DE HAVILLAND DH-115 “VAMPIRE”€

1944’€“1961

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The de Havilland Vampire, a twin-tailed jet, became Britain's home defense fighter after World War II, though it was too late to see service in the war.
  • By 1951, it was being replaced by the Meteor, leading de Havilland to introduce a two-seat training version in 1950.
  • Training and tactical variants of the Vampire remained in service globally until the 1970s.
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STANDARD DATA: Seats 1-2. Gross wt. 11,150. Empty wt. 7,380. Engine one 3,350-lb. Goblin 3 Centrifugal flow turbojet.
PERFORMANCE: Max speed 538 mph. Cruise speed 316 mph. Range 840 nm. Ceiling 40,000′.

The twin-tailed Vampire was too late to see service in World War II, but quickly became Britain’s home defense fighter. By 1951 the Vampire was being replaced by the Meteor, so in 1950 de Havilland offered a twoseat training version of the jet. Training and tactical versions of the jet remained in service in a number of countries throughout the world until the 1970s.

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