De Havilland DH.108 Swallow

De Havilland DH.108 Swallow
Type:	Experimental aircraft , flying wing
Design country:	Great Britain
Manufacturer:	de Havilland Aircraft Company
First flight:	May 15, 1946
Number of pieces:	3

The de Havilland DH.108 Swallow was an experimental aircraft from the British aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company , designer was Ronald Bishop. The model, designed as a tailless aircraft , was intended to serve as a semi-scale test vehicle for a planned jet-powered airliner in order to gain experience with swept wings in the high-speed range. The three aircraft built crashed over the course of a few years, with the test pilots losing their lives. The revolutionary concept was then abandoned.

history

The machines were designed as single-seat research aircraft. The engine and fuselage of the vampires served as the basis . In the summer of 1945, De Havilland succeeded in contacting Woldemar Voigt in Oberammergau , who played a key role in the development of the Messerschmitt Me 163 . The data transmitted during the discussions flowed into the construction of the swept wings.

The first flight took place on May 15, 1946. The flight performance of the DH.108 exceeded that of contemporary jet fighters. Over time, various changes and adjustments were made to the three prototypes. The crash of the first machine cost Geoffrey de Havilland Junior his life on September 27, 1946. It had previously reached Mach 0.9 on the preparatory flight for a planned record flight . In 1948, the second prototype was the first European aircraft to break through the sound barrier in a dive that was hardly controllable . Only the rocket-propelled Bell X-1 and the Douglas Skystreak had previously achieved this worldwide . The same machine set a 100-kilometer lap record. It crashed a short time later as a result of a faulty oxygen system, which cost the second pilot's life. A few years later, the third aircraft and its pilot were also lost.

Although the DH.108 Swallow was unsuccessful, important findings were incorporated into later projects.

Technical specifications

De Havilland DH.108 Swallow

Parameter	Data
crew	1
length	8.17 m
span	11.89 m
height	4.27 m
Wing area	30.47 m²
Takeoff mass	4,064 kg
Top speed	1,090 km / h
Range	1,175 km
Engines	a de Havilland Goblin -4 jet engine with 16.67 kN thrust

See also

• List of aircraft types

literature

• Daniel J. March: de Havilland DH. 108 'Swallow' . In: International Air Power Review Volume 17, 2005, pp. 122–127

Web links

Commons : De Havilland DH.108 Swallow  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ March: DH.108 , p. 126