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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 2073.PDF
zjth, ro.47 FLIGHT 605 FLIGHT' PILOTS A JET By Wirlg'-CtfrrMAURia A. SMITH, D.f.C A Personal Account of a First Flight in the de Havilland Vampire A LMOST any fine evening as the sun's rays dim from g\ gold to red, one may stand and gaze into the sky ^•^ above Hatfield and see a Vampire or 108 whining and wheeling overhead as the test pilot uses up the last precious minutes of daylight. No one can watch such flying without envying the man whose glorious free- dom to dive, zoom and circle—the master of a strange element—seems to invest him with power beyond the ordi- nary being. No pilot could be a witness without longing to be up there, too; all thought of the responsibility, anxiety and physical strain, which exact a price for such speed and freedom of action, forgotten. A long-standing ambition was fulfilled recently when, at the de Havilland airfield, I was given the opportunity to fly a Vampire jet fighter. It was an exhilarating experi- ence of exceptional technical interest, and one from which there was a great deal to be be learnt. In the past I have The author entering the cockpit of VT 818 at Hatfield. In the heading picture fc teen the take- off, and a photograph of landing appears at the foot of page 608. recorded my opinions of a number of light aircraft to serve as a guide to clubs and other potential owners. In this in- stance it would seem to be of greater interest and value to record my impressions as an ordinary pilot of the lighter type of aircraft. Admittedly I have flown many heavy and light Service aircraft, but it is some two years since I flew one capable of over 200 m.p.h. To endeavour on so short an acquaintance with the Vampire to analyze its performance in detail would, in any case, be presumptuous. The machine flown, VT818, was a brand-new Mk III, just delivered from Preston. In external appearance the main difference between the Vampire III and the I is in the new tail surfaces. Two extra tanks are carried in the wings, each with a capacity of 65 gallons, and the fairings, around the attachment for the ioo-gallon drop tanks hav&, been slightly modified. In the cockpit there has been a slight rearrangement of instruments on the left-hand side. The lowering and small increase in area of the tailplane and elevator have had no appreciable effect on the controls of the Vampire, although it has been suggested that the elevators of the Mk III feel a fraction lighter when hold- ing off for landing. The occasion of my flight, much postponed due to bad weather, was a rather threatening afternoon. Several ominous-looking rain clouds were sweeping across the sky from the west; red shafts of sunshine fanned out around them and over the mist and haze above London, while to the west over Dunstable there was an area of cold blue sky. Briefing Having perused the pilot's handling notes with care and memorized the essentials, I listened to advice on technique from Mr. Geoffrey Pike, D.H. test pilot, who had shown me round the cockpit. There was no difficulty in remem- bering the controls and instruments, which are most sen- sibly arranged and simple to use. Mr. John Cunningham, chief test pilot, was also to have talked to me, but, as usual, he was airborne. Instead, we held a brief post- mortem after we had both landed. Calmer than I had dared to expect, I slipped the harness straps over my shoulders and clipped them into their quick- release box. I must confess to some excitement tinged with a degree of apprehension. If things went according
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