Spotlight De Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet
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Spotlight De Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet 13 Pages in detail 86 The de Havilland in action 92 Hornet in profile 94 Rise of the Sea Hornet This month our Spotlight highlights a machine that Main picture is unmistakeably a de Havilland creation. Although it was The transition to the Hornet was initially too late to serve in World War Two, more than 380 were undertaken by the Hornet Conversion Flight at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, to which F.3 built. They equipped both RAF and Fleet Air Arm units, the PX362/MS-H belonged in 1947. It is seen here on July 22, 1950. KEY COLLECTION latter fl ying the navalised Sea Hornet version. Jet technology was rapidly rendering piston-powered fi ghters obsolete, but the versatile Hornet was used successfully in the Malayan Emergency. With new features and artwork we examine one of de Havilland’s ultimate war machines. Spotlight he genesis of the Hornet While it shared common features De Havilland was in 1942 with its with the ‘Mossie’, such as being manufacturer undertaking constructed mainly of wood, the DH.103 Hornet a self-funded study shortly Hornet was the first airframe Tafter the arrival of World War Two in where this material was joined the Far East. Given the performance to metal using the revolutionary and success of its Mosquito, it Redux adhesive developed by Aero suggested a single-seat streamlined Research Limited at Duxford, concept featuring increased range Cambridgeshire. Featuring a to combat the Japanese among starboard-fitted Merlin 130 with a the far-flung islands of the South 131-series example installed to port, Pacific. Working closely with Roll- the type’s four-bladed de Havilland Royce (which developed a variant Hydromatic propellers rotated of its famed Merlin engine with a inwards, eliminating torque-induced smaller frontal area), de Havilland swing on take-off and landing. The revealed its proposed aircraft to the new fighter was armed with four Ministry of Aircraft Production in 20mm Hispano cannon under the January 1943, at its Hatfield facility nose, while the pilot sat in a cockpit in Hertfordshire. Having seen the offering unparalleled visibility. design, the Air Ministry formally wrote Specification F.12/43 around The jig is up the manufacturer’s blueprint Just 13 months after design work which, although resembling its started, chief test pilot Geoffrey renowned predecessor, was an de Havilland Jr flew the entirely new machine. prototype Hornet – The Redux RocketAndrew Thomas tells the story of the fastest piston-engined fi ghter to serve in the RAF – the elegant de Havilland Hornet 86 FLYPAST July 2019 SPOT FACT The prototype RR915 made Spotlight its fi rst engine runs on July 20, 1944 on the Hornet serial RR915 – from Hatfield for service testing. During evaluation, the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s Far left the first time on July 28, 1944. It it was established that production open day at Farnborough on October Flt Lt Paddy Harbison was was clear from the outset the design airframes were only marginally 29, 1945 as preparations for RAF one of the fi rst pilots from 64 Squadron to convert to calculations were incredibly accurate, slower than the prototype and it was service continued. Before the end of the Hornet. He went solo as all performance predictions were incredibly stable as a gun platform. hostilities, orders for the Hornet sat at on May 22, 1946. substantially exceeded, while handling However, the war with Japan was over more than 900 airframes, but this was AVM W HARBISON and manoeuvrability were noted by the time acceptance trials had been cut considerably – leading to just 60 as exceptional. Over the next two completed in summer 1945. F.1s rolling out before production was Below months the aircraft performed more Given the new fighter’s expected switched to the improved F.3. This Sqn Ldr Paddy Moon, 41 Squadron’s CO, in than 50 hours of flight tests before the range, studies into a photo- sub-type, led by prototype PX312, was the cockpit of Hornet second prototype, RR919, took to reconnaissance variant for use in the fitted with wider horizontal stabilisers, F.1 PZ302/EB-D during the sky. Representing a near in-service Pacific resulted in the PR.2, fitted amended elevator mass balance and a training sortie over machine, the airframe had provision with cameras in the rear-fuselage fitting points for drop tanks, 1,000lb Yorkshire in 1947. H H MOON for a single 200 imp gal (900 lit) drop instead of the armament. Three F.1s, (450kg) of bombs or up to eight 60lb Bottom tank under each wing that increased PX216, PX220 and PX249 were RP-3 unguided rocket projectiles When the Hornet took the range to 2,500 miles (4,000km) converted for testing, followed closely under the wings. A curved dorsal fillet on the low-level intruder when cruising at around 340mph by another five. With the end of the was added to the fin to refine stability, role, the aircraft were (550km/h) at 30,000ft. conflict, the need for this role lapsed while enhanced fuel capacity improved repainted in a drab Manufacture of the F.1 variant and the airframes were subsequently the range by 40%. Production of the camoufl age scheme began at Hatfield in late 1944 and on scrapped following a brief spell with F.3 began in early 1946, with those featuring toned-down markings as displayed by February 28, 1945 the first production the Photographic Reconnaissance completed being placed immediately the Hornet F.3 furthest machine, PX210, was delivered Development Unit at RAF into storage for two years. In 1948 the away – 19 Squadron’s to the Aeroplane and Armament Benson, Oxfordshire. jigs were transferred to de Havilland’s PX332/QV-D. P H T GREEN Experimental Establishment at The Hornet made its Chester facility, where the last of COLLECTION Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, for public debut during 211 airframes was built, the final Rocket F.3s were modifi ed to become fi ghter-reconnaissance FR.4s 12 July 2019 FLYPAST 87 SPOT FACT The F.3 was the fi nal variant to fl y operationally with the RAF Right A Hornet is rearmed with a typical load during Malayan operations – a single 500lb bomb and two rockets under each wing. Along with the four internal 20mm cannon, this gave the pilot versatility when engaging targets. 33 SQUADRON RECORDS Below In this rare colour study, Hornet F.3s WB909/N and PX366/E display the camoufl age scheme 12 being FR.4s capable of carrying cockpit was outstanding, marred only However, with near full-scale adopted by Hong vertically mounted F.52 cameras, at by the proximity of the engines. I demobilisation in effect, a shortage of Kong-based aircraft. the expense of a slight reduction in once coaxed a Hornet up to 38,000ft. groundcrew severely reduced aircraft Note the coloured spinners used fuel load. In mock combat with early [Gloster] availability from the outset, a problem to denote which Meteors and [de Havilland] Vampires that continued throughout its service. fl ight the airframes Stringency strikes we could more than hold our own The next unit to re-equip was belonged to – red for The first unit to take delivery of the and when [I was] posted to Meteors, 19 Squadron at RAF Wittering, ‘A’ and blue for ‘B’. new fighter was 64 Squadron at RAF I was loathed about giving up the Cambridgeshire, under Sqn Ldr C 80 SQUADRON RECORDS Horsham St Faith, Norfolk, under Hornet.” Soon afterwards on June I ‘Duke’ Arthur, after PX246 was Sqn Ldr John Shaw, when F.1 PX283 8, Flt Lt MacKilligan led ten 64 delivered on October 10, 1946. arrived on February 16, 1946. It was Squadron Hornets over London Shortly after, WO C Vine became destroyed less than a month later when during the Victory Celebration its first pilot to solo on the type. it hit a tree while flying at low level, parade. With squadrons keen to With its Spitfires all but gone by killing the pilot. Further airframes master the type, Hornets began flying November, the unit was soon tangling gradually appeared and by May the numerous exercises and scenarios, with Meteors and Vampires during squadron was fully equipped. Ten days including Ground Controlled intercept training sorties. To their after the first arrival, 65 Squadron’s Interception radar work. delight, the Hornet pilots found initial example was delivered, but In August, along with 65 Squadron, they could easily out-turn them with the protracted changes it did not 64 moved north to RAF Linton- and the piston fighter’s top speed receive its final machine (PX242) until on-Ouse in the Vale of York, where almost matched that of the jets. From September 29. almost immediately post-war austerity Yorkshire, both squadrons ventured Having first flown the type on took effect with both units each further afield. On December 10 that May 22, 64 Squadron’s Flt Lt Paddy being cut to just eight aircraft and ten year, eight Hornets flew a long-range Harbison was immediately impressed pilots. This meant airframes had to exercise to Barfleur in northern France as he recalled: “It had delightful be pooled, with the COs taking turns and ‘attacked’ RAF Thorney Island handling and the visibility from the to lead when flying large formations. in West Sussex on the return leg. Not 88 FLYPAST July 2019 Spotlight on the Hornet 1949 with the type, now wearing tactical camouflage, making low-level strikes on various objectives. During Exercise Foil, Fg Off Haslam hit the roof of a hut while ‘attacking’ a power station.