Vampires in the States?

[terryJones]

I must get a life...
Looking at Google earth this morning, 'strolling' round the grave yard just outside Tuscon Arizona.
Unless my aircraft rec is worse than I though (quite possible nowadays) there are 16 Vampires parked up there. I cannot recall a yank a/c that has such a planform.
32.09.43.41N 110.51.48,92 W Shows them
By the way, does anyone know if there is a way of 'cutting and pasting' the lat/lon off Google earth.

[diginagain]

Cessna 337 Skymaster, or more probably their military designation, O-2A/B. Straight leading edge.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=32.162082&lon=-110.863606&z=20&r=0&src=msa

Have you seen what they've got tucked away here?

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=32.155099&lon=-110.841944&z=20&r=0&src=msa

[judge.oversteer]

I must get a life...
Looking at Google earth this morning, 'strolling' round the grave yard just outside Tuscon Arizona.
Unless my aircraft rec is worse than I though (quite possible nowadays) there are 16 Vampires parked up there. I cannot recall a yank a/c that has such a planform.
32.09.43.41N 110.51.48,92 W Shows them
By the way, does anyone know if there is a way of 'cutting and pasting' the lat/lon off Google earth.
Maybe ex-RAAF.

[Milt]

Vampires Mk35s

There are at least two ex RAAF Vampire Mk35s in the US.

Came across one on a little airfield alonside route 10 in Arizona circa 1971. Did a U turn and had a close look. Log books in the gun bins, ejection seats, no guns. Ex RAAF Pearce. Have some photos in a safe place somewhere and may be able to post one. Vamp was not a local - came out of a more northern state and was waiting for some parts to fix wheel brakes.

Where are they now?

[henry crun]

Back in the late 1960's or early 70's a company with US backing had the bright idea of converting Vampire T11's to be executive aircraft. (Stop laughing at the back)

The weight saved by replacing the Goblin with a much lighter modern engine, and removing the ejector seats would allow them to rebuild the fuselage out of metal and put 6 seats in it.

IIRC the company bought, or had an option on, about 15-20 aircraft, but I never heard what happened to them when the idea was discarded.

[PaperTiger]

Back in the late 1960's or early 70's a company with US backing had the bright idea of converting Vampire T11's to be executive aircraft. (Stop laughing at the back)The JetCraft "Mystery Jet". I believe Marshall's at Cambridge did the engineering work and think they even had a wooden mockup at one time. I also heard they never got paid for it; the company was rather shady and at least one of the principals ended up in the pokey.

Only 1 Vampire N11925 (ex A79-624) was converted but I don't believe it ever flew. Languished at Henderson, Nevada (near LAS) for many years but hasn't been reported recently.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/TJJohansen/Vampires%20from%20oz/N11925__1_.jpg
Certainly not the things photoed at AMARC :p

[Brian Abraham]

If I recall correctly John Travolta had a Vamp at one time. There was a write up (EAA mag?) quite some time ago, but I have single seat burnt into the brain. With age an unreliable post.

[paulc]

John Tavolta's Vampire (no longer owned by him) was at EAA this year -
N6878D

[ORAC]

Cessna O-2A Super Skymasters (http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/cessna_o2.htm)

O-2 still at AMARC, Davis Monthan (http://www.skymaster.org.uk/davism.asp)

[BEagle]

Re. N11925, see http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=62448&key=0

[treadigraph]

and at least one of the principals ended up in the pokey

John Morgan - Was reading about him fairly recently amd I think he used to campaign a civvy Vampire around airshows in the US during the 1950s or 60s, billed as "Johnny Skyrocket" in a space-age flying suit... Apparently it was something of a hairy display and was banned by the Feds before he could go out in a blaze of glory...

[Legalapproach]

OV-10 Bronco also has the same planform.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=32.152092&lon=-110.842152&z=18.8&r=0&src=msa[/URL]

[diginagain]

......apart from the two engine nacelles mounted on the constant chord wings, and the much longer forward fuselage, but I'll grant you, the empennage layout is similar!:ok:

[Iron City]

If you look in the FAA Registry there are 16 DH Vampires on the US register. This is comprised of 8 DH 115 and 3 Vampire Mk3 and 5 "others".

At least one of the ones in the register is in a museum, so may others, I didn't check them all.

The Vampire as business jet reminded me of a mockup I saw in the early 1980's of a North American T-2 that had been widened to add 2 seats to make a trainer for bomardier navigators. It was a real bailed T-2 with plywood and sheet metal modifications. Doubt it ever flew.

[My Dad's Little Boy]

There were at least 30 ex RCAF Vampire F.3s that were imported into the United States in the mid to late 1950s by a company called Fliteways Inc. of West Bend, Wisconsin. In addition to these, other later imports included at least one ex RAF T.11, an ex Irish AC T.55, at least a dozen ex RAAF T.35s and three ex Indian AF T.55s.

So I reckon that the Canadian Vampires could be counted as amongst the first jet warbirds.

Cheers,

MDLB

[treadigraph]

MDLB, you reminded me that the "Johnny Skyrocket" Vampire was an ex-RCAF machine.

Anyone know more about this character John Morgan?

[Atcham Tower]

The "Mystery Jet" was way ahead of its time. The modern VLJ (Very Light Jet) is the same concept and some of them have a single engine - not a very safe idea!