De Havilland Venom

Infobox Aircraft
name= DH.112 Venom Sea Venom / Aquilon


caption= Long-nosed Swiss Venom FB.54
type= Fighter-bomber
manufacturer= de Havilland Aircraft Company SNCASE
designer=
first flight= 2 September 1949
introduced= FB 1952 NF 1953
retired= FB 1962 NF 1960
status=
primary user= Royal Air Force
more users= Royal Navy
produced=
number built= 1,431 (including Aquilon)cite web |url=http://www.vectorsite.net/avvamp_3.html |title= [3.0] DH Venom / DH Sea Vixen |accessdate=2008-05-05 |format= html |work= Greg Goebel's in The Public Domain]
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=

The de Havilland DH.112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. [Gunston 1981, p. 52.] It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter. A navalised version, the Sea Venom, served with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy (RN).

The Venom was an interim between the first generation of British jet fighters – straight-wing aircraft powered by centrifugal flow engines such as the Gloster Meteor and the Vampire – and later swept wing, axial flow-engined designs such as the Hawker Hunter and de Havilland Sea Vixen. Both the Venom and Sea Venom were successful exports and saw service with Australia, New Zealand, Iraq, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela. The French Navy operated the Aquilon, a version of the Sea Venom FAW.20 licence-built by SNCASE (Sud-Est).

Design and development

The Venom's lineage lay in the aircraft it was intended to replace, the Vampire, which had been the second jet aircraft to enter service with the RAF. [The Gloster Meteor was the first jet aircraft to enter service with the RAF, and saw service during the Second World War.] In 1948 de Havilland proposed a development of the Vampire with a thin wing and more powerful engine as a high alitude fighter, the DH.107, Vampire FB.8. In most respects, the Venom was quite similar to the Vampire, sharing the distinctive twin-boom tail and composite wood/metal structure, although the Venom differed in parts. The idea was adopted and a Vampire F.1 was converted by fitting the new de Havilland Ghost engine, which was more powerful than the de Havilland Goblin used on the Vampire. As the DH.112, the Venom filled an Air Ministry requirement for a fast, manoeuvrable and capable fighter-bomber to replace its progenitor.

The first Venom prototype flew on 2 September 1949 and the first Venom variant, a single-seat fighter-bomber, entered service in 1952 as the FB 1. Three hundred and seventy-five of these would be built. It was armed with four Hispano Mk V 20 millimetre autocannons in the nose and could carry either two 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs or eight RP-3 60 lb air-to-ground rocket projectiles – the heavier bombs being an improvement over the Vampire FB.5. It was powered by a single 4,850 lbf (21.6 kN) thrust Ghost 48 Mk.1 engine.

The next Venom, the NF.2 night fighter, first flew in 1950 and entered service in 1953, having been delayed after some minor problems with the type. To accommodate the necessary two man crew (pilot and navigator/radar operator) it was structurally different – the two crew were positioned side-by-side and an airborne interception radar was fitted in the nose. It replaced the Vampire NF.10, and was followed by NF.3, which was the last night fighter variant of the Venom, first flying in 1953 and entering service in 1955. It had a relatively brief career with the Royal Air Force, having been only an interim solution, and was withdrawn in 1957 and replaced by the Gloster Javelin twin-engined all-weather fighter.

The final Venom for the RAF was the single-seat FB.4 which first flew on 29 December 1953. It entered service in 1955 and 250 were built. It was powered by a single 5,150 lbf (22.9 kN) thrust de Havilland Ghost 105 turbojet engine. It also received an ejector seat and some modifications to its structure.

The Sea Venom was the navalised version of the Venom NF.2 two-seat night fighter and was used as an all-weather interceptor by the FAA. The necessary modifications for use on the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers included folding wings, a tailhook (which retracted into a characteristic "lip" over the jetpipe) and strengthened, long-stroke undercarriage. The canopy was modified to allow ejection from underwater. The first prototype made its first flight in 1951, and began carrier trials that same year. A further two prototypes were built. [Gunston 1981, p. 56.] The first production Sea Venom took the designation FAW.20 (Fighter, All-Weather). It was powered by a single de Havilland Ghost 103 turbojet engine and its armament was the same as the RAF version. The next variant was the FAW.21, which included the modifications introduced in the Venom NF.2A and NF.3. Some of these modifications included the Ghost 104 engine, a clear-view canopy and American radar. The final Royal Navy variant was the FAW.22 powered by the Ghost 105 engine. Thirty-nine of this type were built in 1957–58. Some were later fitted out with the de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missile.

Seven FAW.21s were modified in 1958 for Electronic countermeasures (ECM) purposes, with the cannon replaced by the ECM equipment. These became the ECM.21. 831 Naval Air Squadron, the sole squadron to be equipped with it, was shore-based at RAF Watton from 1963 and disbanded in 1966. Converted FAW.22s were similarly known as the ECM.22.

A modernised Sea Venom project, the DH.116 with swept wings and upgraded radar was considered, but cancelled as the Royal Navy believed that any replacement needed two engines. The project would eventually transpire as the de Havilland Sea Vixen.

Operational history

The RAF fighter-bomber Venoms saw service during the Malayan Emergency which took place between 1948 and 1960, although they did not begin operations until the mid-1950s with Nos. 45 and 60 Squadrons RAF. While there, the Venom supported operations against Communist guerrillas as part of Operation Firedog, the codename for Royal Air Force operations in Malaya. Venoms were lent to the Royal New Zealand Air Force for use in the same conflict where they operated with No. 14 Squadron RNZAF.

The Venom, along with its Royal Navy counterpart, the Sea Venom, also saw service during the Suez Crisis being operated by Nos. 6, 8 and 249 Squadrons RAF flying from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The Anglo-French invasion, codenamed Operation Musketeer, took place in response to the nationalisation of the Suez Canal by Egypt's leader, General Nasser. The air war began on the 31 October 1956 signalling the beginning of the Suez War. The Venoms launched a number of sorties, attacking a variety of military installations on the ground. They also saw much action in the Middle East, supporting operations against terrorists in Aden and Oman, losing some aircraft in the process. Venoms additionally saw service during the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya.

All Venoms in RAF service were withdrawn from first-line service in 1962, having proven their worth in a variety of locations across the world, in peace and war, and in some of the most difficult climates the RAF has ever faced. The last non-RAF Venoms to leave active service were Swiss Air Force Venoms which retired in 1983. About 20 Venoms continue to fly as of 2004, performing at various air shows, while a number of examples are preserved in museums in the United Kingdom and abroad, in non-flying, static display condition.

Royal Navy service

The Sea Venom saw much service during its time with the Royal Navy. In 1956, they, alongside RAF Venoms, took part in the Suez War which began on 31 October. They were part of Nos. 809, 892 and 893 Naval Air Squadrons based on the light fleet carrier HMS "Albion" and fleet carrier HMS "Eagle". The Sea Venoms launched many sorties, bombing a variety of targets in Egypt in the process. In 1958, during the Cyprus Emergency, Sea Venoms of 809 NAS, operating off "Albion", flew a number of sorties against the Cypriot terrorists. The type also saw service during conflicts in the Middle East.

By 1959, the Sea Venom began to be replaced in Royal Navy service by the de Havilland Sea Vixen, an aircraft that also had the distinctive twin-boom tail. The Sea Venom would be withdrawn from frontline service soon afterwards.

ervice with other nations

Thirty-nine Sea Venom FAW.53s saw service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), replacing the Hawker Sea Fury. The Sea Venom entered service in 1956 and, during its service with the RAN, operated off the aircraft carrier HMAS "Melbourne". It was taken out of first-line service in 1967, replaced by the American A-4 Skyhawk. The Aquilon saw service with the French Navy until being withdrawn in 1963.

Variants

Venom

* NF.2 - Two-seat night fighter, an interim night fighter developed from a planned export for Egypt. 91 produced.
* NF.2A - Modified NF.2, which received some strengthening improvements to the wing spar after problems, that had led to a number of accidents, had been found with the NF.2 and other Venoms.
* NF.3 - Modified NF.2, including the fitting of ejector seats, the Ghost 104 engine, a new (American) radar which led to the NF 3's nose being slightly altered. 123 produced.
* FB.4 - Final Venom for the RAF, single-seat fighter-bomber. Ghost 105 engine, ejector seats and structural modifications. 250 built.
* FB.50 - Export version used by Iraq and Switzerland in the 1950s. 15 Built.
* NF.51 - Export version of the night fighter. A total of 60 were purchased by Sweden and used under the designation J33. It served 1953–1960 at the dedicated night fighter F1 wing at Västerås.
* FB.54 - Export version. Used by Venezuela and Switzerland in the 1950s. 22 built.

ea Venom

* FAW.20 - Navalised Venom NF.2. Ghost 103 turbojet engine, otherwise similar to the RAF version; 54 built.
* FAW.21 - Naval version incorporating the updates to the NF.2A and NF.3; 167 built.
* ECM.21 - Seven FAW.21s modified in 1958 for ECM purposes. No armament.
* FAW.22 - Based on FAW.21 and powered by the Ghost 105 engine; 39 built.
* ECM.22 - Equivalent of ECM.21, based on FAW.22
* FAW.53 - Australian designation for the Sea Venom FAW.21; 39 built.

NCASE Aquilon

SNCASE (Sud-Est) licence-built 121 Sea Venom FAW.20 as the Aquilon for the French Navy.

*Aquilon 20 - Assembled from the parts provided by de Havilland
* Aquilon 201 - Single prototype built in France.
* Aquilon 202 - Two-seat version with ejector seats, an American AN/APQ-65 radar and air-conditioning.
* Aquilon 203 - Single-seat version with an American AN/APQ-94 radar and equipped with racks for air-to-air missiles.
* Aquilon 204 - Two-seat training version without guns.

Operators

Venom operators

;flag|Iraq|1963
*Iraqi Air Force;ITA
*Italian Air Force;NZL
*Royal New Zealand Air Force
**No. 14 Squadron;SWE
*Royal Swedish Air Force
**F 1 Hässlö;SUI
*Swiss Air Force;UK
*Royal Air Force
**No. 5 Squadron RAF
**No. 6 Squadron RAF
**No. 8 Squadron RAF
**No. 11 Squadron RAF
**No. 14 Squadron RAF
**No. 16 Squadron RAF
**No. 23 Squadron RAF
**No. 28 Squadron RAF
**No. 32 Squadron RAF
**No. 33 Squadron RAF
**No. 45 Squadron RAF
**No. 60 Squadron RAF
**No. 73 Squadron RAF
**No. 89 Squadron RAF
**No. 94 Squadron RAF
**No. 98 Squadron RAF
**No. 118 Squadron RAF
**No. 125 Squadron RAF
**No. 141 Squadron RAF
**No. 142 Squadron RAF
**No. 145 Squadron RAF
**No. 151 Squadron RAF
**No. 208 Squadron RAF
**No. 213 Squadron RAF
**No. 219 Squadron RAF
**No. 249 Squadron RAF
**No. 253 Squadron RAF
**No. 266 Squadron RAF;VEN
*Venezuelan Air Force

ea Venom operators

;AUS
* Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm
**724 Squadron
**805 Squadron
**808 Squadron;FRA
* French Navy Aviation Navale;UK
* Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
**700 Naval Air Squadron
**736 Naval Air Squadron
**738 Naval Air Squadron
**750 Naval Air Squadron
**766 Naval Air Squadron
**787 Naval Air Squadron
**800 Naval Air Squadron
**808 Naval Air Squadron
**809 Naval Air Squadron
**810 Naval Air Squadron
**831 Naval Air Squadron
**890 Naval Air Squadron
**891 Naval Air Squadron
**892 Naval Air Squadron
**893 Naval Air Squadron
**894 Naval Air Squadron

urvivors

The Venom has been preserved in significant numbers, thanks in part to their longevity with the Swiss Air Force. In the UK, a number of Sea Venoms are preserved, along with examples of the NF 3 and Swiss-built FB.50 and 54. In Sweden, two examples of the NF.51 are preserved. There are many survivors in Switzerland, and other Swiss aircraft are scattered throughout Europe. In Australia, a number of Sea Venom FAW.53s have also survived. Venezuela has the only complete surviving British-built single-seat Venom.

Although the Venom was, for a time, a popular and cheap warbird, the number of airworthy aircraft is dwindling. Currently there is just one in the UK that flies regularly, along with single examples in New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA. All are license-built Swiss examples.

pecifications (Venom FB.1)

Aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet
ref="Fighters of the Fifties" [Gunston 1981]
crew=1
length main=31 ft 10 in
length alt=9.70 m
span main=41 ft 8 in
span alt=12.70 m
height main=6 ft 2 in
height alt=1.88 m
area main=279 ft²
area alt=25.9 m²
empty weight main=9,202 lb
empty weight alt=4,173 kg
loaded weight main=15,400 lb
loaded weight alt=7,000 kg
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (jet)=de Havilland Ghost 103
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=1
thrust main=4,850 lbf
thrust alt=21.6 kN

max speed main=556 knots
max speed alt=640 mph, 1,030 km/h
range main=934 nm
range alt=1,080 mi, 1,730 km
ceiling main=39,400 ft
ceiling alt=12,000 m
climb rate main=9,000 ft/min
climb rate alt=45.7 m/s
thrust/weight=0.41
loading main=56.17 lb/ft²
loading alt=274.2 kg/m²

avionics=

guns=4× 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannon, 150 rounds per gun
rockets=8× RP-3 "60 lb" (27 kg) rockets, or;
bombs=2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related=
* de Havilland Vampire
* de Havilland Sea Vixen

similar aircraft=
* Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9
* F-84 Thunderjet
* F9F Panther
* Hawker Sea Hawk
* Yakovlev Yak-25

lists=
* List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of fighter aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Green, William. "The World's Fighting Planes". London: Macdonald, 1964.
* Gunston, Bill. "Fighters of the Fifties". Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1981. ISBN 0-85059-463-4.
* Winchester, Jim, ed. "De Havilland Sea Vixen." "Military Aircraft of the Cold War (The Aviation Factfile)". Rochester, Kent, UK: The Grange plc., 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-7.

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=51 British Aircraft Directory entry]