Warbird Information Exchange

Ours was top shape, IIRC, it left our place in 1992.

It was built in the fifties.

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Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

About 15 2 seaters came thru San Diego fron Oz in 1970, I helped a guy start one and he flew off to FL. I used to have some pictures of them, but don't no where they are today. The importer was from CO, don't remember his name.

Thanks Everyone, for all of the info. I was kind of leery of a wood hulled plane project like this, but not anymore. I don't know what I was thinking, it's not like I was going to do it myself. I would do it the same way as my T-6. Find someone who knows what they are doing, and pay them for their expertise and good work. In the case of a Vampire, I'd bring all of the metal and engine components here for restoration, and leave the woodwork for our Australian bro's to complete. From the posts and link info, Australia seems to be Vampire central. Thanks again everyone....The Vampire just made the list, wood and all.

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DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

These people aren't too bad.

http://www.dehavilland.net/

OP

Judy Pay has a number of good aircraft there (single and two seaters) and as I said flies a two seater I am sure with our exchange rate Aus or New Zealand woud be the place for a safe reliable aircraft if it were my money.

Regards
John P

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Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

A bit of advice on things Vampire:

Always go for one with a good fuselage. Aircraft like the one in the advert are worth nothing, and whilst they could be rebuilt, are simply not worth it. Once the fuselage starts to rot, you are ion for big trouble. If you find one which has either been sotred inside all its life, or had the fuselage stored inside, you will be part way there.

Next, the fuselage carry through spars are a lifed item (at least they are in the UK, you may be able to slap 'Experimental' on the side in the USA.) So make sure you get an airframe with good paperwork, and good time on the spars and wing fittings.

The design is actually very clever. The engine is supported off the carry through spars, and the fuselage basically just hangs off the front. There is one heavy duty wooden frame, which serves to hold the front of the wing apart, but apart from that, there is little actual 'strength' in the fuselage.

Look for an ex Swiss aircraft if you can find one; they were in service until the nineties, and are the best bet. Beware though; most of the single seaters were life expired; the two seaters had a bit more time on them. ex Swiss Venoms are also common, but the same applies.

Well worth talking to Gwynn Jones at de Havilland before committing - make sure you know what you are getting into!

Value seems to be around the 50-60K sterling mark, for a flier, which makes most resto projects non starters anyway. The Judy Pay aircraft might be worth a go; again they were in service until relatively recently.

Hope this helps!


Bruce

That's from a man that REALLY knows what he's talking about.

Here is another in Kauhava Finland in summer of 2004.

The Swiss AF Museum at Dübendorf near Zurich has various Vampire and Venom fuselages on display, showing the wooden structure - there also is a spare wooden pod of a DH-115 (Two-seater) on display - just awesome to see hoe these kites were built !

Can drop by on my way home to take some photos, somewhen this week.

Martin