a twin-engined all-weather fighter. The design of the DH 110 used the twin-boom -tail design layout of the de Havilland Vampire and de Havilland Venom . It had an all-metal structure, 45-degree swept wings, and an armament of four 30 mm ADEN cannons . The DH 110

1190-920: A fast-approaching supersonic target such as the Tupolev Tu-22 bomber. The Red Top system was integrated into the AI 18R (R for Red Top) radar. From 1969 the Sea Vixen FAW2 practiced intercepts of a supersonic target against the Concorde SST in flight tests over the Irish Sea. The Admiralty had planned to replace the Sea Vixen with the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 . The aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and Eagle were both planned to be refitted to properly carry and fly

1309-467: A low frontal area was selected for use on the D.H. 103. By the end of 1942, a mock-up of the D.H. 103 had been completed at de Havilland's Hatfield facility and was soon afterwards demonstrated to officials of the Ministry of Aircraft Production . Due to the war, the ministry did not immediately issue permission to construct the D.H. 103. In June 1943, the project stopped being a private venture when

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1428-580: A new British point-to-point record. Peebles' record stood for only three days, being broken when the same Hornet, flown by Group Captain A.P.C. Carver, returned to Bovingdon, averaging 435.871 mph (701.466 km/h). On 31 August 1946, Geoffrey Pike attained third place in PX224 in the Lympne High Speed Handicap race, having flown a recorded average speed of 345.5 mph (556.0 km/h). On 30 July 1949, PX286 participated in

1547-522: A new project. At this point, the Mosquito had entered full-rate production and preliminary work on a jet-propelled fighter aircraft, which became the Vampire , was waiting for the production of prototype engines. The company promptly recognised a need for a high-speed, unarmed, night bomber powered by a pair of large Napier Sabre piston engines and a design for such an aircraft was first proposed under

1666-629: A pair of 200-gallon drop tanks and a pair of 1,000 lbs bombs on hard points underneath the wings. Towards the end of 1944, the assembly line for the Hornet F.1, the initial production model, was being established at Hatfield and orders had already been received for the Royal Air Force (RAF). On 28 February 1945, PX210 , the first of 60 production F.1 aircraft was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Boscombe Down . On 29 October 1945,

1785-537: A production Hornet F.1, PX237 , was used for the type's first public appearance at an open day at RAE Farnborough . Additional prototypes were used for the development of improved variants of the Hornet. PX312 , participated in the development of an improved fighter model to succeed the F.1, the Hornet F.3. PX212 , PX214 , and PX219 , were converted by the Heston Aircraft Company from Hornet F.1 standard aircraft to represent and test aspects of

1904-595: A result of these changes the DH 110 was no longer able to exceed the speed of sound, only reaching Mach 0.95 in a steep dive where its controls were immovable until passing 10,000 feet (3,000 m). By this time, the Royal Air Force announced the abandonment of its interest in the DH 110, after deciding to buy the Gloster Javelin instead; However, the Fleet Air Arm had decided that it would adopt

2023-466: A revised tail unit, and the redesigning of the fuselage to carry armament. On 20 March 1957, the first true Sea Vixen, designated as the Sea Vixen FAW.20 (fighter all-weather, later redesignated FAW.1 ), performed its first flight. This aircraft was promptly used for clearance trials, in particular for addressing handling problems; the second production aircraft was used for engineering trials and

2142-497: A similar armament to its land-based counterparts. In mid-1946, the Hornet entered squadron service with 64 Squadron , based at RAF Horsham St Faith . Next to convert to the Hornet was 19 Squadron at RAF Wittering , followed by 41 Squadron and 65 Squadron , both based at RAF Church Fenton . No. 65 Sqn participated in one of the first official overseas visits by an RAF unit when they visited Sweden in May 1948. Pilot conversion to

2261-648: A single Sea Hornet flew the same route in 2 hours 45 minutes at an average speed of 378 mph. During a brief deployment in 1952, it was quickly determined that the Sea Hornet was not suitable for use on board the Navy's light fleet carriers. 809 Squadron was briefly seconded to the RAF at Coltishall prior to being deployed to Hal Far , Malta ; it was on Malta that the Squadron was disbanded in 1954 to be reequipped with

2380-408: A specified distance from an available diversion airport. Overwater flights near diversion airports need not be ETOPS/LROPS-compliant. Since the 1990s, airlines have increasingly turned from four-engine or three-engine airliners to twin-engine airliners to operate transatlantic and transpacific flight routes. On a nonstop flight from America to Asia or Europe, the long-range aircraft usually follows

2499-471: A tanker for refueling other aircraft. The Sea Vixen FAW.1 was cleared to carry the Red Beard free-fall nuclear bomb in the event of an "extreme operational emergency". The Sea Vixen was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Avon 208 turbojet engines and could reach a maximum speed of 690 mph (1,110 km/h) and a range of up to 600 mi (970 km). It had a twin-boom tail configuration, as used on

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2618-420: A total of six main attachment points. The Sea Vixen had a crew of two, a pilot and a radar operator . The pilot's canopy was offset to the left-hand side of the fuselage, while the radar operator sat to the right completely within the fuselage , the latter gaining access to his position through a flush-fitting top hatch, nicknamed the "Coal Hole". The observer's position was darkened and located deeper down into

2737-541: A trijet aircraft) and Boeing worked on new widebody twinjet designs that would become the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 , respectively. The MD-11's long range advantage was brief as it was soon nullified by the Airbus A330-300 and the extended-range Boeing 767-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER. The Airbus A320 twinjet stands out as the most produced jet airliner. The Boeing 777X is the world's largest twinjet, and

2856-474: Is not an issue, as one of the engines is more than powerful enough to keep the aircraft aloft (see below). Mostly, ETOPS certification involves maintenance and design requirements ensuring that a failure of one engine cannot make the other one fail also. The engines and related systems need to be independent and (in essence) independently maintained. ETOPS/LROPS is often incorrectly thought to apply only to long overwater flights, but it applies to any flight more than

2975-624: Is to be restored to fly by Pioneer Aero Ltd at Ardmore, New Zealand. Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown , former fighter pilot and officer of the Fleet Air Arm , was one of the world's most accomplished test pilots and he held the record for flying the greatest number of aircraft types. Just after VE Day the first semi-naval Sea Hornet PX 212 arrived at the RAE , Farnborough . Eric Brown initiated "work-up to deck-landing" trials. 37 years later, he

3094-518: The 777X in November 2013, while then-CEO Fabrice Brégier preferred to focus on product improvement rather than all-new concepts for 10 years. It would have a 10-abreast economy like the 777; its 565 m (6,081 sq ft) wing, slightly more than the 747-8, would have an 80 m (262 ft) span, as wide as the A380 , for a 892,900 lb (405 t) MTOW compared to 775,000 lb (352 t) for

3213-559: The AI18 radar, which was operated by the observer. In addition to its principal fleet-defence role, the Sea Vixen was also used in the ground-attack role for which it could be armed with two Microcell unguided two-inch (51 mm) rocket packs, Bullpup air-to-ground missiles, and four 500 pounds (230 kg) or two 1,000 pounds (450 kg) bombs . The Sea Vixen was equipped with a refuelling probe for aerial refuelling from tanker aircraft to extend its range. It could also be equipped as

3332-399: The Boeing 777 , Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 have matched or surpassed older quad-jet designs such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 in these aspects, and twinjets have been more successful in terms of sales than quad-jets. In 2012, Airbus studied a 470-seat twinjet competitor for the Boeing 747-8 with lower operating costs expected between 2023 and 2030, revived after Boeing launched

3451-713: The National Air Races (GB) at Elmdon ; when flown by Geoffrey Pike, it clocked the fastest lap at 369 mph (594 km/h) and attained second place overall. Operationally, the Hornet I (later re-designated as the F.1) lasted only a short time before being superseded by the improved F.3 version. The first Hornet F.3 was PX 366 , which flew at the Farnborough Air Show in June 1946. New units to convert to this mark were 33 Squadron , 45 Squadron (based at RAF Tengah , Singapore where, in early 1952,

3570-451: The "pinion" extensions above and in front of the wing leading edge, there was an improved escape system and additional room for more electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment. However, the changes in aerodynamics meant that the 1,000 lb bomb could no longer be carried. Visually the FAW.1 and FAW.2 could be distinguished by the tail booms which extended forward over the wing leading edges of

3689-520: The 13 prototypes In 1949, however, the Royal Navy decided to procure the de Havilland Sea Venom which, as a development of an existing aircraft, was cheaper, and would be available sooner to meet its immediate needs for a jet-powered night fighter to replace its fleet of piston-engined de Havilland Sea Hornets and Vought F4U Corsairs . The RAF decided to cut its order to two prototypes. Despite this setback, de Havilland elected to continue work on

de Havilland Sea Vixen - Misplaced Pages Continue

3808-447: The 145 Sea Vixens constructed, 55 were lost in accidents. Two DH.110 development prototypes were also lost. The 55 Sea Vixens lost represented a loss rate of almost 38%. 30 (54%) of these were fatal incidents, 21 of which involved the death of both pilot and observer. A small number of Sea Vixens were sent to FR Aviation at Tarrant Rushton airfield for conversion to D.3 drone standard, with some undergoing testing at RAF Llanbedr before

3927-753: The 777-200LR variant has the world's second longest aircraft range (behind Airbus A350-900 ULR). Other Boeing twinjets include the 767 , 757 (With the latter having stopped production, but still in commercial service) and 787 . Competitor Airbus produces the A320 family , the A330 , and the A350 . Some modern commercial airplanes still use four engines ( quad-jets ) like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 , which are classified as very large aircraft (over 400 seats in mixed-class configurations). Four engines are still used on

4046-432: The 777X, with a composite structure for an operating empty weight of 467,400 lb (212 t), and a 8,150 nmi (15,090 km) range at Mach 0.85. When flying far from diversionary airports (so called ETOPS/LROPS flights), the aircraft must be able to reach an alternate on the remaining engine within a specified time in case of one engine failure. When aircraft are certified according to ETOPS standards, thrust

4165-477: The DH 110 while trying to recapture official interest in the type. On 26 September 1951, an initial prototype was completed and conducted its maiden flight from the Hatfield Aerodrome , flown by the test pilot John Cunningham . Early flight tests of the prototype demonstrated that the aircraft's performance exceeded expectations. By the following year, the prototype was regularly flying in excess of

4284-611: The FAW.2. In 1962, the Sea Vixen FAW.2 conducted its maiden flight; the type entered service with frontline squadrons in 1964. Overall, a total of 29 FAW.2s were newly built along with a further 67 FAW.1s that were rebuilt and upgraded to FAW.2 standard. In 1966, the original FAW.1 begun to be phased out. In 1972, the career of the Sea Vixen FAW.2 came to an end. The Sea Vixen FAW2 could be armed with up to four Hawker Siddeley Red Top infrared-homing missiles. The Red Top could home on to heat sources generated by kinetic heating of

4403-523: The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and Royal Air Force (RAF). de Havilland submitted its proposal for the DH 110 to both services. As initially submitted the RAF version had Metrovick F.9 engines, although these would soon be known as the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire when Metrovick sold its engine division. In response, nine DH 110 prototypes were ordered for the RAF (together with four of the competing Gloster Javelin ) and four prototypes for

4522-486: The Fleet Air Arm though it took part in many operations. In 1961, President Abdul Karim Kassem of Iraq threatened to annex the neighbouring oil-rich state of Kuwait . In response to Kuwait's appeal for external help, the United Kingdom dispatched a number of ships to the region, including two fleet carriers. Sea Vixens aboard the fleet carriers flew patrols in the region, and Kassem's aggressive actions wilted in

4641-426: The Fleet Air Arm with no gun armament. The Sea Vixen FAW.1 was armed with four de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missiles, while the Sea Vixen FAW.2 could also carry the later, more capable Red Top missile. The original DH.110 design offered to the RAF was armed with four cannon before soon being replaced with an all-missile armament. The Red Top homing head was pointed in the direction of the target by slaving it to

4760-407: The Fleet Air Arm. By early 1949 the DH.110 design was expected to be adaptable to fulfil four requirements: F4/48, F5/49 (a long range RAF fighter), N.40/46 (naval night fighter) and N.8/49 (naval strike aircraft). To this end the prototypes required would be three for F.4/48, four for common RAF and RN development, and two each for the other three roles and by July the authorities were ready to order

4879-493: The Hornet NF.21. PX239 , originally built as a Hornet F.20, was outfitted with power-operated folding wings and a large dorsal fillet, which was later fitted to all production aircraft to comply with a new requirement to provide "feet off" directional stability with one engine stopped. On 25 October 1948, the first deck trials commenced on board HMS  Illustrious ; these were so successful that testing rapidly proceeded to

de Havilland Sea Vixen - Misplaced Pages Continue

4998-486: The Hornet for naval service. The Heston Aircraft Company was contracted to carry out the conversion work on three early production F.1s. The work entailed altering the wings to incorporate folding mechanisms so that each outer wing panel, from the aileron/flap line outboard could be folded upwards and inwards at an angle. The hinges were part of the upper wing skin structure while the lower wing skins incorporated securing latches, and Lockheed hydraulic jacks were used to move

5117-426: The Hornet was provided by No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit (O.C.U.) which was based at RAF Molesworth . During their relatively short operational service, Hornets participated in several record attempts and air races; for example, on 15 September 1949 Flight Lieutenant H. Peebles flew from RAF Bovingdon to Gibraltar (1,100+ mi or 1,800+ km) at an average speed of 357.565 mph (574.445 km/h), setting

5236-496: The Merlin engine. The D.H. 103 resembled a small Mosquito, with a single seat; it was intended to take on other single-seat fighter aircraft, particularly those operated by Japan, while still being capable of conducting very long range missions to be of use in the Pacific Theatre . The long range requirement led to the fuselage being highly streamlined . An independently developed version of the Merlin engine which possessed

5355-541: The Ministry released Specification F.12/43 , which had been written around the D.H. 103 proposal; soon after, the D.H. 103 project received the name Hornet. It was envisaged that the Hornet could be adapted for naval use and operated from the flight decks of aircraft carriers . Priority was given early on to ensuring that such adaptation could be readily done: measures for ease of control, especially when flown at low speeds, were incorporated and attention paid to providing

5474-418: The Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS  Ark Royal . In April 1956, the finalised production drawings were formally issued. The fully navalised production Sea Vixen featured a number of improvements over earlier development models. These included the addition of a powered folding wing system, reinforcement of the landing gear to withstand the additional stresses of carrier landings, a steerable nose wheel,

5593-571: The Sea Vixen was phased out in favour of the American-made McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 interceptor. There have been no flying Sea Vixens since 2017. In 1946, the de Havilland Aircraft Company conducted discussions with the British Admiralty on its requirements for a future jet-powered all-weather, radar -equipped fighter . From these talks, it became clear that the aircraft would need

5712-766: The Sea Vixens) and the LPD (Landing Platform Dock) HMS  Fearless . The Sea Vixen's tactics against faster supersonic fighters such as the BAC Lightning and the Dassault Mirage III was to keep turning until its opponents went low on fuel and then catch them with the Red Top when they tried to break away using afterburner. The Sea Vixen also flew in an aerobatic role, performing in two Royal Navy display teams: Simon's Sircus and Fred's Five. Of

5831-478: The accident traced the failure to faulty design of the wing leading edge section ahead of the main spar . The design had been satisfactory for the earlier Vampire and Venom but not for the higher stresses induced by the rolling pull-out manoeuvre at 650 mph flown by the DH110 prototype at Farnborough. The leading edge skin, without the extra reinforcing structure that would be added later, buckled, which resulted in

5950-584: The aerial escorting of ground convoys. The Hornet proved to be very reliable: 45 Sqn Hornets, based in Singapore, achieved a total of 4,500 operational sorties over five years, more than any other squadron in the FEAF. On 23 July 1954, two Hornets from RAF Kai Tak in Hong Kong were the first to arrive on the scene of a shootdown of a Cathay Pacific Skymaster off the coast of Hainan Island . On 21 May 1955,

6069-636: The aircraft as a replacement for its interim fleet of Sea Venoms. In February 1955, an order was placed for 110 navalised aircraft, which received the name Sea Vixen . In addition to tailoring the aircraft for carrier-based operation by the Royal Navy, de Havilland implemented major changes to the Sea Vixen during its redesign. Throughout the 1950s, when the DH 110 design was still being evolved, major advances had occurred in subsystems such as weaponry, fire-control system , radar equipment, and cockpit instrumentation. The concept of an aircraft being an integrated weapons system had proliferated, where sensors such as

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6188-523: The alteration of the profile of the wing leading edges and the strengthening of the wings, as well as underwing fixture points for catapult launches , and a tailhook for arrested landings ; however, the prototype lacked a wing folding mechanism, or racks for armaments. On 20 June 1955, this aircraft made its first flight from de Havilland's facility at Christchurch Airfield in Dorset . The following year, XF828 performed its first arrested deck landing on

6307-461: The designation D.H. 101 in October 1941. A design team led by R. E. Bishop with C. T. Wilkins assisting, was assembled with the aim of developing the D.H. 101, which was initially pursued as a private venture. The Sabre engine was suffering from availability problems at that point and the DH. 101 was soon replaced by a lower-powered design, with the internal designation D.H. 102 . This proposal

6426-595: The drone programme was abandoned. Among them was XP924, now G-CVIX, the only Sea Vixen to remain in flying condition, which has now been returned to 899 NAS colours. Formerly owned and operated by De Havilland Aviation , G-CVIX could be viewed at their hangar at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset and at air shows around the UK. The Air Accident Investigation Branch published an enquiry into damage suffered by G-CVIX on landing at Bournemouth on 5 April 2012. On 16 September 2014, G-CVIX

6545-436: The earlier de Havilland Sea Vampire and Sea Venom fighter aircraft. The internal volume of the tail boom was used for both fuel and avionics, and was considerably enlarged for this purpose on the improved Sea Vixen FAW.2. The twin-boom tail reduced the length and height of the aircraft, which reduced the stowage area and head-room required onboard aircraft carriers; it also minimised asymmetry during single engine flying, reduced

6664-403: The early 1950s. The Hornet was designed with the possibility of naval service on carriers firmly in mind. To this end good low-speed handling was required, along with good all-round visibility for the pilot. The basic Hornet design excelled at meeting these requirements. Shortly after the first Hornet prototype flew, Specification N.5/44 was issued to de Havilland, covering the modification of

6783-493: The efficiency and power of this configuration gave the Hornet "a higher performance than any other propeller driven aircraft". The Hornet's principal armament was four short-barrelled 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano V cannons , while other typical weapon loads included various rockets and bombs . Fuselage construction was identical to the earlier Mosquito: a balsa wood "pith" sandwiched between plywood sheets which were laid in diagonal panels. Aerolite formaldehyde cement

6902-575: The end of the Second World War in the Pacific; all were used in arrester barrier trials at Boscombe Down and scrapped before entering RAF service. Twelve Hornet FR.4s were modified from F.3s in much the same way, except that the cannon were retained and the internal fuel capacity slightly reduced from that of the fighter. These FR.4 derivatives saw service with the RAF in Malaya and Hong Kong in

7021-412: The engines being torn from the airframe by the g loading. One of the engines hit an area crowded with spectators at the end of the runway, causing the majority of the deaths. Sixty other spectators were injured by debris from the cockpit landing close to the main spectator enclosures alongside the runway. This incident led to a restructuring of safety regulations for air shows in the UK, and no member of

7140-639: The face of the strong naval presence, thus averting a war over Kuwait. In January 1964, trouble flared in the East African state of Tanganyika after the 1st and 2nd Tanganyika Rifles mutinied against the British officers and NCOs who, despite Tanganyika being independent, still commanded the regiment. The mutineers also seized the British High Commissioner and the airport at the capital Dar es Salaam . The UK responded by sending

7259-423: The front spar, above the wing, which are accessible through hatches. The engines are installed within the main fuselage aft of the main box; they could be removed from the fuselage for servicing via detachable panels on the upper fuselage surface. Sections of the fuselage skin were chemically milled while other parts were machine milled . The powered folding wing made use of a pair of wing-fold joints which involved

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7378-428: The fuel tanks were enlarged from a total capacity of 360 Imp gal (1,636 L) to 432 Imp gal (1,964 L) and additional equipment was added. Larger horizontal tail surfaces were adopted, with larger elevator horn balances. With the evolution of longer-range, jet-powered fighters such as the de Havilland Vampire , de Havilland Venom and Gloster Meteor , the Hornet became obsolete fairly quickly. The F.3

7497-494: The fuselage, improving the visibility of the radar imagery. Both positions were fitted with fully automated height adjustable Martin-Baker Mk.4 ejector seats , which were capable of being deployed under a range of conditions and circumstances, including the aircraft being submerged in water. Each crew member had a single centralised service connector comprising circuits that served ventilated g-suits as well as controls for humidity and temperature for crew comfort. The windscreen of

7616-565: The initial FAW.1 model, de Havilland proceeded with the development of an improved variant, which was subsequently designated as the Sea Vixen FAW.2 . This served as the successor to the FAW.1 and included many improvements. As well as Firestreak missiles, it could carry the Red Top air-to-air missile , four SNEB rocket pods, and the AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missile . Its enlarged tail boom allowed for additional fuel tanks in

7735-416: The initial naval version, later named Sea Hornet F.20 . PX212 and PX214 were only partially naval, being outfitted with arrestor hooks but lacking the wing-folding mechanisms of subsequent production aircraft; PX219 was the full naval version and later conducted carrier deck trials on board the aircraft carrier HMS  Ocean . PX230 and PX239 , were completed for an all-weather night fighter,

7854-530: The introduction of ETOPS rules that allowed twin-engine jets to fly long-distance routes that were previously off-limits to them, Airbus was able to further develop the A300 as a medium- to long-range airliner to increased sales; Boeing launched its widebody twinjet, the Boeing 767 , in response. In the 1980s the Boeing 727 was discontinued, as its central engine bay would require a prohibitively expensive redesign to accommodate quieter high-bypass turbofans, and it

7973-727: The jet-powered de Havilland Sea Venom . The NF.21 later equipped the Fleet Requirements Units at Hal Far, Malta, and St Davids, West Wales. One Sea Hornet F.20, TT 213 , was acquired by the RAAF from the Ministry of Supply in the United Kingdom . The aircraft was used by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), at Laverton, Victoria , Australia from 1948 to 1950. It was mainly used for evaluation and tropical trials. Through 1956 and 1957,

8092-449: The largest cargo aircraft capable of transporting outsize cargo , including strategic airlifters . Twin-jets tend to be more fuel-efficient than trijet (three engine) and quad-jet (four engine) aircraft. As fuel efficiency in airliners is a high priority, many airlines have been increasingly retiring trijet and quad-jet designs in favor of twinjets in the twenty-first century. The trijet designs were phased out first, in particular due to

8211-405: The last operational Hornet sortie was flown; by mid-1956, all Hornets had been recorded as having been withdrawn from operational service. No complete examples of the Hornet remain in existence today. On 1 June 1947, 801 Squadron was reformed to become the first squadron to operate the Sea Hornet, based at RNAS Ford. After relocating to Arbroath , the squadron participated in numerous trials for

8330-474: The launch of air strikes against rebel forces, this time supporting British forces fighting against locals disgruntled by the loss of tolls in the Radfan . Later in 1964, HMS Centaur ' s 892 Squadron Sea Vixens stationed off Indonesia, helped to prevent an escalation of President Sukarno's Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation . Sea Vixens saw further service during the 1960s, performing duties on Beira Patrol ,

8449-476: The leading edges of the wings, outboard of the nacelles. (Other versions of the Merlin, which used "updraft" induction arrangements, required that the intakes be placed in a duct below the main engine cowling). The main radiators were also mounted in the inboard leading edges of the wings. Internal fuel, to a maximum capacity of 432 Imp gal (1,964 L) (F.3) was stored in four self-sealing wing tanks, which were reached through detachable panels forming part of

8568-452: The length of the jet pipes and improved maintenance access. The fuselage comprises several sections, the principal being the one-piece central and stub-wing assembly section. The front fuselage, composed of the pressurised cabin, the airbrake below the pressure flooring and the radar compartment, and its hinged radome are mounted upon four attachments on the forward face of the front spar . Various electrical compartments are located aft of

8687-609: The light fleet carrier HMS  Centaur , accompanied by 45 Commando, Royal Marines . The Sea Vixens, flying off Centaur , performed a number of duties including the providing of cover for the Royal Marines who were landed in Tanganyika by helicopters. The operation "to restore Tanganyika to stability" ended in success. That same year, Sea Vixens of HMS Centaur saw service once again in the Persian Gulf , including

8806-447: The lower wing surfaces. To assist airflow over the wing, the engine nacelles were mounted low, which meant that the undercarriage legs were reasonably short and the pilot's field of view was improved. The single-legged undercarriage units were simpler and cleaner than those of the Mosquito, using the same de Havilland-developed, rubber-in-compression energy absorption system. The main wheels were also smaller and lighter. To further aid

8925-410: The more complicated design and maintenance issues of the middle engine mounted on the stabilizer. Early twinjets were not permitted by ETOPS restrictions to fly long-haul trans-oceanic routes, as it was thought that they were unsafe in the event of failure of one engine, so quad-jets were used. Quad-jets also had higher carrying capacity than comparable earlier twinjets. However, later twinjets such as

9044-565: The new fighters. Due to defence cuts, and following the decommissioning of HMS Eagle , only HMS Ark Royal underwent the conversion work to fly the new Phantom FG.1. A small number of Sea Vixens subsequently saw service as drones , in which capacity they were redesignated as the Sea Vixen D.3 . Only four aircraft were converted to the D.3 standard, though three more were dispatched to Farnborough to undergo conversion, but ultimately went unconverted. The last remaining airworthy Sea Vixen (XP924)

9163-556: The night trials phase. On 16 May 1947, PX230 was lost during service trials when the aircraft disintegrated in mid flight; the pilot bailed out following the breakup of the aircraft. The wings of the Hornet F.3 were stressed to carry external weapons; two to four 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 rockets could be carried under each wing; it was also possible to carry a combination of four rockets with one bomb of up to 1,000 lb (454 kg), or an additional drop tank on each wing, ranging in capacity up to 200 Imp gal (909 L). Internally,

9282-446: The official sanction to proceed with development, RR915 conducted its maiden flight , piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. , the company's chief test pilot. Flight tests of RR915 led to it achieving a recorded speed of 485 mph (780 km/h) in level flight. Within two months, over fifty flight hours were accumulated by RR915 . The second prototype, RR919 , was more representative of production aircraft, having provision for

9401-489: The only one to be owned by a non-British operator, was a Sea Hornet F.20 TT193 . It had originally been dispatched to Edmonton, Alberta , Canada to conduct winter trials; following these tests, TT193 was sold rather than be transported back to England. Registered CF-GUO , the aircraft was operated by Spartan Air Services and Kenting Aviation until 11 July 1952 when an engine failure caused a forced landing at Terrace, British Columbia . After being reduced to components TT193

9520-423: The outer portions of the swept-back wings being torn off (similar display routines had been flown on preceding days by the other prototype DH110 which had an aerodynamic fence providing external stiffening for the skin located precisely over the area where the buckling originated.). The subsequent shift in the DH 110's centre of pressure caused the aircraft to pitch up, the cockpit and tail sections breaking away and

9639-471: The pilot with a high level of visibility. The two propellers were driven in opposite directions to improve take-off and landing characteristics and high-drag flaps were integrated to provide for greater power during approaches. By January 1944, the fuselage shell for the first prototype D.H. 103, RR915 , was under construction on production jigs at Hatfield; RR915 was rolled out for engine runs on 20 July 1944. On 28 July 1944, only thirteen months after

9758-410: The pilot's field of view, the unpressurised cockpit was mounted well forward in the fuselage and was housed under an aft-sliding perspex blister canopy . The three-panel windscreen was designed so that refraction through the panels meant that there were no obvious blind spots caused by the corner tie-rods; all three panels were bullet-proof laminated glass . An armour-plated bulkhead (hinged near

9877-565: The pilots canopy had a 'knife edge' positioned in center for rain and weather shedding. The flying controls of the Sea Vixen were relatively complex with a fully powered tailplane, ailerons , and rudder ; these controls remained usable even in the absence of electrical power, such as in the event of a double engine failure. Actuation of the powered flight control surfaces was provided by a pair of independent hydraulic systems and typically featured variable gearing of control movements over differing speeds. An intricate three-section flap arrangement

9996-591: The public died as a result of a British airshow flight for more than 62 years, until the crash of a Hawker Hunter warbird killed 11 people during the Shoreham Air Show on 22 August 2015. In response to the loss of the first prototype de Havilland introduced modifications to the design which were implemented on the remaining second prototype. These changes included the adoption of an all-moving tailplane , and cambered leading edge extensions. The modified prototype did not return to flight until July 1954. As

10115-453: The radar would be more directly tied into navigation and weapons systems. de Havilland included this concept in the design of the Sea Vixen. According to aviation author David Hobbs, it was the first British fighter aircraft to be designed in this manner. In June 1955, a semi-navalised prototype, XF828 , was completed for the purpose of conducting carrier flight deck suitability trials. For this purpose, XF828 featured several changes, including

10234-503: The rear fuselage. On late F.1s and further models of production aircraft, a fin fillet was added to the base of the unit. The horizontal tail unit was an all-metal structure, again featuring the distinctive de Havilland shape, which was later repeated on the Chipmunk and Beaver . Construction was of mixed balsa / plywood similar to the Mosquito but the Hornet differed in incorporating stressed Alclad lower-wing skins bonded to

10353-483: The region. Armed with rockets and/or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, the Hornets, with their long range and good endurance, were able to spend up to two hours loitering over a given target area, which was particularly useful because target identification often proved to be challenging and time consuming. The Hornets were often sortied in conjunction with strikes from Avro Lincoln bombers. Other activities included

10472-723: The requirement that an aircraft be able to continue a takeoff if an engine fails after the takeoff decision speed is reached. Thus, with all engines operating, trijets must be able to produce at least 150% of the minimum thrust required to climb and quad-jets 133%. Conversely, since a twinjet will lose half of its total thrust if an engine fails, they are required to produce 200% of the minimum thrust required to climb when both engines are operating. Because of this, twinjets typically have higher thrust-to-weight ratios than aircraft with more engines, and are thus able to accelerate and climb faster. De Havilland Sea Hornet The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet , developed by de Havilland ,

10591-549: The rubber-in-compression undercarriage legs were still fitted. De Havilland were quick to modify the aircraft. Eric Brown: The de Havilland Hornet bore a family resemblance to the larger Mosquito, but it was an entirely fresh design albeit one that drew extensively upon experiences from, and the design of, the Mosquito. It was powered by a pair of highly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, producing 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) each, which drove de Havilland Propellers four-bladed propellers. According to aviation author P.J. Birtles,

10710-556: The speed of sound . However, tragedy struck while the first prototype DH 110 (serial number WG236) was demonstrated at the Farnborough Airshow on 6 September 1952. Following a demonstration of its ability to break the sound barrier during a low level flight , the aircraft disintegrated and debris landed in the midst of spectators killing 31 people, including the crew of two, the test pilot John Derry and his flight-test observer, Tony Richards. Subsequent investigation of

10829-537: The squadron briefly transferred to HMS Illustrious for deck landing practice. In May 1951, the NF.21s of 809 Squadron relocated to HMS  Vengeance to form a portion of the FAA's first all-weather air group. On 16 October 1951, a formation of four NF.21 aircraft flew non-stop from Gibraltar to Lee-on-the-Solent , Hampshire , England, in 3 hours 10 minutes at an average speed of just under 330 mph; on 24 November 1951,

10948-479: The third aircraft for conducting radar trials. On 2 July 1959, the first Sea Vixen-equipped squadron was formed. Production Sea Vixens were manufactured at first by de Havilland at its former World War II Airspeed Ltd. " shadow factory " at Christchurch near Bournemouth , starting in March 1957. In August 1962, all production was moved to another de Havilland factory located at Hawarden , near Chester . Beyond

11067-694: The third configuration both engines are within the fuselage, side-by-side, used by most fighters since the 1960s. Later fighters using this configuration include the Su-27 'Flanker', the F-15 Eagle , and the F-22 Raptor . The first twinjet to fly was the German fighter prototype Heinkel He 280 , flying in April 1941 with a pair of nacelled Heinkel HeS 8 axial-flow turbojets. The twinjet configuration

11186-435: The top to provide access to the back of the instrument panel and the rudder pedals), was part of the nose structure, with the pilot's back and head being protected by another armoured bulkhead built into the cockpit. Below and behind the cockpit floor was a bay housing the aircraft's principal armament of four 20 mm cannon, which had a maximum of 190 rounds per cannon which fired through short blast tubes. The Sea Hornet had

11305-495: The tops of their arcs (as in the P-38 Lightning ), but this configuration blanketed the fin and reduced rudder effectiveness at low speeds, compromising ground handling. On production Hornets the conventionally rotating Merlin 130 was on the port wing with the Merlin 131 on the starboard. Because of the revised induction arrangements of the Merlin 130 series, the supercharger and carburettor air intakes could be placed in

11424-621: The type prior to the Sea Hornet's first seaborne deployment, having embarked upon HMS  Implacable in 1949. In 1951, a further transfer was made to HMS  Indomitable : during their time on board the Sea Hornets contributed to a multinational maritime exercises as long-range fighter escort and strike aircraft; however, in June 1951, they were replaced by single-engined Hawker Sea Furies . Further Sea Hornet deliveries were attached to various Naval Squadrons, including three which were attached to 806 Squadron in 1948 which, along with

11543-678: The unit converted to the Hornet from the unreliable Bristol Brigand ) and 80 Squadron . In 1951, considerable numbers of Hornets were redeployed from Fighter Command to the squadrons of the Far East Air Force (FEAF). Along with 45 Sqn, 33 and 80 Squadrons participated in combat operations during the Malayan Emergency . Upon arrival, the Hornets were promptly used to replace Bristol Beaufighters and Supermarine Spitfires that were being operated in support of ground security forces against Communist guerrillas fighting in

11662-450: The way. On large passenger jets, the cost of the engines makes up a significant proportion of the plane's final cost. Each engine also requires separate service, paperwork, and certificates. Having two larger engines as opposed to three or four smaller engines will typically significantly reduce both the purchase and maintenance costs of a plane. Regulations governing the required thrust levels for transport aircraft are typically based upon

11781-402: The wing panels. Slotted flaps were introduced to improve low speed "flaps down" control. The lower rear fuselage was reinforced with two additional spruce longerons designed to take the stresses imposed by the external "vee" framed arrestor hook , which was flush-mounted below the fuselage. The frame was made up of steel tubing with a forged-steel hook and was held against the fuselage by

11900-468: The wing root to outboard of the engine nacelles; as on the Mosquito, the rear of the nacelle was part of the flap structure. Outboard, the Alclad-covered ailerons extended close to the clipped wing tips and gave excellent roll control. The Hornet used "slimline" Merlin engines of types 130 and 131, which had engine ancillaries repositioned to minimise frontal area and drag . It was unusual for

12019-577: The wooden upper wing structure using the new adhesive Redux . The two wing spars were redesigned to withstand a higher load factor of 10 versus 8. Apart from the revised structure, the Hornet's wings were a synthesis of aerodynamic knowledge that had been gathered since the design of the Mosquito, being much thinner in cross-section, and with a laminar flow profile similar to the P-51 Mustang and Hawker Tempest . The control surfaces consisted of hydraulically-operated split flaps extending from

12138-666: Was a fighter aircraft driven by two piston engines . It further exploited the wooden construction techniques that had been pioneered by the de Havilland Mosquito . Development of the Hornet had started during the Second World War as a private venture. The aircraft was to conduct long range fighter operations in the Pacific Theatre against the Empire of Japan but the war ended before the Hornet reached operational squadron status. The Hornet entered service with RAF Fighter Command where it equipped several day fighter units and

12257-484: Was a D3 conversion. A number of other Sea Vixens became target tugs and were redesignated as the Sea Vixen TT.2 . The de Havilland Sea Vixen was a jet-powered fleet defence fighter, equipped with a modern radar and air-to-air missiles for its primary role. When it entered service, it was the first British aircraft to be solely armed with missiles, rockets and bombs; this made it the first fighter aircraft operated by

12376-479: Was commonly stationed in the British mainland. It saw combat in the Far East , being used as a strike fighter as part of the British military action taken during the Malayan Emergency . A naval carrier-capable version, the Sea Hornet , had been envisaged early on and was procured by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy . In the autumn of 1941, de Havilland found that it had the spare design capacity to work on

12495-412: Was decreased by 11 mph (18 km/h). The Hornet NF.21 was designed to fill a need for a naval night fighter. Special flame-dampening exhausts were installed, and a second basic cockpit was added to the rear fuselage, just above the wing trailing edges. ASH radar equipment was placed in the rear of this cockpit, with the radar operator/navigator seated facing aft. To gain access, a small trapdoor

12614-521: Was developed, but not applied to the fleet. The equipment was removed during January 1949 and it is currently unknown if the Hornet ever dropped a Highball during flight. On 20 January 1949, 809 Squadron became the first squadron to be equipped with the Sea Hornet NF 21, having been reformed specifically to operate the type, based at RNAS Culdrose . 809 Squadron was the only front-line unit to use this variant; following an initial workup period,

12733-453: Was employed, partially due to the nature of the wing's geometry. The navigation, flight instrumentation and communications equipment included ground and air position indicators, a reference gyro, an autopilot capable of maintaining altitude and speed as well as yaw and pitch damping, tactical air navigation system (TACAN), and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio system. The aircraft did not take part in any true wars during its career with

12852-402: Was fitted and provision was made for three camera ports, one on each side of the rear fuselage and one pointing down. Sea Hornet F.20s also incorporated the modifications of the Hornet F.3, although the internal fuel capacity was 347 Imp gal (1,557 L), slightly reduced from that of the F.1. The modifications added some 550 lb (249 kg) to the weight of the aircraft. Maximum speed

12971-402: Was intended to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Griffon or Rolls-Royce Merlin engines but either engine would have meant that the aircraft would be somewhat slower and less attractive than the Mosquito. By November 1942, de Havilland had elected to shelve the night bomber project and concentrate on producing a long-range fighter, the D.H. 103 , that would make the maximum possible use of

13090-631: Was later called the Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen after de Havilland was absorbed by the Hawker Siddeley Corporation in 1960. The Sea Vixen had the distinction of being the first British two-seat combat aircraft to achieve supersonic speed , albeit not in level flight. Operating from British aircraft carriers, it was used in combat over Tanganyika and over Yemen during the Aden Emergency . In 1972,

13209-405: Was minimal; about 4 mph (6 km/h). The Sea Hornet PR.22 was a dedicated photo reconnaissance aircraft version of the F.20. The cannon were removed and the apertures faired over. Three cameras were installed in the rear fuselage: two F.52s for night use and one K.19B for day. A total of 23 PR.22s were built, interspersed with F.20s being built at Hatfield . The lone civilian Hornet, and

13328-404: Was provided in the lower fuselage; a fixed, teardrop-shaped bubble canopy, which could be jettisoned in an emergency, provided a good field of view. At the front of the aircraft, the nose underwent a transformation with the small rotating ASH radar dish being housed under an elongated "thimble" radome. The horizontal tail units were increased in span. The effect of these modifications on performance

13447-656: Was soon supplanted by twinjets for the narrow-body market; Airbus with the A320 , and Boeing with the 757 and updated "classic" variants of the 737 . During that decade only McDonnell Douglas continued development of the trijet design with an update to the DC-10 , the MD-11 , which initially had a range advantage over its closest medium wide-body competitors which were twinjets, the in-production Boeing 767 and Airbus A300/A310. In contrast to McDonnell Douglas sticking with their existing trijet configuration, Airbus (which never produced

13566-537: Was still impressed: "In level flight the Sea Hornet's stability about all axes was just satisfactory, characteristic, of course, of a good day interceptor fighter. Its stalling characteristics were innocuous, with a fair amount of elevator buffeting and aileron twitching preceding the actual stall"... During this series of tests Captain Brown found that the ailerons were too heavy and ineffectual for deck landing and there were some problems with throttle movement, brakes and

13685-418: Was the bonding agent. The fuselage halves were built on large concrete or wood patterns and equipment was fitted in each half; they were then joined along the top and bottom centre lines using wooden reinforcing strips. The entire fuselage was then tightly wrapped in fine aviation fabric which was doped in place. The tailfin which had the trademark gracefully-curved de Havilland shape, was an integral part of

13804-466: Was the last Hornet derivative to see operational RAF service. The Hornet PR.2 was intended to operate as a long-range photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The Hispano cannon were removed and cameras were mounted in the rear fuselage. Total internal fuel capacity was increased to 528 gal (2,400 L). PX216 , PX220 and PX249 , were converted from standard Hornet F.1 aircraft, later followed by five more. The requirement for these aircraft lapsed with

13923-523: Was to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines, each capable of generating 7,500 lbf (33 kN) of thrust, which would allow the aircraft to become supersonic in a shallow dive. The DH 110 had the distinction of being the first British two-seat combat plane to achieve supersonic speed. In January 1947, specifications N.40/46 and F.44/46 were issued by the British Air Ministry for similar night fighters to equip

14042-792: Was transferred to Naval Aviation Ltd., a subsidiary of Fly Navy Heritage Trust and will be based at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset. Aircraft formerly on public display: The following complete airframes are on public display: Data from The Great Book of Fighters General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics GEC AI.18 Air Interception radar Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Twinjet There are three common configurations of twinjet aircraft. The first, common on large aircraft such as airliners, has

14161-484: Was used for short-range narrow-bodied aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 737 . The Airbus A300 was initially not successful when first produced as a short-range widebody, as airlines operating the A300 on short-haul routes had to reduce frequencies to try and fill the high-capacity aircraft, and lost passengers to airlines operating more frequent narrow-body flights. However, after

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