The DH-115 Vampire T.35 is a part of the Royal Australian Air Force’s Temora Historic Flight.
The de Havilland Vampire first flew in Britain in September 1943 and three years later it was ordered for the RAAF. The Vampire’s pod is constructed mainly of wood and the wings, tail and booms are made of metal. The aircraft was developed initially as a single seat fighter but was subsequently developed into a night fighter, fighter/bomber and trainer versions. A total of 3,987 were built between 1943 and 1961 in six countries, including Australia.
In Australia, de Havilland built 80 single seat aircraft at their Bankstown factory, with the first Australian built aircraft flying for the first time in June 1949. The single seat aircraft were powered by Rolls Royce Nene engines, built under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Melbourne. These were the first jet engines built in Australia.
The Temora Historic Flight Vampire (Construction No. 4139) was built in 1951, delivered to the RAAF on 22 May 1958, and put into service with the Central Flying School at East Sale in Victoria. It was subsequently transferred to No. 1 Advance Flying Training School at Pearce in WA. The aircraft served most of its RAAF time in the west until disposed of in January 1970. A79-617 was sold and exported to the USA. After being shipped back to Australia, the Vampire was donated to the Temora Aviation Museum in 2001 and underwent extensive restoration and repainting.
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Manufacturer |
De Havilland |
|
Role |
Fighter/Bomber |
|
Crew |
1 |
|
Engine |
De Havilland Goblin 35 3500lb (1588kg) Centrifugal flow turbojet |
|
Airframe |
Length 9.37m, height 2.68m |
|
Wingspan |
11.58m |
|
Weight |
3,290 kg basic, 5,606 kg maximum |
|
Range |
1,960 km |
|
Ceiling |
42,800 feet |
|
Max Speed |
855 km/h (461 knots) |