De Havilland Vampire FB.52

Developed by de Havilland and first flying in 1943, the Vampire was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF. Prominently made of wood, the twin-boom design proved to be highly effective with good acceleration and high manoeuvrability whilst being relatively low cost. The Vampire entered service in 1946 with the RAF as an interceptor and was eventually retired in 1966 after also serving in the ground attack and training roles. The Vampire became a record winner, most notably became the first jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic and, at the hands of legendary pilot Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown became the first pure jet aircraft to land and take off from an aircraft carrier. The Vampire was also the first fighter jet flown by the Royal Norwegian Air Force who operated 62 examples between 1949 and 1957 in the fighter and attack roles.  

The Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron will be providing their airworthy Vampire FB.52 for static display at this year’s Air Tattoo, part of our ‘Fighter Meet’ theme to represent a first-generation fighter jet. 

Photo Credit: Aviation Photocrew