RichB
Well-known member
De Havilland Vampire F.3
Foreshadowing what has become the standard for military procurement, the selection of the Vampire as Canada's first jet fighter was a tangle of politics, military requirements and funding. At the end of WW2, Canada had the option of retaining the aircraft and equipment from the RCAF overseas squadrons or a credit of approximately $16 million CAD. One stipulation on the credit was that only about two thirds could be used for the purchase of new aircraft. The initial plan was to use the credit to purchase Spitfire Mk.14's, Auster AOP's and Mosquito conversion kits. By early 1946 attention had turned to jet fighters with the Nene powered Vampire F.4 being proposed. The Nene engine provided no major improvements in performance and introduced several aerodynamic problems and this variant did not enter production until the RAAF FB.30. The selection then became a choice between the Vampire F.3 and Meteor F.4. After much wrangling over a single type fleet of either Vampires or Meteors or a mixed fleet, the number of squadrons and aircraft required and available funding, the decision was made to purchase 85 Vampires for use by the RCAF Auxiliary squadrons using the available credit and request $9 million to purchase 66 Meteors for the Regular squadrons. Treasury Board rejected the Meteor purchase and plans were put in place to acquire 85 Vampires from the RAF. The RCAF technically received 86 aircraft after one crashed on its production test flight in the UK and was replaced with another airframe.
The Vampires were all built in the UK under a RAF contract and received RAF serial numbers. They did one post production test flight before being disassembled and shipped to Canada for reassembly at the De Havilland Canada plant at Downsview and where they received their RCAF serials. The first 17 aircraft were scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 1947. But due to weather, coal shortages and industrial strife, the first deliveries were delayed until January 1948. The Vampire entered service with the RCAF Auxiliary with the first squadrons standing up in March 1948. The first Regular squadron stood up in December 1948. Ultimately it would equip ten squadrons (6 Auxiliary and 4 Regular), an Operational Training Unit, the Air Armament School, the Central Flying School and the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment. The Vampire remained in RCAF service until November 1956 when the 36 survivors were retired. There were 28 aircraft sold as surplus and entered into the US Civil register. The Mexican government purchased 15 ex-RCAF aircraft in 1960 for the FAM due to a border dispute with Guatemala. The remaining 13 were sold on to private owners, the first ex-military jets in the US. One of the surplus aircraft (17072) was owned by John Travolta between 1989 and 1992 and has since been acquired by the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton to be restored to its RCAF markings for static display at the museum.
De Havilland Vampire FB.5
Although there were proposals to upgrade the RCAF Vampire F.3's to "near" FB.5 standard or purchase new FB.5 aircraft neither came to fruition. However, the RCAF did operate the type in 1951. In October 1950 a decision was made to rotate RCAF squadrons for duty in the UK. 421(F) Squadron was the first unit tasked to deploy to the UK for operational training in the European environment. They were the first RCAF squadron to deploy overseas since the end of the war and would join 54 and 247 Squadrons as part of 11 Group at RAF Odiham. They arrived at their new home in January 1951 and received 16 new FB.5's and 2 Meteor T.7's on loan from the RAF. Flying commenced by the end of the month with familiarization flights, instrument approaches and night flying training. Training exercises were soon expanded to include sector reconnaissance, bomber escort and intercept, low-level navigation and air-to-ground tactical support. The squadron stood down operations in Odiham at the end of October to prepare for the return to Canada in November. The squadron's last flying duty was to provide a 16 aircraft fly-by for the opening of RCAF Station North Luffenham, Canada's first NATO base and new home of 1 (Fighter) Wing in preparation for its move to Marville, France. 421 Squadron returned to RCAF Station St Hubert to reform with the Sabre Mk. 2, moving overseas again in 1952 as part of 2 (Fighter) Wing at Grostenquin, France.
Both releases have the same plastic with all the required parts to a F.3, FB.5 or FB.9, the only differences being the wingtip and intake variations. Missing from the FB.5/FB.9 kit are the external weapons (bombs and rockets) it could carry. The only other difference between the two are the decal sheets. As this should be a fairly easy build (in theory), and I am waiting for some cockpit details and decals, I'll open a mini Vampire production line for side-by-each build.
Cheers,
RichB
Foreshadowing what has become the standard for military procurement, the selection of the Vampire as Canada's first jet fighter was a tangle of politics, military requirements and funding. At the end of WW2, Canada had the option of retaining the aircraft and equipment from the RCAF overseas squadrons or a credit of approximately $16 million CAD. One stipulation on the credit was that only about two thirds could be used for the purchase of new aircraft. The initial plan was to use the credit to purchase Spitfire Mk.14's, Auster AOP's and Mosquito conversion kits. By early 1946 attention had turned to jet fighters with the Nene powered Vampire F.4 being proposed. The Nene engine provided no major improvements in performance and introduced several aerodynamic problems and this variant did not enter production until the RAAF FB.30. The selection then became a choice between the Vampire F.3 and Meteor F.4. After much wrangling over a single type fleet of either Vampires or Meteors or a mixed fleet, the number of squadrons and aircraft required and available funding, the decision was made to purchase 85 Vampires for use by the RCAF Auxiliary squadrons using the available credit and request $9 million to purchase 66 Meteors for the Regular squadrons. Treasury Board rejected the Meteor purchase and plans were put in place to acquire 85 Vampires from the RAF. The RCAF technically received 86 aircraft after one crashed on its production test flight in the UK and was replaced with another airframe.
The Vampires were all built in the UK under a RAF contract and received RAF serial numbers. They did one post production test flight before being disassembled and shipped to Canada for reassembly at the De Havilland Canada plant at Downsview and where they received their RCAF serials. The first 17 aircraft were scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 1947. But due to weather, coal shortages and industrial strife, the first deliveries were delayed until January 1948. The Vampire entered service with the RCAF Auxiliary with the first squadrons standing up in March 1948. The first Regular squadron stood up in December 1948. Ultimately it would equip ten squadrons (6 Auxiliary and 4 Regular), an Operational Training Unit, the Air Armament School, the Central Flying School and the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment. The Vampire remained in RCAF service until November 1956 when the 36 survivors were retired. There were 28 aircraft sold as surplus and entered into the US Civil register. The Mexican government purchased 15 ex-RCAF aircraft in 1960 for the FAM due to a border dispute with Guatemala. The remaining 13 were sold on to private owners, the first ex-military jets in the US. One of the surplus aircraft (17072) was owned by John Travolta between 1989 and 1992 and has since been acquired by the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton to be restored to its RCAF markings for static display at the museum.
De Havilland Vampire FB.5
Although there were proposals to upgrade the RCAF Vampire F.3's to "near" FB.5 standard or purchase new FB.5 aircraft neither came to fruition. However, the RCAF did operate the type in 1951. In October 1950 a decision was made to rotate RCAF squadrons for duty in the UK. 421(F) Squadron was the first unit tasked to deploy to the UK for operational training in the European environment. They were the first RCAF squadron to deploy overseas since the end of the war and would join 54 and 247 Squadrons as part of 11 Group at RAF Odiham. They arrived at their new home in January 1951 and received 16 new FB.5's and 2 Meteor T.7's on loan from the RAF. Flying commenced by the end of the month with familiarization flights, instrument approaches and night flying training. Training exercises were soon expanded to include sector reconnaissance, bomber escort and intercept, low-level navigation and air-to-ground tactical support. The squadron stood down operations in Odiham at the end of October to prepare for the return to Canada in November. The squadron's last flying duty was to provide a 16 aircraft fly-by for the opening of RCAF Station North Luffenham, Canada's first NATO base and new home of 1 (Fighter) Wing in preparation for its move to Marville, France. 421 Squadron returned to RCAF Station St Hubert to reform with the Sabre Mk. 2, moving overseas again in 1952 as part of 2 (Fighter) Wing at Grostenquin, France.
Both releases have the same plastic with all the required parts to a F.3, FB.5 or FB.9, the only differences being the wingtip and intake variations. Missing from the FB.5/FB.9 kit are the external weapons (bombs and rockets) it could carry. The only other difference between the two are the decal sheets. As this should be a fairly easy build (in theory), and I am waiting for some cockpit details and decals, I'll open a mini Vampire production line for side-by-each build.
Cheers,
RichB
