De Havilland Hornet Aircraft

Production Details

Design Company:

The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd, Hatfield Aerodrome, Herts

First Flight:

28 July 1944

Hornet Prototypes:

2 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Hornet F.1:

60 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Hornet P.R.2:

5 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Hornet F.3:

132 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Hornet FR.4:

12 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Sea Hornet F.20:

79 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Sea Hornet NF.21:

72 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Sea Hornet PR.22:

23 - The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd

Type Specification

Applies to:

De Havilland DH.103 Sea Hornet F.20

Type:

Twin engined naval fighter reconnaissance strike monoplane

Wing:

Cantilever mid wing monoplane. Composite wood and light alloy two spar structure with plywood top skin and alclad bottom skin

Fuselage:

All wood monocoque structure of oval tappering oval section

Tail Unit:

All metal cantilever structure. Two spar tailplane. Fin integral with fuselage

Landing Gear:

Retractable two wheel type. Backwards retraction. Backwards retracting tailwheel

Power Plant:

Two Rolls-Royce Merlin 130 series twelve cylinder Vee liquid cooled engines, max output 2,030 hp. Four blade full feathering airscrews

Accommodation:

Pilots cockpit mounted well forward

Armament:

Four forward firing 20mm Hispano cannon in underside of nose. Racks for two 1,000 lb bombs and rocket projectiles under wings

Span:

45 ft

Length:

37 ft

Height:

16 ft 2 in

Wing Area:

361 sq ft

Empty:

12,773 lb

Loaded:

18,230 lb

Max Speed:

431 mph at 10,000 ft

Rate of Climb:

4,000 ft/min

Operational Ceiling:

35,000 ft

Range:

1,500

Preserved in British Museums

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