Vampire over Cambridgeshire today
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Vampire and Venom boys book by Steve Bond due out this year. My memories of the T11 was the cramped cockpit and it handled like a truck compared to the 5 and 9. Good memories of Swinderby and Oakington as an instructor in the early 60’s when we actually had an Airforce,
So I have been told though I have not seen it was in the days where pilots were trained on T11s and then fly solo on the F5. The T11 had a single fuel gauge calibrated in lbs up to IIRC 1,400 lbs for the four wing and one fuselage tanks. The F5 had five individual gauges calibrated in gallons. These were mounted in front of the pilot behind the control stick.
The observation was that when a student did his downwind checks in the circuit there would be a frantic wing waggling as he moved the stick from side to side adding up the gallons to make sure he was above minimums. This was because the aileron response was far quicker then a T11 and looking inside he wouldn't notice.
The observation was that when a student did his downwind checks in the circuit there would be a frantic wing waggling as he moved the stick from side to side adding up the gallons to make sure he was above minimums. This was because the aileron response was far quicker then a T11 and looking inside he wouldn't notice.
Very interesting Fareastdriver. I have had a look at my logbook for 1956/7 and found my Vampire training hours which were 71 hours dual and 8 hours solo in the T11 with 44 hours solo on the Vampire 5 and the odd 9 we had. I cannot remember any difficulty checking the fuel state on the FB5 and 9, but we had airframe problems with them, especially towards the end of the Swinderby Course. Two FB5's crashed during mid altitude tail chases and then several of us said we had experienced what felt like elevator control reversal when at high IAS and a highish Mach number around 20000 feet. (They had just shown the film The Sound Barrier in Lincoln, but I don't think it affected our reports!) Several De Havilland engineers arrived after the second crash and started to measure the old FB5 and 9's. Most were bent and a high number were outside limits I remember. Nearly all the tail cones were declared dangerous as they were badly dented and could have disturbed the airflow! All the single seaters were grounded for about a month and repair work was started. We were transferred to the hangar and spent a week cleaning the single seaters with a revolting liquid we named virgins pee, then got about half a dozen back and completed the course, which had been extended by four weeks. Happy days!
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
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Never been in one, but talked to them a lot at Shawbury during my ATCO training! Operated by pilots from Marshalls, they gave us a bit of 'reality' on top of the simulator training.
There's a Facebook video that I can't seem to link ... "RAF Shawbury - Blue Peter 1969"
There's a Facebook video that I can't seem to link ... "RAF Shawbury - Blue Peter 1969"
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
I grew up with them, as a teenager living at RAAF Pearce in Western Australia. Vampires overhead every day was probably the final push towards an aviation career. Gives me a soft-spot for them.
Saw my first T.11 at 5 FTS (RAF Thornhill, S. Rhodesia) in 1953 when this aircraft WZ416 visited during a sales tour of Southern Africa. Tour was successful as both Rhodesian and South African Air Forces purchased the type.
This T11 belonged to 41 Sqn at Biggin Hill photo taken in 1955
This T11 belonged to 41 Sqn at Biggin Hill photo taken in 1955
One can see the problems in trying to bailout of what was effectively a Mosquito's canopy. Unfortunately when they installed the ejector seats it restricted the pilots luggage arrangements when whizzing off to the Smoke for a dirty weekend.
The picture also graphically illustrates why they had to redesign the fins to get acceptable stability in yaw.
The picture also graphically illustrates why they had to redesign the fins to get acceptable stability in yaw.
Living less than a mile away, my earliest childhood memories were of the Vampires flying from RAF Merryfield!
Plus the occasional Canberra. Also the Sabres and Wyverns of Westlands, then came the RN with Sea Venoms whilst Yeovilton was being upgraded for the Sea Vixen.
Plus the occasional Canberra. Also the Sabres and Wyverns of Westlands, then came the RN with Sea Venoms whilst Yeovilton was being upgraded for the Sea Vixen.
As an ATC cadet I used to spend occasional weekends unofficially helping to refuel the FB5 Vampires (and 1 Meteor 7) of 614 sdn RAFA at Llandow. Distinct memories include having to hold the tail down to clear a "wet start", the 14' flame that came out of the back end when it did start, and the piercing, high pitched noise from which my hearing never properly recovered. 614 also had a Meteor 8 which was a bit of a hangar queen. I was told that nobody wanted to fly it because they were afraid of the ejector seat.
pulse1, that reminds me of my first solo in the Vampire FB5. Eleven days after two solo and four dual trips in the T11, it was time for the FB5. After getting strapped in a couple of ground engineers took hold of the tail and lowered it to the ground. That was the maximum nose up before it scrapes the runway, they told me! Then it was light the engine and off on my first most enjoyable FB5 solo in WA227 on November 27th 1956.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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An ex Irish AC Vampire won the Jet Class Gold at Reno in 2015; unfortunately it was badly damaged the following year in a forced landing following a canopy failure and a subsequent engine problem; apparently the wreck is still dumped at Stead Airport. Another has competed since then; life in the old blood sucker yet!
Swinderby 1957 E Flight Stan Sollitt leading
Very easy to fly. 6.15 to first solo with only 95 hours total. All our course made it through. Wings with 201 hours.
Never a great fan of the Vampire. The 11 was exceedingly uncomfortable and no spinning or negative g in the 5.
Second single seat solo was my only flight in the 9.
Gear, flap and speedbrake all hidden away in the back left hand corner. Very easy to get the wrong lever so speedbrake was deployed with a clenched fist as the other two had detents.
The ramp could be spectacular at night with lots of wet starts.
My memory ( possibly defective) was the high speed dive problem was caused by the tailplane skin movement producing blanketing shock waves so the elevator was ineffective until the Mach No.reduced. Thought the mod was to replace with heavier duty Venom tailplanes. Whatever, my instructor had the dubious honour of doing the post mod airtests.
What a treat to go to the Meteor.
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Plans to cut 1,700 UK Airbus jobs have been described as "utterly devastating" by a Welsh minister.
"Mr Skates said a "significant share" of the job losses were expected at Broughton, in Flintshire"
"Mr Skates said a "significant share" of the job losses were expected at Broughton, in Flintshire"
Phileas Fogg, it is very sad news indeed for those who work there and I am 88.4 percent Welsh, but what has it to do with the Vampire T11?
Last edited by brakedwell; 1st Jul 2020 at 15:21.
.......and another problem, selecting flap required the flap lever to be reset to neutral after the required angle was set, otherwise you got the lot !
Been there, done that !
Been there, done that !
