de Havilland DH 108
The first DH 108 built - TG283. The torpedo-shaped objects on the wing tips are containers for anti-spin parachutes.
Type	experimental
Manufacturer	de Havilland
Designed by	John Frost
Maiden flight	15 May 1946
Status	Programme cancelled
Primary user	Royal Aircraft Establishment
Produced	1946-1947
Number built	Three

The de Havilland DH 108 "Swallow" was a British experimental aircraft designed by John Carver Meadows Frost in October 1945. The DH 108 featured a tailless, swept wing resembling a flying wing. Initially designed to evaluate swept-wing handling characteristics at low and high subsonic speeds for the proposed early tailless design of the Comet airliner, three examples of the DH 108 were built to the Air Ministry specifications E.1/45 and E.11/45. The design ventured into the realm of supersonic speeds but tragically all three prototypes were lost in fatal crashes. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Jack Frost at work in his Avro Canada laboratory, showing his experiments with the Coanda Effect that led to the development of the Avrocar flying saucer. Taken from a rare company colour film. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1946: // Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart Heathrow Airport January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford... This article needs cleanup. ... For other uses, see De Havilland (disambiguation). ... In generic use, an experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. ... Jack Frost at work in his Avro Canada laboratory, showing his experiments with the Coanda Effect that led to the development of the Avrocar flying saucer. Taken from a rare company colour film. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1945: // Events January January 1 - the Luftwaffe begins targeting Allied airfields in Europe as Operation Bodenplatte February February 13-15 - Allied bombers attack Dresden with incendiary weapons, destroying most of the city and killing some 50,000 people. ... A Northrop YB-49 flying wing. ... The swept wing of an Airbus A320 (British Midland A320-200) A swept-wing is a wing planform used on high-speed aircraft. ... The de Havilland Comet of Britain was the worlds first commercial jet airliner. ... The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the United Kingdom Government, established in 1918 with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the (then newly formed) Royal Air Force. ... This is a partial list of the British Air Ministry specifications for aircraft. ... This is a partial list of the British Air Ministry specifications for aircraft. ...

Design and development

Employing the main fuselage section and engine of the de Havilland Vampire mated to a longer fuselage with a single tail fin and swept wings, the de Havilland DH 108 was proposed in 1944 as a test "mule" for the DH 106 Comet which had initially considered a tailless, swept-wing concept.^[1] Despite the Comet design taking on more conventional features, the value of testing the unique configuration spurred de Havilland to continue development of the DH 108. Selecting two airframes from the English Electric Vampire F 1 production line, the new aircraft had unmistakable similarities to its fighter origins, especially in the original forward fuselage which retained the nose, cockpit and other components of the Vampire. The Ministry of Supply named the DH 108 the "Swallow," a name that was never officially adopted by the company.^[2] The de Havilland Vampire, or DH.100, was the second jet-engined aircraft commissioned into the Royal Air Force during World War II (the first being the Gloster Meteor), although it did not see combat in that conflict. ... English Electric logo English Electric was a 20th-century British industrial manufacturer, initially of electric motors, and expanding to include railway locomotives and aviation, before becoming part of GEC. // 1917: Dick, Kerr & Co. ... The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supplying of equipment to the British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. ...

Testing

The first DH108 prototype, TG283, utilizing the de Havilland Vampire fuselage and a 43° swept wing flew on 15 May 1946. Designed to investigate low-speed handling, it was capable of only 280 mph (451 km/h). During the 1946 Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) air show at Radlett, de Havilland Chief Test Pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr put on an impressive display in the DH 108.^[3] In later, low-speed testing, in order to clear the rear fuselage at high angles of attack, the first prototype was fitted with longer Sea Vampire landing gear.^[4] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Prototyping. ... The de Havilland Vampire, or DH.100, was the second jet-engined aircraft commissioned into the Royal Air Force during World War II (the first being the Gloster Meteor), although it did not see combat in that conflict. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1946: // Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart Heathrow Airport January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford... Geoffrey de Havilland Junior, (b. ...

The second, high-speed prototype, TG306, with a 45° swept wing with automatic leading-edge slats and powered by a de Havilland Goblin 3 turbojet, flew soon after in June 1946. Modifications to the design included a more streamlined, longer nose and a smaller canopy (framed by a strengthened metal fairing) facilitated by lowering the pilot's seat. Unfortunately, on 27 September 1946, the TG306 suffered a catastrophic structural failure that occurred in a dive from 10,000 ft (3,050 m) at Mach 0.9 and crashed in the Thames Estuary. The pilot, Geoffrey de Havilland Jr, the chief test pilot and son of de Havilland company owner-designer Geoffrey de Havilland, was killed in the accident. Early wind tunnel testing had pointed to potentially dangerous flight behaviours, however, pitch oscillation at high-speed had been unexpected. The subsequent accident investigation centred on a structural failure that occurred as air built up at Mach 0.9, pitching the aircraft into a shock stall that placed tremendous loads on the fuselage. The main spar cracked at the roots with the wings immediately folding backwards.^[5] Cutaway Goblin II A cutaway diagram of the internal workings of the de Havilland Goblin, as fitted to the Vampire. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1946: // Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart Heathrow Airport January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carying capacity of a component or member within the structure or of the structure itself. ... An F/A-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier. ... Sir Geoffrey de Havilland (July 27, 1882 - May 21, 1965) was one of Englands aviation pioneers. ...

After the loss of the second prototype, VW120 became the third and final prototype based on the newer Vampire 5 fighter built at Hatfield. It differed from the first test aircraft in that it featured an even more steamlined pointed nose and smaller reinforced canopy (lowering the pilot's seat allowed for a more aerodynamic canopy shape to be employed). Power-boosted elevators had been specified as a means to control the pitch oscillations at the root of the earlier disaster. A more powerful Goblin 4 of 3,738 lb (16.67 kN) thrust had the potential to push the DH 108 into the supersonic range. Considered an important testbed for high-speed flight, VW120 was readied for an attempt at the World Speed Record held by a Gloster Meteor at 616 mph (991 km/h). The second prototype, TG306 was a "back up" for the attempt and was being used to evaluate handling characteristics at high-speed when it fatally crashed.^[6] The Gloster Meteor was the Allies first operational jet fighter. ...

VW120 first flew on 24 July 1947 flown by John Cunningham, the wartime nightfighter ace. The following year, on 12 April 1948, it established a new World Air Speed Record of 974.02 km/h (604.98 mph) on a 100 km (62 mi) circuit. Then, on 9 September 1948, it exceeded the speed of sound in a shallow dive from 12,195 m (40,000) ft to 9,145 m (30,000) ft. July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1947: Events March March 14 - Saudi Arabian Airlines begins regular services. ... John Cunningham or Jack Cunningham may refer to: John Cunningham (Royal Air Force), Group Captain, RAF Night fighter Ace. ... A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night, or in other times of bad visibility. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace flying boat routes with the Lockheed Constellation March the Israeli Air Force is formed, with the new state of Israel March 10 - VF-5 becomes the first US Navy carrier squadron to... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace flying boat routes with the Lockheed Constellation March the Israeli Air Force is formed, with the new state of Israel March 10 - VF-5 becomes the first US Navy carrier squadron to...

In 1949, VW120 put on a stunning aerial display at Farnborough in 1949 and scored a third place in the Society of British Aircraft Constructors Challenge Trophy Air Race before being turned over to the Ministry of Supply and Test flown at RAE Farnborough.^[7]

The third DH 108 was destroyed on 15 February 1950, in a fatal crash near Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, killing its test pilot, Squadron Leader Stuart Muller-Rowland. Accident investigation pointed to a faulty oxygen system that incapacitated the pilot.^[8] February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ...

Finally, on 1 May 1950, during stall tests, the first prototype was lost in a crash at Hartley Wintney, killing the pilot, George Genders. In all, 480 flights had been made by the three Swallows. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1950: Events Arrow Air is founded March March 20 - Royal Air Force Avro Lincoln bombers are sent to Singapore to be used against the Communist guerillas of Malaya in the Malayan Emergency. ...

Legacy

The DH108 established a number of "firsts" for British aircraft: it was the first British swept-winged jet aircraft and the first British tailless jet aircraft (the German Horten Ho 229, a twin-engined, tailless jet designed by the Horten brothers, often incorrectly called the Gotha Go 229 because the Gotha company was selected to put it into production, flew under power for the first time in early 1945); it was the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 1 and also the first jet-powered aircraft in the world to achieve this landmark speed. The earlier aircraft which exceeded the speed of sound, the Bell X-1 and the Douglas Skyrocket, were both rocket-powered. The Horten Ho-IX (often erroneously called Gotha Go 229 or Ho 229 due to the identity of the chosen manufacturer of the aircraft) was a late-World War II prototype flying wing fighter/bomber, designed by Reimar and Walter Horten and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik. ... Jet aircraft are aircraft with jet engines. ... The Bell X-1, originally XS-1 was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled, level flight. ... Douglas Skyrocket D-558-II The Douglas Skyrocket (the D-558-2) was a rocket-powered research aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy. ... A Soyuz rocket, at Baikanur launch pad. ...

Specifications (DH 108 "VW120": third prototype)

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 8.17 m (26 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 11.89 m (39 ft 0 in)
• Height: 4.27 m (14 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 30.47 m² (327.86 ft²)
• Loaded weight: 4,064 kg (8,940 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x de Havilland Goblin 4 16.67 kN (3,738 lbf) thrust

Cutaway Goblin II A cutaway diagram of the internal workings of the de Havilland Goblin, as fitted to the Vampire. ...

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,090 km/h (677 mph)
• Service ceiling: 10,800 m (35,425 ft)
• Wing loading: 133 kg/m² (27 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.42

In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Thrust-to-weight ratio (where weight means weight at the Earth’s surface) is a dimensionless parameter characteristic of rockets and jet engines, and of vehicles propelled by such engines (typically space launch vehicles and jet aircraft). ...

References