de Havilland D.H.113 Vampire NF.10       G-5-2

                                    

             The D.H.113 was a private venture development by D.H.s whereby the nose and side-by-side seating of a Mosquito night fighter
             were merged into the frame of a Vampire FB.Mk V, producing a two seat night fighter.  Since space was cramped, the radar oper-
             ator/observer's seat was slightly behind that of the pilot.   The above shot shows the prototype which first flew on 28 August 1949.
             Since it was built purely on company funds it first carried the Class B UK civil registration G-5-2.  However, since this is clearly a
             military machine I decided to include it in this section, rather than in the European civil selection (which is mainly airliners anyway).
             78 FB.10s were delivered to the RAF as an interim type pending the delivery of NF Meteors.  In addition, several D.H.113s were
             exported, mainly to Italy, and India.
             As an aside, and as a follow up to the two seat Vampires, a company in Las Vegas (where I resided in the late 1980s) had a
             scheme to buy up surplus Vampires and convert them into executive jets (in the mode of the MS.760, shall we say, although even
             that sleek bird was outdated by that time).  Anyway, the owner of this bizarre enterprise lived close to me on the approach road to
             Horizon Airport, a GA airport south of  'Vegas.   On a hard pad next to his driveway was a mock-up.  This might be a  good place
             to display this (upper, below). This old codger (typical Western gruff old sod) was gracious enough to invite me into his house where
             he had several table models of converted Vampires in similar vein. I'll append an image of one of them at the bottom of this treatise
             (lower image).  The entrepreneurial old bloke (don't you wonder, sometimes, how folks like this, with many irons-in-the-fire, make
             a living?) was also "into" the mag-lev train idea to provide rapid transport from L.A. to Las Vegas.  If you've ever travelled Interstate
             15 on a Friday evening you'd know what an excellent idea this is.  I did indicate to him that some difficulties might be encountered in
             the way of land acquisition, particularly as the thing wound its way from San Bernardino to Disneyland, the proposed terminus.  He
             was dead certain it could be done.   Interestingly, the idea is not completely dead and is still being talked about, but I doubt I'll live
             long enough to ever ever ride this 300 mph pipe dream.   And if it is done, I am uncertain what "piece of the action" my enthusiastic
             old friend would enjoy!

                                    Vampire Executive Jet  Mock-up

                                    

                                      Model of one of the Vampire Executive Jet variations.