de Havilland Hornet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Hornet

The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet is a twin-piston engined fighter aircraft
developed by de Havilland. It further exploited the wooden construction
techniques that had been pioneered by the de Havilland Mosquito. Development of
the Hornet had started during the Second World War as a private venture. The
aircraft was to conduct long range fighter operations in the Pacific Theatre
against the Empire of Japan but the war ended before the Hornet reached
operational squadron status.

The Hornet entered service with RAF Fighter Command where it equipped several
day fighter units and was commonly stationed in the British mainland. It saw
combat in the Far East, being used as a strike fighter as part of the British
military action taken during the Malayan Emergency. A naval carrier-capable
version, the Sea Hornet, had been envisioned early on and was procured by the
Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.

....By November 1942, de Havilland had elected to shelve the night bomber project
and concentrate on producing a long-range fighter, the D.H. 103, that would make
the maximum possible use of the Merlin engine. The D.H. 103 resembled a small
Mosquito, with a single seat; it was intended to take on other single-seat
fighter aircraft, particularly those operated by Japan, while still being
capable of conducting very long range missions to be of use in the Pacific
Theatre. The long range requirement led to the fuselage being highly
streamlined. An independently-developed version of the Merlin engine which
possessed a low frontal area was selected for use on the D.H. 103.

By the end of 1942, a mock-up of the D.H. 103 had been completed at de
Havilland's Hatfield facility and was soon afterwards demonstrated to officials
of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Due to the war, the ministry did not
immediately issue permission to construct the D.H. 103. In June 1943, the
project stopped being a private venture when the Ministry released Specification
F.12/43, which had been written around the D.H. 103 proposal; soon after, the
D.H. 103 project received the name Hornet.

It was envisaged that the Hornet could be adapted for naval use and operated
from the flight decks of aircraft carriers. Priority was given early on to
ensuring that such adaptation could be readily done: measures for ease of
control, especially when flown at low speeds, were incorporated and attention
paid to providing the pilot with a high level of visibility. The two propellers
were driven in opposite directions to improve take-off and landing
characteristics and high-drag flaps were integrated to provide for greater power
during approaches.

Flying the Sea Hornet

Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown, former fighter pilot and officer of the Fleet Air
Arm, was one of the world's most accomplished test pilots and he held the record
for flying the greatest number of aircraft types.

Just after VE Day the first semi-naval Sea Hornet PX 212 arrived at the RAE,
Farnborough. Eric Brown initiated "work-up to deck-landing" trials. 37 years
later, he was still impressed:

"...the next two months of handling and deck landing assessment trials were to
be an absolute joy; from the outset the Sea Hornet was a winner!""The view from
the cockpit, positioned right forward in the nose beneath a one-piece
aft-sliding canopy was truly magnificent. The Sea Hornet was easy to taxi, with
powerful brakes... the takeoff using 25 lb (2,053 mm Hg, 51" Hg) boost and flaps
at one-third extension was remarkable! The 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) Merlin 130/131
engines fitted to the prototypes were to be derated to 18 lb (1,691 Hg, 37" Hg)
boost and 2,030 hp (1,510 kW) as Merlin 133/134s in production Sea Hornets, but
takeoff performance was to remain fantastic. Climb with 18 lb boost exceeded
4,000 ft/min (1,200 m/min)"...

"In level flight the Sea Hornet's stability about all axes was just
satisfactory, characteristic, of course, of a good day interceptor fighter. Its
stalling characteristics were innocuous, with a fair amount of elevator
buffeting and aileron twitching preceding the actual stall"...

"For aerobatics the Sea Hornet was absolute bliss. The excess of power was such
that manoeuvres in the vertical plane can only be described as rocket-like. Even
with one propeller feathered the Hornet could loop with the best single-engine
fighter, and its aerodynamic cleanliness was such that I delighted in its
demonstration by diving with both engines at full bore and feathering both
propellers before pulling up into a loop!"

During this series of tests Captain Brown found that the ailerons were too heavy
and ineffectual for deck landing and there were some problems with throttle
movement, brakes and the rubber-in-compression undercarriage legs were still
fitted. De Havilland were quick to modify the aircraft. Eric Brown:

"Landings aboard Ocean had been made without any crash barrier... Yet, in the
case of the Sea Hornet, I had felt such absolute confidence that I was mentally
relaxed... Indeed, there was something about the Sea Hornet that made me feel
that I had total mastery of it; I revelled in its sleek form and the immense
surge of power always to hand...""Circumstances had conspired against the Sea
Hornet in obtaining the recognition that it justly deserved as a truly
outstanding warplane...in my book the Sea Hornet ranks second to none for
harmony of control, performance characteristics and, perhaps most important, in
inspiring confidence in its pilot. For sheer exhilarating flying enjoyment, no
aircraft has ever made a deeper impression on me than did this outstanding filly
from the de Havilland stable."

Design

The de Havilland Hornet bore a family resemblance to the larger Mosquito, but it
was an entirely fresh design albeit one that drew extensively upon experiences
from, and the design of, the Mosquito. It was powered by a pair of highly
developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, producing 2,070 hp each, which drove
four-bladed propellers (manufactured by de Havilland Propellers). According to
aviation author P.J. Birtles, the efficiency and power of this configuration
gave the Hornet "a higher performance than any other propeller driven aircraft".
The Hornet's principal armament was four short-barrelled 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano
V cannons, while other typical weapon loads included various rockets and bombs.

Fuselage construction was identical to the earlier Mosquito: a balsa wood "pith"
sandwiched between plywood sheets which were laid in diagonal panels. Aerolite
formaldehyde cement was the bonding agent. The fuselage halves were built on
large concrete or wood patterns and equipment was fitted in each half; they were
then joined along the top and bottom centre lines using wooden reinforcing
strips. The entire fuselage was then tightly wrapped in fine aviation fabric
which was doped in place. The tailfin which had the trademark gracefully-curved
de Havilland shape, was an integral part of the rear fuselage. On late F.1s and
further models of production aircraft, a fin fillet was added to the base of the
unit. The horizontal tail unit was an all-metal structure, again featuring the
distinctive de Havilland shape, which was later repeated on the Chipmunk and
Beaver.

Construction was of mixed balsa/plywood similar to the Mosquito but the Hornet
differed in incorporating stressed Alclad lower-wing skins bonded to the wooden
upper wing structure using the new adhesive Redux. The two wing spars were
redesigned to withstand a higher load factor of 10 versus 8. Apart from the
revised structure, the Hornet's wings were a synthesis of aerodynamic knowledge
that had been gathered since the design of the Mosquito, being much thinner in
cross-section, and with a laminar flow profile similar to the P-51 Mustang and
Hawker Tempest. The control surfaces consisted of hydraulically-operated split
flaps extending from the wing root to outboard of the engine nacelles; as on the
Mosquito, the rear of the nacelle was part of the flap structure. Outboard, the
Alclad-covered ailerons extended close to the clipped wing tips and gave
excellent roll control.


Role
Land and naval-based fighter aircraft

National origin
United Kingdom

Manufacturer
de Havilland

First flight
19 April 1944

Introduction
1946

Retired
1956

Primary users
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy

Produced
1945 to 1950

Number built
383

Operationally, the Hornet I (later re-designated as the F.1) lasted only a short
time before being superseded by the improved F.3 version. The first Hornet F.3
was PX 366, which flew at the Farnborough Air Show in June 1946. New units to
convert to this mark were 33 Squadron, 45 Squadron (based at RAF Tengah,
Singapore where, in early 1952, the unit converted to the Hornet from the
unreliable Bristol Brigand) and 80 Squadron.

In 1951, considerable numbers of Hornets were redeployed from Fighter Command to
the squadrons of the Far East Air Force (FEAF). Along with 64 Sqn, 33, 45, and
80 squadrons participated in combat operations during the Malayan Emergency.
Upon arrival, the Hornets were promptly used to replace Bristol Beaufighters and
Supermarine Spitfires that were being operated in support of ground security
forces against Communist guerrillas fighting in the region.General
characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 35 ft, 6 in (10.82 m)
Wingspan: 45 ft (13.72 m)
Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
Wing area: 361 ft² (33.54 m²)
Empty weight: 11,292 lb (5,122 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,820 lb (7,176 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,250 lb (2 x 200 gal drop tanks) (8,278 kg)
Powerplant: Four blade, 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter "handed" de Havilland
propellers: Two × Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 12-cylinder engines, 2,070 hp
(1,544 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 475 mph at 21,000 ft (764 km/h at 6,400 m)
Cruise speed: 270 mph at 20,000 ft (435 km/h at 6,096 m)
Range: 1,480 mi (2,600 mi max) (2,382 km (4,184 km max))
Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,650 m)
Rate of climb: 4 minutes to 20,000 ft. Average 5,000 ft/min (25.4 m/s)
Wing loading: 43.82 lb/ft² (213.9 kg/m²)

Armament

4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk. V cannon (with 190 rpg) in lower fuselage nose
2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs under wing, outboard of engines
8 × 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 unguided rockets (Hornet F.3)

Avionics
ASH radar fitted in Sea Hornet NF Mk 21.
Armed with rockets and/or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, the Hornets, with their long
range and good endurance, were able to spend up to two hours loitering over a
given target area, which was particularly useful because target identification
often proved to be challenging and time consuming.

The Hornets were often sortied in conjunction with strikes from Avro Lincoln
bombers. Other activities included the aerial escorting of ground convoys. The
Hornet proved to be very reliable; 45 Sqn Hornets, based in Singapore, achieved
a total of 4,500 operational sorties over five years, more than any other
squadron in the FEAF.

Specifications (Hornet F.1)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 35 ft, 6 in (10.82 m)
Wingspan: 45 ft (13.72 m)
Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
Wing area: 361 ft² (33.54 m²)
Empty weight: 11,292 lb (5,122 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,820 lb (7,176 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,250 lb (2 x 200 gal drop tanks) (8,278 kg)
Powerplant: Four blade, 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter "handed" de Havilland
propellers: Two × Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 12-cylinder engines, 2,070 hp
(1,544 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 475 mph at 21,000 ft (764 km/h at 6,400 m)
Cruise speed: 270 mph at 20,000 ft (435 km/h at 6,096 m)
Range: 1,480 mi (2,600 mi max) (2,382 km (4,184 km max))
Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,650 m)
Rate of climb: 4 minutes to 20,000 ft. Average 5,000 ft/min (25.4 m/s)
Wing loading: 43.82 lb/ft² (213.9 kg/m²)

Armament

4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk. V cannon (with 190 rpg) in lower fuselage nose
2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs under wing, outboard of engines
8 × 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 unguided rockets (Hornet F.3)

Avionics
ASH radar fitted in Sea Hornet NF Mk 21.





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