Vampire

[Stendec5]

Have recently bought a DH Vampire T11. The aircraft is dismantled and in need of some serious restoration but is never-the-less all there. Our aim is get the a/c back to ground-running status.
Does anyone have any leads as to where I might acquire a jet-pipe? Also a radio as fits on the right-hand side of the main instrument panel, and a clock that fits just right of center on main inst' panel.
Any info on the above much appreciated.

[sycamore]

Try `ebay`,aircraft parts..

[mmitch]

Perhaps you are already there, but if not try on the Key Historic forum.
Historic Aviation
Good luck!
mmitch.

[Background Noise]

These guys would know I expect: Vampire Preservation Group - Home Page

[pmills575]

You may get some success by contacting Great British Aircraft Spares they hold many spares and have contacts that may know a jet pipe source.

PM

[oldmansquipper]

Pilots Notes

No jetpipe..... but I think I have an original set of pilots notes somewhere....

PM me if you are interested.

OMS

[chevvron]

Make sure you have an asbestos blanket to drape over the tailplane when starting the engine and don't run the engine for any length of time if you're parked on tarmac or grass - concrete only!!

[kenparry]

Make sure you have an asbestos blanket to drape over the tailplane when starting the engine

We did not do that when I went through Valley on them, and the spectacular torching seemed not to affect the airframe - but I do agree with the comment about concrete!

Asbestos these days: elfin safety would throw a tantrum.

[SpazSinbad]

At RAAF Pearce in mid 1968 the most difficult initial fing to grasp was the the RAAF Vampire (with toe brakes unlike RAN Vamps with the brake actuator on control column) could run out of engine supplied air pressure to actuate said brakes. Oh woe on the long run from the flight line down the single tar taxiway to (it was hoped) reach the small concrete pad at the end near the threshold of RW 36. Flights had to be staggered so that not too many Vamps would be waiting there. If you were caught at the end of the queue - youse could play the farqueue card and (with ATC permission) taxi quickly past all the waiters to the head of the queue and perhaps onto the runway (concreted a bit there). Then away you go with a mighty roar swinging onto runway heading stabbing at the brakes to line up as that MIGHTY GOBLIN sprang to life in what - ten seconds?

[Danny42C]

After shut-down, the tail pipes of both the Vampire and Meteor would warm up your NAFFI pie a treat.

Your pie might taste a bit kerosene-y; you got used to that. But you had to be sure to rescue your pie before the next pilot fired-up !

D.

[SpazSinbad]

RAN Navy News 08 Sep 1978 advice 'use a long fork'.

[Fareastdriver]

The only time you required a blanket was during a wet start. After an initial failure, normally by using an incorrect procedure, the aircraft would be towed to a dry part on the dispersal. The blanket was to protect the tailplane from the billow of flame out of the jet pipe and also to stop any fuel still adhering to the tailplane from lighting up.

I had to do it once, at night. It was quite spectacular. Never got the start procedure wrong again.

[chevvron]

One year at Farnborough (either 2000 or 2002 I think) we had a collection of Vampires and Venoms displaying on public days. Despite my warnings, one of the controllers held two of them on A Shed Tarmac (now called 'East Apron') with inevitable results - the surface actually caught fire!
When they departed en masse on the monday, I was the tower controller and I got them all to line up on the concrete end of the runway whilst I backtracked a couple of other aircraft (Sukhoi 35 and ATP) to take off ahead of them.

[SpazSinbad]

'fareastdriver' "...I had to do it once, at night. It was quite spectacular. Never got the start procedure wrong again." Did you get a good noise also?

I'll never forget my ham fisted attempts to get the engine accelerating in flight as quickly as possible (under instruction at altitude) with that bleedin' goblin moaning and groaning - a well named engine methinks.

Of course necessarily after a bit of practice accelerating the whiner was easy enough on that burble noise - then there was the two handed co-ordination of keeping the nose wheel off the runway during a touch and go otherwise all hell broke loose with vibrations from the nosewheel that could drop your dentures.

RAAF airfields of the day were littered with frozen macadam puddles from those unfortunates. Of course there was the odd one at Nowra but our main runway 26 was very close by the concrete line with only very little macadam inbetween.

[India Four Two]

Vampire start. Very impressive and quite startling for spectators who haven't seen it before:



There are only two igniters so there is a lot of excess fuel in the other burner cans.

a well named engine methinks

Brett Emeny (RVM's owner) told me "It's called a Goblin, because it gobbles fuel!"