97-584: Heston Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based at Heston Aerodrome , Middlesex, England. Starting in 1934 the company produced a number of aircraft designs beginning with the Heston Phoenix and the Hordern-Richmond Autoplane . During the Second World War the company transitioned to being a sub-contractor, modifying Supermarine Spitfires amongst other types. After the war
194-702: A "snap gear". Because the Hornet used the American "3-point" system of catapult-assisted takeoff , two forged steel catapult bridle hooks were fitted, one below each wing, close to the fuselage. The de Havilland rubber-in-compression undercarriage legs could not absorb the rebound energies imposed by carrier landings. They were replaced by more conventional hydraulic oleos which embodied torque links. Merlin 133/134s (derated from 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) to 2,030 hp (1,510 kW)) were fitted to all Sea Hornets. Other specialised naval equipment (mainly different radio gear)
291-680: A British design in having propellers that rotated in opposite directions; the two engine crankshafts rotated in the same direction but the Merlin 131 added an idler gear to reverse its propeller's rotation (to clockwise, viewed from the front). This cancelled the torque effect of two propellers turning in the same direction that had affected earlier designs (such as the Mosquito). It also reduced adverse yaw caused by aileron trim corrections and generally provided more stable and predictable behaviour in flight. De Havilland tried propellers that rotated outward at
388-590: A Vampire and two Sea Furies, were embarked on HMCS Magnificent for a tour of North America in 1948. During the North American tour, multiple Sea Hornets performed several spectacular flying displays at the International Air Exposition in New York City between 31 July and 8 August. In mid-1948, one Sea Hornet, PX219, was adapted to carry a pair of Highball bouncing bombs in an installation that
485-1406: A daily service to Jersey, landing on St. Aubin's beach at West Park, St Helier . In May 1934, the Portsmouth, Southsea, and Isle of Wight Company (PS&IOW) started a service from Heston to the Isle of Wight. In May 1934, the British Air Navigation Company (BANCO) started operating scheduled services to Le Touquet , Dieppe , Pourville, and Deauville , having previously operated cross-Channel charters. Other resident charter or aircraft hire companies included Air Commerce Ltd, Anglo-American Air Services, Birkett Air Service Ltd, Wrightson Air Hire (renamed 1934 as Air Hire Ltd). In 1934 and 1935, United Airways Ltd operated services from Heston to Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool) In 1936, British Airways Ltd , formed by mergers of Spartan Air Lines, United Airways Ltd and Hillman's Airways , started scheduled services at Heston, then moved to Gatwick Airport , then to Croydon Airport , before returning to Heston in May 1938, remaining until April 1940. Manufacturers at Heston included Comper Aircraft Company (1933–1934), Chrislea Aircraft (1936–1947), Heston Aircraft Company (1934–1948), Fairey Aviation Company (1945–1947). Lesser use of
582-473: A farmhouse, Grange Farm, on the eastern boundary of Heston aerodrome. Around this time the company was acquired by Whitney Straight 's Straight Corporation and a further workshop was established at Weston Airport to help meet the great demand for models during World War II . Some of what used to be Heston Aerodrome is now used for housing and industrial estates. The M4 motorway and the Heston services cross
679-495: A flight. Two days earlier on 19 September 1940, a German parachute mine had demolished Heston's large 'Dawbarn' hangar, formerly occupied by BAL in 1939, and previously by Airwork. No further airline operations took place at Heston. On 22 September 1939, a clandestine photographic unit, the 'Heston Flight' was absorbed into the RAF, and its civilian head Sidney Cotton was enlisted with the rank of Squadron Leader. On 1 November 1939, it
776-462: A low frontal area was selected for use on the D.H. 103. By the end of 1942, a mock-up of the D.H. 103 had been completed at de Havilland's Hatfield facility and was soon afterwards demonstrated to officials of the Ministry of Aircraft Production . Due to the war, the ministry did not immediately issue permission to construct the D.H. 103. In June 1943, the project stopped being a private venture when
873-401: A major centre of private flying, air displays, public demonstrations of new aircraft types, 'garden parties', air races, and as the starting point for long-distance flight record attempts. The King's Cup race was again staged at Heston in 1931. From the start, the first UK use of a concrete hangar and concrete aprons had already been established. Additional hangars and facilities, and expansion of
970-537: A major role in modifying Supermarine Spitfires for the photographic reconnaissance task. The company equipped the Spitfires with vertical and oblique cameras, additional fuel tanks, and modified cockpit canopies. Many marks of Spitfire were repaired at Heston throughout the war. Other types to be repaired and modified included the Fairchild Argus , Fairey Battle and the naval Vought SB2U Vindicator . Heston Aircraft
1067-492: A meeting with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden . Lockheed 10 Electra G-AEPR of British Airways Ltd was used on that first of three occasions, piloted by C. Nigel Pelly. On 22 September 1938, Chamberlain flew to Cologne Bonn Airport for a meeting at Bad Godesberg in Lockheed 14 G-AFGN, flown by Eric Robinson. On 29 September 1938, G-AFGN was piloted by Victor Flowerday on the final trip to Munich, which resulted in
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#17328771739641164-565: A new British point-to-point record. Peebles' record stood for only three days, being broken when the same Hornet, flown by Group Captain A.P.C. Carver, returned to Bovingdon, averaging 435.871 mph (701.466 km/h). On 31 August 1946, Geoffrey Pike attained third place in PX224 in the Lympne High Speed Handicap race, having flown a recorded average speed of 345.5 mph (556.0 km/h). On 30 July 1949, PX286 participated in
1261-512: A new project. At this point, the Mosquito had entered full-rate production and preliminary work on a jet-propelled fighter aircraft, which became the Vampire , was waiting for the production of prototype engines. The company promptly recognised a need for a high-speed, unarmed, night bomber powered by a pair of large Napier Sabre piston engines and a design for such an aircraft was first proposed under
1358-617: A pair of 200-gallon drop tanks and a pair of 1,000 lbs bombs on hard points underneath the wings. Towards the end of 1944, the assembly line for the Hornet F.1, the initial production model, was being established at Hatfield and orders had already been received for the Royal Air Force (RAF). On 28 February 1945, PX210 , the first of 60 production F.1 aircraft was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Boscombe Down . On 29 October 1945,
1455-527: A production Hornet F.1, PX237 , was used for the type's first public appearance at an open day at RAE Farnborough . Additional prototypes were used for the development of improved variants of the Hornet. PX312 , participated in the development of an improved fighter model to succeed the F.1, the Hornet F.3. PX212 , PX214 , and PX219 , were converted by the Heston Aircraft Company from Hornet F.1 standard aircraft to represent and test aspects of
1552-448: A similar armament to its land-based counterparts. In mid-1946, the Hornet entered squadron service with 64 Squadron , based at RAF Horsham St Faith . Next to convert to the Hornet was 19 Squadron at RAF Wittering , followed by 41 Squadron and 65 Squadron , both based at RAF Church Fenton . No. 65 Sqn participated in one of the first official overseas visits by an RAF unit when they visited Sweden in May 1948. Pilot conversion to
1649-584: A single Sea Hornet flew the same route in 2 hours 45 minutes at an average speed of 378 mph. During a brief deployment in 1952, it was quickly determined that the Sea Hornet was not suitable for use on board the Navy's light fleet carriers. 809 Squadron was briefly seconded to the RAF at Coltishall prior to being deployed to Hal Far , Malta ; it was on Malta that the Squadron was disbanded in 1954 to be reequipped with
1746-563: A transatlantic flight record to Newfoundland via Ireland. Unfortunately, on 27 July 1933, the undercarriage collapsed at Portmarnock Strand , and Ulm abandoned that attempt. On 12 October 1933, Ulm, Allan, Taylor and Edwards took off in VH-UXX from Great West Aerodrome , and flew to Derby, Western Australia , breaking the England-to-Australia flight record. On 9 August 1934, the first flight from inland Canada ( Wasaga Beach, Ontario ) to
1843-452: A wheat field. Since official closure in 1947, several aircraft movements have occurred. On 9 June 1951, a BOAC (staff) Sports Festival was held, and aircraft that landed at the site included a Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer , DH.82A Tiger Moth , Auster J/1B Aiglet , DH.104 Dove , DH.84 Dragon, and perhaps two others. Parts of the airport land were still owned by the British government in 1962, when
1940-610: Is to be restored to fly by Pioneer Aero Ltd at Ardmore, New Zealand. Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown , former fighter pilot and officer of the Fleet Air Arm , was one of the world's most accomplished test pilots and he held the record for flying the greatest number of aircraft types. Just after VE Day the first semi-naval Sea Hornet PX 212 arrived at the RAE , Farnborough . Eric Brown initiated "work-up to deck-landing" trials. 37 years later, he
2037-617: The M4 motorway construction was started. Additional land was needed for a motorway service area ( Heston Services ), that was built in 1965 over the northern half of the 1940s aerodrome site. The terminal buildings continued to be used by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) until June 1978, and those buildings were demolished later that year. The last confirmed aircraft movement was a 'farewell' flight for CAA staff by Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter (G-BCWN) on 6 June 1978. Heston Aerodrome
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#17328771739642134-692: The National Air Races (GB) at Elmdon ; when flown by Geoffrey Pike, it clocked the fastest lap at 369 mph (594 km/h) and attained second place overall. Operationally, the Hornet I (later re-designated as the F.1) lasted only a short time before being superseded by the improved F.3 version. The first Hornet F.3 was PX 366 , which flew at the Farnborough Air Show in June 1946. New units to convert to this mark were 33 Squadron , 45 Squadron (based at RAF Tengah , Singapore where, in early 1952,
2231-571: The de Havilland Mosquito . Development of the Hornet had started during the Second World War as a private venture. The aircraft was to conduct long range fighter operations in the Pacific Theatre against the Empire of Japan but the war ended before the Hornet reached operational squadron status. The Hornet entered service with RAF Fighter Command where it equipped several day fighter units and
2328-501: The Bluebird was re-assembled. She flew via Medford, Oregon , Tucson, Arizona , San Diego and Baltimore to New York City , where she embarked on a ship bound for Le Havre . On 19 February 1931, she flew to Lympne Airport , having flown about 19,000 miles and set several world records. The next day, she was given an aerial escort to Croydon Airport, where a reception of press and celebrities awaited her. She later flew back to Heston, and
2425-527: The British Prime Minister , Neville Chamberlain , flew from Heston to Germany three times in two weeks for talks with Adolf Hitler , and returned to Heston from the Munich Conference with the paper referred to in his later " Peace for our time " speech from 10 Downing Street . Heston Air Park was conceived by fellow pilots and aircraft co-owners Nigel Norman and Alan Muntz in 1928, and it
2522-484: The British Empire from Croydon, and British Airways served European destinations from Heston. The area of the landing field was then 3,540 feet by 2,700 feet. The Air Ministry (Heston and Kenley Aerodromes Extension) Act 1939 authorised the compulsory purchase of land, and road closures needed for further expansion. The plans met objections, especially from the Heston Aircraft Company , whose production facility on
2619-488: The Hornet NF.21. PX239 , originally built as a Hornet F.20, was outfitted with power-operated folding wings and a large dorsal fillet, which was later fitted to all production aircraft to comply with a new requirement to provide "feet off" directional stability with one engine stopped. On 25 October 1948, the first deck trials commenced on board HMS Illustrious ; these were so successful that testing rapidly proceeded to
2716-486: The Hornet for naval service. The Heston Aircraft Company was contracted to carry out the conversion work on three early production F.1s. The work entailed altering the wings to incorporate folding mechanisms so that each outer wing panel, from the aileron/flap line outboard could be folded upwards and inwards at an angle. The hinges were part of the upper wing skin structure while the lower wing skins incorporated securing latches, and Lockheed hydraulic jacks were used to move
2813-426: The Hornet was provided by No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit (O.C.U.) which was based at RAF Molesworth . During their relatively short operational service, Hornets participated in several record attempts and air races; for example, on 15 September 1949 Flight Lieutenant H. Peebles flew from RAF Bovingdon to Gibraltar (1,100+ mi or 1,800+ km) at an average speed of 357.565 mph (574.445 km/h), setting
2910-432: The Merlin engine. The D.H. 103 resembled a small Mosquito, with a single seat; it was intended to take on other single-seat fighter aircraft, particularly those operated by Japan, while still being capable of conducting very long range missions to be of use in the Pacific Theatre . The long range requirement led to the fuselage being highly streamlined . An independently developed version of the Merlin engine which possessed
3007-536: The Ministry released Specification F.12/43 , which had been written around the D.H. 103 proposal; soon after, the D.H. 103 project received the name Hornet. It was envisaged that the Hornet could be adapted for naval use and operated from the flight decks of aircraft carriers . Priority was given early on to ensuring that such adaptation could be readily done: measures for ease of control, especially when flown at low speeds, were incorporated and attention paid to providing
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3104-533: The UK, a distance of 3,700 miles, landed at Heston after a flying time of 30 hours 55 minutes. The pilots, J.R.Ayling and L.G.Reid, in a DH.84 Dragon (G-ACJM) named "Trail of the Caribou", were attempting to beat the then long-distance flying record (5,657 miles) by flying 6,300 miles from Wasaga Beach to Baghdad . However, icing of the engine throttle controls increased fuel consumption and, together with bad weather, resulted in
3201-570: The aerial escorting of ground convoys. The Hornet proved to be very reliable: 45 Sqn Hornets, based in Singapore, achieved a total of 4,500 operational sorties over five years, more than any other squadron in the FEAF. On 23 July 1954, two Hornets from RAF Kai Tak in Hong Kong were the first to arrive on the scene of a shootdown of a Cathay Pacific Skymaster off the coast of Hainan Island . On 21 May 1955,
3298-581: The aircraft and administrations of British Airways Ltd (BAL) and Imperial Airways were physically transferred to Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport , to be operated jointly by National Air Communications (NAC). Services to Paris - Le Bourget Airport , Stockholm , and other overseas destinations continued, using types including DH.86 , Lockheed 14, DH.91 Albatross , AW.27 Ensign . From October 1939, airlines of neutral countries (such as Belgium , Denmark , Netherlands ) were only permitted to fly to coastal civilian airfields such as Shoreham Airport , but Air France
3395-569: The airfield was by Carden-Baynes Aircraft , Navarro Safety Aircraft. First flights took place of the first UK-built Mignet HM.14 "Flying Flea", Watkinson Dingbat , Luton Minor , Helmy Aerogypt , Hafner AR.III gyroplane and the Fane F.1/40 . On 25 September 1930, Mrs Victor Bruce took off in her Blackburn Bluebird IV (G-ABDS, named Bluebird ) on a round-the-world solo flight. On 24 November, having covered 10,330 miles in 25 flying days, she reached Tokyo . She travelled by ship to Vancouver , where
3492-402: The airfield, continued through the 1930s. In September 1931, Heston Air Park was renamed Heston Airport, following provision of customs facilities and ongoing improvements for passenger handling. Night flying facilities were installed and further developed, and in 1932 it was designated as a commercial diversionary airport, often required when Croydon Airport was fog-bound. It is claimed that
3589-551: The assets to a new group of investors and directors. The new board was headed by Sir Norman J. Watson and included Brindley 'Bryn' R.S. Jones and George A. Lingham . Chief designer was George Cornwall, and Chief Test Pilot was Edmund G Hordern. On 8 November 1935, a new company was formed with the same name that took over the existing business and personnel. The company continued to support Comper aircraft and owners, but discarded its own Comper aircraft and assets. The first aircraft type to be designed and built by Heston Aircraft Company
3686-457: The central building was the first purpose-built airport control tower, on which all modern control towers are based. In April 1933, Spartan Air Lines started a twice-daily service to Cowes in the Isle of Wight . During 1934, the service operated from Croydon Airport, but reverted to Heston for the 1935 season, in collaboration with Railway Air Services . On 28 January 1934, Jersey Airways started
3783-452: The company built aircraft components for companies such as de Havilland Aircraft . Heston Aircraft Company Ltd was founded on 10 August 1934, being renamed from Comper Aircraft Company Ltd, that had moved to Heston aerodrome in March 1933, having previously built 40 Comper Swifts at Hooton Park aerodrome. Most of the directors of Comper Aircraft, including Nick Comper , resigned and gave up
3880-525: The company designed the Heston T.1/37 trainer, and the first of two prototypes flew at Heston in 1938 with serial L7706 . It was not selected for production for the RAF. In 1938 the company started work on the Heston Type 5 Racer which was to be used in an attempt on the world's air speed record. The aircraft had been designed by Napier & Son and had an estimated maximum speed of 480 mph. Registered G-AFOK , it first flew at Heston in June 1940 but
3977-422: The company was building passenger steps for BOAC de Havilland Comets and Bristol Britannias , and mobile servicing docks for BEA 's Heathrow engineering base. Heston Aerodrome Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London , England , operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow , Middlesex . In September 1938,
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4074-508: The controversial Munich Agreement , followed by Chamberlain's widely publicised return at Heston on 30 September 1938, and his subsequent " Peace for our time " speech. The Air Ministry had intended to completely take over the Heston site from Airwork Ltd in September 1939 for civil airline operations, but the declaration of war intervened, and the plans were never implemented. By 1 September 1939,
4171-501: The designation D.H. 101 in October 1941. A design team led by R. E. Bishop with C. T. Wilkins assisting, was assembled with the aim of developing the D.H. 101, which was initially pursued as a private venture. The Sabre engine was suffering from availability problems at that point and the DH. 101 was soon replaced by a lower-powered design, with the internal designation D.H. 102 . This proposal
4268-403: The early 1950s. The Hornet was designed with the possibility of naval service on carriers firmly in mind. To this end good low-speed handling was required, along with good all-round visibility for the pilot. The basic Hornet design excelled at meeting these requirements. Shortly after the first Hornet prototype flew, Specification N.5/44 was issued to de Havilland, covering the modification of
4365-493: The efficiency and power of this configuration gave the Hornet "a higher performance than any other propeller driven aircraft". The Hornet's principal armament was four short-barrelled 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano V cannons , while other typical weapon loads included various rockets and bombs . Fuselage construction was identical to the earlier Mosquito: a balsa wood "pith" sandwiched between plywood sheets which were laid in diagonal panels. Aerolite formaldehyde cement
4462-499: The end of the Second World War in the Pacific; all were used in arrester barrier trials at Boscombe Down and scrapped before entering RAF service. Twelve Hornet FR.4s were modified from F.3s in much the same way, except that the cannon were retained and the internal fuel capacity slightly reduced from that of the fighter. These FR.4 derivatives saw service with the RAF in Malaya and Hong Kong in
4559-837: The fall of France (22 June 1940), on 26 June 1940 the BOAC Lisbon service was switched to the DC-3s chartered from KLM with Dutch crews; by August 1940, five DC-3s were registered in Britain to a KLM subsidiary, nominally based at Heston. In late August 1940, all BOAC aircraft still operating from Heston were transferred to Whitchurch, including the KLM DC-3s. For the Lisbon service, a KLM DC-3 would fly to Heston to pick up passengers, then return to Whitchurch for onward travel to Lisbon. On 21 September 1940, KLM DC-3 G-AGBC crashed in fog on landing at Heston during such
4656-537: The firm supplemented its aircraft construction by securing contracts for sub-assembly and components for aircraft. These included assemblies for the Vickers Wellesley in the late 1930s. During World War II, as a contractor within the Civilian Repair Organisation , Heston Aircraft Company was heavily engaged in repair and other support work on military aircraft. From late 1940, Heston Aircraft played
4753-522: The flight being terminated early. During the late 1930s, the British government had been studying the future of air transport and airports in the London area. It had been decided that London would be served by four airports – Croydon, Heston, and new airfields at Fairlop in Essex and Lullingstone , Kent . To this end, improvements and extensions had already begun at Heston, with the intention of bringing it up to
4850-476: The folding wings and long dorsal fin fillet did not appear until the second aircraft, serial PX239 , was converted. The modification involved fitting a second cockpit, to house the radar operator. After the cessation of aircraft manufacture and modification, Heston Aircraft switched to a support role within the aviation industry, trading as Hestair. In early 1952 they were supplying components to de Havilland, Vickers-Armstrong and D. Napier & Son. In late 1953,
4947-428: The fuel tanks were enlarged from a total capacity of 360 Imp gal (1,636 L) to 432 Imp gal (1,964 L) and additional equipment was added. Larger horizontal tail surfaces were adopted, with larger elevator horn balances. With the evolution of longer-range, jet-powered fighters such as the de Havilland Vampire , de Havilland Venom and Gloster Meteor , the Hornet became obsolete fairly quickly. The F.3
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#17328771739645044-450: The hangar built by A. Jackaman & Sons, and once topped with a large Airwork logo illuminated sign. In 1929, it was the first concrete hangar in the UK and, in 2009, was given Grade II listed building status. De Havilland Hornet The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet , developed by de Havilland , was a fighter aircraft driven by two piston engines . It further exploited the wooden construction techniques that had been pioneered by
5141-416: The initial naval version, later named Sea Hornet F.20 . PX212 and PX214 were only partially naval, being outfitted with arrestor hooks but lacking the wing-folding mechanisms of subsequent production aircraft; PX219 was the full naval version and later conducted carrier deck trials on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ocean . PX230 and PX239 , were completed for an all-weather night fighter,
5238-698: The jet-powered de Havilland Sea Venom . The NF.21 later equipped the Fleet Requirements Units at Hal Far, Malta, and St Davids, West Wales. One Sea Hornet F.20, TT 213 , was acquired by the RAAF from the Ministry of Supply in the United Kingdom . The aircraft was used by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), at Laverton, Victoria , Australia from 1948 to 1950. It was mainly used for evaluation and tropical trials. Through 1956 and 1957,
5335-405: The last operational Hornet sortie was flown; by mid-1956, all Hornets had been recorded as having been withdrawn from operational service. No complete examples of the Hornet remain in existence today. On 1 June 1947, 801 Squadron was reformed to become the first squadron to operate the Sea Hornet, based at RNAS Ford. After relocating to Arbroath , the squadron participated in numerous trials for
5432-476: The leading edges of the wings, outboard of the nacelles. (Other versions of the Merlin, which used "updraft" induction arrangements, required that the intakes be placed in a duct below the main engine cowling). The main radiators were also mounted in the inboard leading edges of the wings. Internal fuel, to a maximum capacity of 432 Imp gal (1,964 L) (F.3) was stored in four self-sealing wing tanks, which were reached through detachable panels forming part of
5529-447: The lower wing surfaces. To assist airflow over the wing, the engine nacelles were mounted low, which meant that the undercarriage legs were reasonably short and the pilot's field of view was improved. The single-legged undercarriage units were simpler and cleaner than those of the Mosquito, using the same de Havilland-developed, rubber-in-compression energy absorption system. The main wheels were also smaller and lighter. To further aid
5626-669: The most modern standards of airports elsewhere in Europe. New drainage was put in, and trees near the flight path were removed. Runway lighting and radio aids to landing were installed. Land and buildings around the site were bought up for expansion, including St Mary's Boys Orphanage in North Hyde that was demolished. In 1937, the airport was bought by the Air Ministry , and developed to become almost as large as Croydon Airport , making it London's second airport at that time. Imperial Airways served
5723-556: The night trials phase. On 16 May 1947, PX230 was lost during service trials when the aircraft disintegrated in mid flight; the pilot bailed out following the breakup of the aircraft. The wings of the Hornet F.3 were stressed to carry external weapons; two to four 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 rockets could be carried under each wing; it was also possible to carry a combination of four rockets with one bomb of up to 1,000 lb (454 kg), or an additional drop tank on each wing, ranging in capacity up to 200 Imp gal (909 L). Internally,
5820-446: The official sanction to proceed with development, RR915 conducted its maiden flight , piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. , the company's chief test pilot. Flight tests of RR915 led to it achieving a recorded speed of 485 mph (780 km/h) in level flight. Within two months, over fifty flight hours were accumulated by RR915 . The second prototype, RR919 , was more representative of production aircraft, having provision for
5917-489: The only one to be owned by a non-British operator, was a Sea Hornet F.20 TT193 . It had originally been dispatched to Edmonton, Alberta , Canada to conduct winter trials; following these tests, TT193 was sold rather than be transported back to England. Registered CF-GUO , the aircraft was operated by Spartan Air Services and Kenting Aviation until 11 July 1952 when an engine failure caused a forced landing at Terrace, British Columbia . After being reduced to components TT193
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#17328771739646014-471: The pilot with a high level of visibility. The two propellers were driven in opposite directions to improve take-off and landing characteristics and high-drag flaps were integrated to provide for greater power during approaches. By January 1944, the fuselage shell for the first prototype D.H. 103, RR915 , was under construction on production jigs at Hatfield; RR915 was rolled out for engine runs on 20 July 1944. On 28 July 1944, only thirteen months after
6111-410: The pilot's field of view, the unpressurised cockpit was mounted well forward in the fuselage and was housed under an aft-sliding perspex blister canopy . The three-panel windscreen was designed so that refraction through the panels meant that there were no obvious blind spots caused by the corner tie-rods; all three panels were bullet-proof laminated glass . An armour-plated bulkhead (hinged near
6208-498: The rear fuselage. On late F.1s and further models of production aircraft, a fin fillet was added to the base of the unit. The horizontal tail unit was an all-metal structure, again featuring the distinctive de Havilland shape, which was later repeated on the Chipmunk and Beaver . Construction was of mixed balsa / plywood similar to the Mosquito but the Hornet differed in incorporating stressed Alclad lower-wing skins bonded to
6305-478: The region. Armed with rockets and/or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, the Hornets, with their long range and good endurance, were able to spend up to two hours loitering over a given target area, which was particularly useful because target identification often proved to be challenging and time consuming. The Hornets were often sortied in conjunction with strikes from Avro Lincoln bombers. Other activities included
6402-549: The rubber-in-compression undercarriage legs were still fitted. De Havilland were quick to modify the aircraft. Eric Brown: The de Havilland Hornet bore a family resemblance to the larger Mosquito, but it was an entirely fresh design albeit one that drew extensively upon experiences from, and the design of, the Mosquito. It was powered by a pair of highly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, producing 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) each, which drove de Havilland Propellers four-bladed propellers. According to aviation author P.J. Birtles,
6499-514: The site from east to west, and a substantial area to the north of the M4 is part of the Airlinks 18-hole golf course. Many of the roads in the area have aviation-related names, described below. The original tree-lined approach driveway (Aerodrome Way) still exists, and radiating from it, buildings in the original "aircraft" plan-form designed to resemble an arrow pointing north. Only one complete building remains,
6596-562: The site was planned to be demolished in December 1939. In 1939 work on this expansion started, demolishing some houses in or near Cranford , including Tentlow Farm, and cutting down fruit trees, but the start of the Second World War stopped this. In early 1948 the Secretary of State for Air registered ownership of Tentlow Farm, Cranford, Middlesex. On 15 September 1938, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain flew from Heston to Munich for
6693-531: The squadron briefly transferred to HMS Illustrious for deck landing practice. In May 1951, the NF.21s of 809 Squadron relocated to HMS Vengeance to form a portion of the FAA's first all-weather air group. On 16 October 1951, a formation of four NF.21 aircraft flew non-stop from Gibraltar to Lee-on-the-Solent , Hampshire , England, in 3 hours 10 minutes at an average speed of just under 330 mph; on 24 November 1951,
6790-435: The top to provide access to the back of the instrument panel and the rudder pedals), was part of the nose structure, with the pilot's back and head being protected by another armoured bulkhead built into the cockpit. Below and behind the cockpit floor was a bay housing the aircraft's principal armament of four 20 mm cannon, which had a maximum of 190 rounds per cannon which fired through short blast tubes. The Sea Hornet had
6887-488: The tops of their arcs (as in the P-38 Lightning ), but this configuration blanketed the fin and reduced rudder effectiveness at low speeds, compromising ground handling. On production Hornets the conventionally rotating Merlin 130 was on the port wing with the Merlin 131 on the starboard. Because of the revised induction arrangements of the Merlin 130 series, the supercharger and carburettor air intakes could be placed in
6984-615: The type prior to the Sea Hornet's first seaborne deployment, having embarked upon HMS Implacable in 1949. In 1951, a further transfer was made to HMS Indomitable : during their time on board the Sea Hornets contributed to a multinational maritime exercises as long-range fighter escort and strike aircraft; however, in June 1951, they were replaced by single-engined Hawker Sea Furies . Further Sea Hornet deliveries were attached to various Naval Squadrons, including three which were attached to 806 Squadron in 1948 which, along with
7081-662: The unit converted to the Hornet from the unreliable Bristol Brigand ) and 80 Squadron . In 1951, considerable numbers of Hornets were redeployed from Fighter Command to the squadrons of the Far East Air Force (FEAF). Along with 45 Sqn, 33 and 80 Squadrons participated in combat operations during the Malayan Emergency . Upon arrival, the Hornets were promptly used to replace Bristol Beaufighters and Supermarine Spitfires that were being operated in support of ground security forces against Communist guerrillas fighting in
7178-461: The war, the 1939 plans for four London airports were scrapped. Heathrow had by then been chosen as the main London Airport, and its proximity would have made regular flying from Heston aerodrome impossible. In the immediate post war years, the airfield was home to a U.S.A.F. base with American servicemen posted there. The grass around the runway became unkempt after a while and it often resembled
7275-402: The wing panels. Slotted flaps were introduced to improve low speed "flaps down" control. The lower rear fuselage was reinforced with two additional spruce longerons designed to take the stresses imposed by the external "vee" framed arrestor hook , which was flush-mounted below the fuselage. The frame was made up of steel tubing with a forged-steel hook and was held against the fuselage by
7372-461: The wing root to outboard of the engine nacelles; as on the Mosquito, the rear of the nacelle was part of the flap structure. Outboard, the Alclad-covered ailerons extended close to the clipped wing tips and gave excellent roll control. The Hornet used "slimline" Merlin engines of types 130 and 131, which had engine ancillaries repositioned to minimise frontal area and drag . It was unusual for
7469-571: The wooden upper wing structure using the new adhesive Redux . The two wing spars were redesigned to withstand a higher load factor of 10 versus 8. Apart from the revised structure, the Hornet's wings were a synthesis of aerodynamic knowledge that had been gathered since the design of the Mosquito, being much thinner in cross-section, and with a laminar flow profile similar to the P-51 Mustang and Hawker Tempest . The control surfaces consisted of hydraulically-operated split flaps extending from
7566-600: Was allowed to operate Dewoitine D.338s between Paris and Heston. On 1 April 1940, British Airways Ltd and Imperial Airways were officially merged as a new company, British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC ). After the surrender of the Netherlands on 14 May 1940, several KLM aircraft evaded capture, and converged on the UK. On 4 June 1940, BOAC started a Heston to Lisbon service, using DH.91 Albatrosses, to connect with transatlantic services of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that used Boeing 314 flying boats. Following
7663-575: Was commonly stationed in the British mainland. It saw combat in the Far East , being used as a strike fighter as part of the British military action taken during the Malayan Emergency . A naval carrier-capable version, the Sea Hornet , had been envisaged early on and was procured by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy . In the autumn of 1941, de Havilland found that it had the spare design capacity to work on
7760-600: Was constructed by their new company, Airwork Ltd . It was officially opened on 5 July 1929, to coincide with hosting the two-day King's Cup air race . By then, the Airwork Flying School had become well established, many privately owned aircraft had moved in, and the Household Brigade Flying Club, also known as the Guards flying club, had moved from Brooklands . Frequent public events helped promote Heston as
7857-580: Was damaged on landing and a second example was not completed. In 1941 the company built the Boulton Paul P.92 /2 half-scale piloted flying model of the Boulton Paul P.92, the full-scale contract for which had been cancelled in May 1940. The first flight of the sole P.92/2, serial V3142 , was at Heston in early 1941. In 1947 the company designed and built the Heston JC.6 , also known as the Heston A.2/45, that
7954-412: Was decreased by 11 mph (18 km/h). The Hornet NF.21 was designed to fill a need for a naval night fighter. Special flame-dampening exhausts were installed, and a second basic cockpit was added to the rear fuselage, just above the wing trailing edges. ASH radar equipment was placed in the rear of this cockpit, with the radar operator/navigator seated facing aft. To gain access, a small trapdoor
8051-514: Was developed, but not applied to the fleet. The equipment was removed during January 1949 and it is currently unknown if the Hornet ever dropped a Highball during flight. On 20 January 1949, 809 Squadron became the first squadron to be equipped with the Sea Hornet NF 21, having been reformed specifically to operate the type, based at RNAS Culdrose . 809 Squadron was the only front-line unit to use this variant; following an initial workup period,
8148-402: Was fitted and provision was made for three camera ports, one on each side of the rear fuselage and one pointing down. Sea Hornet F.20s also incorporated the modifications of the Hornet F.3, although the internal fuel capacity was 347 Imp gal (1,557 L), slightly reduced from that of the F.1. The modifications added some 550 lb (249 kg) to the weight of the aircraft. Maximum speed
8245-1060: Was formed under the command of Squadron Leader A.E. Clouston , flying a wide variety of aircraft for interception trials, including Turbinlite versions of the Douglas Havoc and de Havilland Mosquito . After disbandment in 1944, this unit became the Special Projectile Flight of the Royal Aircraft Establishment , remaining at Heston. During the war, units temporarily based at Heston included RAF Polish fighter squadrons 302 , 303 , 306 , 308 , 315 , 316 , 317 , using mostly Spitfire Vs and Hurricanes . Other units included 515 Sqn , 129 Sqn , 116 Sqn , No. 53 OTU , No. 61 OTU , No. 85 Group Communication Unit RAF , AEAFCS. Transient USAAF units included 2008th Army AF Headquarters Sqn, 27th Air Transport Group, 86th Air Transport Sqn, 325th Ferrying Sqn, 112th Liaison Sqn. The following units were here at some point: After
8342-669: Was greeted there by Nigel Norman. On 10 July 1933, an Avro 618 Ten (VH-UXX) named Faith in Australia arrived at Heston, having failed to break the Australia-to-England flight record, after making a forced landing in Persia due to a broken piston. The pilot was Charles Ulm , accompanied by Gordon Taylor and G. U. 'Scotty' Allan. The aircraft was repaired by Avro Aircraft , then Ulm and his crew (G. U. Allan, P. G. Taylor and J. A. W. Edwards) made preparations at Heston for an attempt on
8439-402: Was intended to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Griffon or Rolls-Royce Merlin engines but either engine would have meant that the aircraft would be somewhat slower and less attractive than the Mosquito. By November 1942, de Havilland had elected to shelve the night bomber project and concentrate on producing a long-range fighter, the D.H. 103 , that would make the maximum possible use of
8536-545: Was intended to meet a Royal Air Force requirement for a new air observation post aircraft. Two examples were completed, serials VL529 and VL530 (not flown), but the competition was won by the Auster AOP.6 . In 1948 the company built the Youngman-Baynes High Lift , and the sole aircraft first flew at Heston on 5 February 1948 with military serial VT789 , later registered G-AMBL . From early in its operations,
8633-405: Was minimal; about 4 mph (6 km/h). The Sea Hornet PR.22 was a dedicated photo reconnaissance aircraft version of the F.20. The cannon were removed and the apertures faired over. Three cameras were installed in the rear fuselage: two F.52s for night use and one K.19B for day. A total of 23 PR.22s were built, interspersed with F.20s being built at Hatfield . The lone civilian Hornet, and
8730-404: Was provided in the lower fuselage; a fixed, teardrop-shaped bubble canopy, which could be jettisoned in an emergency, provided a good field of view. At the front of the aircraft, the nose underwent a transformation with the small rotating ASH radar dish being housed under an elongated "thimble" radome. The horizontal tail units were increased in span. The effect of these modifications on performance
8827-411: Was renamed No. 2 Camouflage Unit, then to No. 1 Photographic Development Unit on 17 January 1940. On 18 June 1940, it was renamed No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit under the command of Wing Commander G.W. Tuttle. After the parachute mine incident on 19 September 1940 had damaged several of its aircraft, No. 1 PRU was transferred to RAF Benson on 27 December 1940. On 12 May 1941, No. 1422 Flight RAF
8924-533: Was still impressed: "In level flight the Sea Hornet's stability about all axes was just satisfactory, characteristic, of course, of a good day interceptor fighter. Its stalling characteristics were innocuous, with a fair amount of elevator buffeting and aileron twitching preceding the actual stall"... During this series of tests Captain Brown found that the ailerons were too heavy and ineffectual for deck landing and there were some problems with throttle movement, brakes and
9021-710: Was sub-contracted by de Havilland Aircraft to convert prototype de Havilland Hornets to Sea Hornet standards, for testing by the Fleet Air Arm . The first example, serial PX212 , was completed to partial Sea Hornet F.20 standard but without folding wings. This was followed in January 1946 by serial PX219 , that was fitted at Heston to full Sea Hornet F.20 standard with arrester gear, folding wings, tail-down accelerator gear and naval radio equipment. The company also converted two Hornet Is to Sea Hornet NF.21 night fighter standard. The first, serial PX230, first flew on 9 July 1946 with an A.S.H. radar scanner in its lengthened nose, but
9118-584: Was the Heston Phoenix, a high-performance five-seat private owner and commercial aircraft, six of which were completed between 1935 and 1939. In 1936 the company built the Hordern-Richmond Autoplane, a twin-engined two-seat low-wing monoplane that had been designed by the firm's test pilot E.G. Hordern in collaboration with the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. The sole example was registered G-AEOG. In 1937
9215-418: Was the bonding agent. The fuselage halves were built on large concrete or wood patterns and equipment was fitted in each half; they were then joined along the top and bottom centre lines using wooden reinforcing strips. The entire fuselage was then tightly wrapped in fine aviation fabric which was doped in place. The tailfin which had the trademark gracefully-curved de Havilland shape, was an integral part of
9312-466: Was the last Hornet derivative to see operational RAF service. The Hornet PR.2 was intended to operate as a long-range photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The Hispano cannon were removed and cameras were mounted in the rear fuselage. Total internal fuel capacity was increased to 528 gal (2,400 L). PX216 , PX220 and PX249 , were converted from standard Hornet F.1 aircraft, later followed by five more. The requirement for these aircraft lapsed with
9409-478: Was the site of Woodason Aircraft Models during the 1930s and after the Second World War. The company was founded by Victor Woodason (1904–1964), who created detailed aircraft models, for the aviation industry, airlines, movies, the Air Ministry and other government agencies, merchandisers, advertising, aircraft owners and collectors. Woodason was forced to vacate the airport in 1939, and his workshop then operated from
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