de Havilland D.H.-100 Vampire Mk.52

Specifications
Aircraft Type:	Fighter
First Flight:	Production aircraft: April 1945
Wingspan:	38 feet
Length:	30 feet 9 inches
Height:	8 feet 10 inches
Weight:	7,283 pounds
Capacity:	One
Status:	Display - Flyable

The de Havilland D.H.-100 Vampire was the second British jet fighter to join the Royal Air Force. Designed during the early days of jet airplanes, the short, stubby center fuselage minimized the troublesome and complicated ductwork for the engine’s air intake and exhaust. This led to an aircraft with twin tail booms, with the engine placed directly behind the pilot. Its jet engine, the de Havilland Goblin, received air through very short intake ducts. The Museum’s aircraft has a refrigerator unit incorporated into the starboard wing intake fillet to provide air conditioning.