DH Vampire Folks:
Good day!
While looking for pics of some F4U samples under restoration I found this interesting “DH Vampire” at the ramp in the Mojave desert, Calif c.summer ’78.
p.s Does anyone knows its whereabouts of final destination? a bit of its history? Photo via Wix. Tks in advance
By: scotavia - 8th March 2014 at 10:46
I wonder if any older small business jets made sales ? I have a recollection that the Morane Saulnier Paris sold in the civvy market and one appears in a James Bond film. It seems that advances in engines have now made it possible ,hence the Phenom.
Interesting to know why so many Vampires were around the museum scene in the UK.
By: Consul - 7th March 2014 at 23:48
Is there any evidence that the aircraft the OP queried (which I believe was N11923) was involved in any of the proposed executive conversion programmes or was it exported to the US for some other purpose?
See also the zombie threads on that subject:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?54340-Mystery-Jet-MJ1-Vampire
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?21759-What-is-this&highlight=mystery%20jet
Tim
By: Firebex - 7th March 2014 at 22:13
There where I believe two Vampires converted to mystery jet configuration.One used as a static display piece I think it was used briefly on a sales tour outside shopping Malls. The other I think actually flew and was for a long time parked out in the desert near the house of one of the design guys involved with it.But that was a few years ago.There was also one of the original mock ups around the uk for a while I think it ended its days on the fire dump at Manston when the first time around the project collapsed.
There where three failed attempts to get the project going we had 43 Vampires in Storage at Woodford ex mystery jet project and they went to museums and schools etc.I know because I had one of them(WZ518). I have one now but not an ex mystery jet aircraft but an ex Navy T22(XG743).
A very interesting project idea but with an engine eating 1500 litres per hour not a cheap beast to operate and with the increase in weight the performance dropped off.
Mike E
XG743 Restoration project.
By: Consul - 7th March 2014 at 19:32
Looks likely to be one and the same as the airframe illustrated in the following link when at Mojave and quoted as ex RAAF A79-617 which became N11923. Now back in Oz I believe, went to Temora and flying as VH-VAM?
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/DH-Vampire-A79-617/Vampire_A79_617_as_N11923_Mojave_CA_May_79_Photo_by_Bob_Burns
Tim
By: Propstrike - 7th March 2014 at 19:00
Quite possibly one of the ‘donor’ airframes for the nutty 6 seater Vampire derived DIY biz-jet monstrosity
” Then there was Johnny Skyrocket.
Skyrocket was one of the most deluded, persistent, interesting and convincing failures in the world of business aircraft design and sales. It would be Johnny Skyrocket’s lifelong quest/crusade to turn the diminutive and obsolete de Havilland Vampire into a low cost four-, six-, eight- and even 17-seat business jet to compete with the newly emerging purpose-built business transports. He would press, cajole, convince and even get jailed for sucking funds from friends and investors for two separate swings at the business aircraft ball, and fail completely both times. There were two things he never learned over his decades long obsession—low cost was not a priority for the high-end business executive and no one wanted an aircraft converted from a used warbird, with seating like an airliner and speed matched and exceeded by aircraft like the Lockheed Jetstar and Hawker Siddeley HS125.”
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March 7, 2014 at 4:16 pm