De Havilland DH-101 Wasp

[TomZ]

De Havilland DH-101 Wasp



De Havilland started work on the DH-100 Vampire, or Spider Crab as it was then known, in 1941 as jet-engined development aircraft.  As the design progressed however, it became clear that the jet engines under development could not deliver anywhere near the power they promised.
As a safeguard, De Havilland started work on a piston engined alternative to the Vampire, called the DH-101 Wasp. It was to be powered by the Rolls Royce Eagle II engine, a 24 cylinder, 46l engine developing 3.200hp. In order to accommodate the propeller, the undercarriage needed to be lengthened, resulting in moving the main undercarriage legs 50 centimetres inboard. The cooling intake was kept in place of the wing root jet intakes.



As feared, the jet engine fighter could not be produced soon and De Havilland proposed the DH-101 to the RAF as a replacement. In 1943 the RAF agreed to this and the first DH-101 Wasp flew at the end of 1944 with the fifth prototype of the Eagle II engine. The aircraft and the engine proved to be relatively trouble free and the RAF ordered 100 Wasps in April 1945. The first production aircraft were delivered in August 1945, just after the end of the second world war.
Production orders were scaled down but in the end the RAF received 450 Wasps which were used as day and night fighters and light bombers. The Wasp was used extensively in the Korean war. It was only when jet aircraft finally became available at the end of the 1950s, the Wasp was phased out.



The De Havilland Wasp was a big export success and was used by air forces in Australia Austria, Canada, Ecuador, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Finland, France, Ireland, South Africa, India, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.
The last aircraft to leave operational service was a DH-101 Mk 55 trainer of the Swiss Air Force that was retired in 1990.



Model: Trumpeter 1/48 Vampire FB.Mk.9

This would have been one for the Re-engine it group build were it not for the fact that it was started a year ago 

TomZ

[Old Wombat]

  

Pity you didn't wait until the Re-Engine It GB, Tom, it could have been a contender!

[loupgarou]

Interesting idea and very good build.

[NARSES2]

I really like that   

[PR19_Kit]

What a CLASS job, and so very plausible too, I LOVE it.           

[kitbasher]

top notch Tom

Inspiration indeed - I've a spare Vampire and a spare Sea Venom in the stash, so maybe......

[SPINNERS]

There is so much invention and creativity going on around here lately and this little gem is right up there. Well done TomZ!

[Vulcan7]

Fantastic build, worth the wait           

[Accidental Loggie]

That's lovely! 

[kerick]

And another "why didn't I think of that!" Well done!
Where did you get the prop from?
Any in progress photos?

[Wardukw]

😀😀 ...so simple a idea..so nicely built..total brilliance 
Superb Tom   

[TomZ]

And another "why didn't I think of that!" Well done!
Where did you get the prop from?
Any in progress photos?

No in progress pics, i'm afraid.

The prop is a resin after market Spitfire prop

TomZ

[Hobbes]

Somehow, that... fits. 

[The Rat]

Another winner!   

[comrade harps]

Brilliant!

l'm thinking that those mighty exhaust stubs would be adding drag and adding thrust.