De Havilland Sea Vixen

infobox Aircraft
name= DH.110 Sea Vixen
type= Carrier-based fighter
manufacturer= de Havilland


caption= de Havilland Sea Vixen in Red Bull livery at a 2004 airshow.
first flight= 26 September 1951
introduced= July 1959
retired= 1972
status=
primary user= Royal Navy
more users=
produced=
number built= 145
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=

The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm (the air component of the Royal Navy) designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s. Initially produced by de Havilland it was later known as the Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen when de Havilland became a part of the Hawker Siddeley group.

Development

The aircraft was originally known as the "DH.110"; an aircraft designed for both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) as an all-weather, missile-armed, high-speed jet fighter. The Admiralty had published a requirement for a fleet defence fighter to replace the de Havilland Sea Venom. However, the RAF chose the Gloster Javelin, a rival to the DH.110, after deciding the Javelin was a cheaper and simpler aircraft. Despite this, de Havilland continued with the project, and by the late 1950s, the Royal Navy had placed an order and the aircraft entered service with the Fleet Air Arm.

The prototype took to the skies on 26 September 1951 piloted by John Cunningham. The following year tragedy struck while the aircraft was being demonstrated at the Farnborough Airshow on 6 September 1952. Following a demonstration of the aircraft's ability to break the sound barrier, it disintegrated, killing 31 people, including the aircraft's two crew: test pilot and record breaker John Derry and Tony Richards. [ [http://www.davidsiddall.com/testflyingmemorial/1945onwards.htm Test Flying memorial site] ] (See 1952 Farnborough Airshow DH.110 crash.) The failure was traced to faulty design of the end sections of the main spar, which resulted in the outer ends of the wings shearing off on execution of a high-rate turn. The subsequent shift in the DH.110's centre of gravity caused the aircraft to lurch violently, creating forces of over 12 g, resulting in the cockpit and tail sections breaking away and the engines being torn from the airframe. One engine landed safely in an unoccupied car park; however, the second engine ploughed into a crowded spectator area at the end of the runway, causing the majority of casualties. Others were injured by debris from the cockpit landing close to the main spectator enclosures alongside the runway. This incident led to a major restructuring of the safety regulations for air shows in the UK, and since this accident no member of the public has died as a result of an airshow accident in the UK.

Due to this incident, modifications were made to the other prototype. In 1955, a semi-navalised variant was produced as a prototype for the production version, including change of leading edge profile and strengthening of wing (no folding wings), making its first flight that same year. The following year, the aircraft made its first arrested deck landing on the fleet aircraft carrier HMS "Ark Royal". The first true Sea Vixen, the Sea Vixen FAW.20 (fighter all-weather, later redesignated FAW.1), first flew in 1957; and in July 1959, the first of over 100 FAW.1s entered service with the Fleet Air Arm.

Design

The Sea Vixen had a twin-boom tail, as used on the de Havilland Sea Vampire and Sea Venom. The Sea Vixen became the first British aircraft to be solely armed with missiles, rockets and bombs. The Sea Vixen FAW.1 was armed with four de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missiles, two Microcell unguided 2-inch (51 mm) rocket packs and had a capacity for four 500 lb (230 kg) or two 1,000 lb bombs. It was powered by two 50.0 kN (11,230 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Avon 208 turbojet engines; had a speed of 690 mph (1,110 km/h) and a range of 600 miles (1,000 km).

The original DH.110 design (as offered to the RAF) had the fitting of cannons in its prospectus; however, it was found during experiments conducted with ADEN cannons that their firing caused failure of the mountings due to the force of the recoil. The solution was to put a baulk (reinforcing piece) of timber in place to absorb the recoil force. Thus the Vixen was also the last British fighter to use wood in its construction. The cannons were soon removed and an all-missile armament was developed.

The pilot's canopy is offset to the left hand side. The observer is housed to the right completely within the fuselage, gaining access through a flush-fitting top hatch into his position (known in the service as the "coal hole") which had a small window. N.B. "observer" is the FAA term for the navigator/radar operator – the US Navy's equivalent is the radar intercept officer (RIO).

The Sea Vixen FAW.2 was the successor to the FAW.1 and included many improvements. As well as Firestreak missiles, it could carry the Red Top AAM, four SNEB rocket pods and the air-to-ground Bullpup missile. An enlarged tail boom allowed for additional fuel tanks in the "pinion" extensions above and before the wing leading edge, and there was an improved escape system along with additional room for more electronic counter-measures equipment. However, the changes in aerodynamics meant that the 1,000 lb bomb was no longer able to be carried. Visually the FAW.1 and FAW.2 may be distinguished by the tail booms which extend forward over the leading edge of the wing on the FAW.2.

The FAW.2 first flew in 1962 and entered service with front-line squadrons in 1964, with 29 being built and a further 67 FAW.1s being upgraded to FAW.2 standard. The FAW.1 began phasing out in 1966.

In 1972, the career of the Sea Vixen FAW.2 came to an end. It was planned to replace the Sea Vixen with the F-4 Phantom II, with both HMS "Ark Royal" and HMS "Eagle" to be refitted to take the new aircraft. In the event, due to defence cuts and following the decommissioning of HMS "Eagle", only "Ark Royal" was converted to take the new aircraft.

A small number of Sea Vixen subsequently saw service in the less glamorous roles of drone, being redesignated Sea Vixen D.3. The D.3 variant is the only DH.110 design that was truly capable of supersonic speeds in level flight, thanks largely to uprated engine specifications and removal of many non-essential and military fitments. They were never used in the drone role and only a few were actually converted to the D.3 standard. The last remaining airworthy Sea Vixen was one of these. Other Sea Vixens became target tugs and were redesignated as TT.2.

Operational history

The aircraft did not take part in any true wars during its career with the Fleet Air Arm though it took part in many operations. In 1961, President Abdul Karim Kassem of Iraq threatened to annex the neighbouring oil-rich state of Kuwait. In response to Kuwait's appeal for external help, the United Kingdom dispatched a number of ships to the region, including two fleet carriers. Sea Vixens aboard the fleet carriers flew patrols in the region, and Kassem's aggressive actions wilted in the face of the strong naval presence, thus averting a Gulf War over Kuwait.

In January 1964, trouble flared in the East African state of Tanganyika after the 1st and 2nd Tanganyika Rifles mutinied against the British officers and NCOs who, despite Tanganyika being independent, still commanded the regiment. The mutineers also seized the British High Commissioner and the airport at the capital Dar-es-Salaam. The UK responded by sending the light fleet carrier HMS "Centaur", accompanied by 45 Commando, Royal Marines. The Sea Vixens, flying off "Centaur", performed a number of duties including the providing of cover for the Royal Marines who were landed in Tanganyika by helicopters. The operation to restore Tanganyika to stability ended in success. That same year, Sea Vixens saw service once again in the Persian Gulf, this time supporting British forces fighting against rebellious tribesmen in the Radfan, including the launch of air-strikes against the rebels.

Sea Vixens saw further service during the 1960s, performing duties on Beira Patrol, a Royal Navy operation designed to prevent oil reaching landlocked Rhodesia via the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique. The Sea Vixen also saw service in the Far East. In 1967, once again in the Persian Gulf, Sea Vixens helped cover the withdrawal from Aden. There were a number of Royal Navy warships involved, including the carriers HMS "Albion", "Centaur" and "Eagle" (carrying the Sea Vixens) and the LPD (Landing Platform Dock) HMS "Fearless".

The Sea Vixen also took to the skies in the aerobatic role, performing in two Royal Navy display teams: "Simon's Sircus" (sic) and "Fred's Five". A Sea Vixen with the UK civil registration of "G-CVIX" flew at airshows in Red Bull livery until 2007, when it was repainted in 899 NAS colours. "G-CVIX" is owned and operated by De Havilland Aviation and can be viewed at their hangar at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset, southern England, or at airshows around the country. Many other Sea Vixens remain in good condition but do not fly.

Operators

Military operators

;UK
* Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
** 700 Naval Air Squadron
** 766 Naval Air Squadron
** 890 Naval Air Squadron
** 892 Naval Air Squadron
** 893 Naval Air Squadron
** 899 Naval Air Squadron

Civilian operators

* De Havilland Aviation

urvivors

Only one Sea Vixen is still airworthy:
* Sea Vixen D.3 XP924 ("now G-CVIX"), De Havilland Aviation, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset.

The following complete airframes also survive:
* Sea Vixen FAW.1 XJ481, Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset. Complete but partially disassembled.
* Sea Vixen FAW.1 XJ482, Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Suffolk.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ490, Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, Australia. Airframe complete, but internals removed.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ494, Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ560, Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ565, de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre, Hertfordshire.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ571, Solent Sky, Hampshire.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ580, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, West Sussex.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XN685, Midland Air Museum, Coventry.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XS576, IWM Duxford, Cambridgeshire.
* Sea Vixen TT.2 XS587 ("now G-VIXN"), Gatwick Aviation Museum, Surrey.
* Sea Vixen FAW.2 XS590, Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset.

In addition, a number of partial airframes (principally nose and cockpit sections) survive in private and public collections around the world.

pecifications (Sea Vixen FAW.2)

Aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet
ref=The Great Book of Fighters [ Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Great Book of Fighters". St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.]
crew=Two, pilot and the radar operator (navigator)
length main=55 ft 7 in
length alt=16.94 m
span main=51 ft 0 in
span alt=15.54 m
height main=10 ft 9 in
height alt=3.28 m
area main=648 ft²
area alt=60.2 m²
empty weight main=27,950 lb
empty weight alt=12,680 kg
loaded weight main=41,575 lb
loaded weight alt=18,860 kg
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (jet)=Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.208
type of jet=turbojets
number of jets=2
thrust main=50 kN
thrust alt=11,000 lbf
max speed main=Mach 0.91
max speed alt=690 mph, 1,110 km/h
max speed more=at sea level
range main=790 mi
range alt=1,270 km
range more=with internal fuel
ceiling main=48,000 ft
ceiling alt=15,000 m
climb rate main=9,000 ft/min
climb rate alt=46 m/s
loading main=64.2 lb/ft²
loading alt=313 kg/m²
thrust/weight=0.54

rockets=4× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
missiles=4× Red Top or Firestreak air-to-air missiles
bombs=2× 500 lb (227 kg) bombs

avionics=GEC AI.18 Air Interception radar

ee also

Aircontent
related=
* de Havilland Vampire
* de Havilland Venom

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of fighter aircraft

see also=
* De Havilland Aviation
* 1952 Farnborough Airshow DH.110 crash
* de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre
*

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Donald, David and Jon Lake, eds. "Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft". London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.
* Gunston, Bill. "Fighters of the Fifties". Osceola, Wisconsin, Specialty Press Publishers & Wholesalers, Inc., 1981. ISBN 0-933424-32-9.
* Taylor, John W. R. "De Havilland Sea Vixen". Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
* Winchester, Jim, ed. "De Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen." "Military Aircraft of the Cold War" (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-3.

External links

* [http://www.dehavillandaviation.com De Havilland Aviation Ltd - operates airworthy de Havilland jet aircraft, including the world's last airworthy Sea Vixen]
* [http://www.seavixen.org SeaVixen.org Contains information on the plane, the squadrons and carriers and those that flew them]
* [http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~russells/nzrafaa/sbac.html The 1952 Farnborough Air Show crash (with pictures)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/6/newsid_2981000/2981786.stm "On This Day" report for 6 September 1952, "1952: Dozens die in air show tragedy" (BBC)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/september/6/newsid_4219000/4219540.stm Eyewitness accounts of Farnborough crash (BBC)]
* [http://www.condor49ers.org.uk/vixen.htm Aeroplane Naval Aircraft Archive - De Havilland Sea Vixen]
* [http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/seavixen/index.html Thunder & Lightnings - De Havilland Sea Vixen]