The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet-fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. In terms of power/weight ratio, the Vampire showed good numbers and was quite manoeuvrable at the 400-500 mph (640-800 km/h) range. Heavy usage of the rudder was required at slower speeds, forcing the pilots to be cautious to avoid stalls during shallow turns. However, this wasn't too dangerous as it was relatively easy to recover, via a positive elevator application.
The Vampire could execute a wide range of aerobatic manoeuvres and as such its regarded as the last British jet fighter aircraft capable of performing hammer stalls, stall turns and wingovers.
The set-up procedure for taking off was relatively simple as it only required six vital actions to be taken; set the trim to neutral, open the high and low-pressure fuel cocks, activate booster pump, set the flaps and retracting the air brakes. If the Vampire was loaded with bombs or rockets, the landing gear had to be quickly retracted upon leaving the ground or else the increased airflow could prevent the undercarriage doors from closing.
Landing procedure was also relatively simple; disengage wheel brakes, lower the undercarriage, flaps full down and air brakes active. Given the slow response of the engine to throttle changes, power-on landings were very typical and wheel brakes were to be applied very carefully to prevent wheel locking as the fighters were not equipped with anti-locking system. Training variant, however, was equipped with one.
The experience of the Vampire in tropical areas led to the development of new models with refrigeration equipment for the pilot and a more powerful version of the Goblin engine, to counter the degradation of performance in hot climates. That's why the Royal Air Force (RAF) decided to adopt a new model of the Vampire powered by the Goblin 3 engine. Therefore, in January 1952 the first Vampire Mk.9 (AKA FB.9) was introduced to service with the Far East Air Force, replacing the FB.5s. The FB.9 also saw service in Middle East and Africa, with a brief deployment in 1954 against the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya. The FB.9 was gradually replaced by the de Havilland Venom.
The Royal Navy employed the Vampire, albeit in limited numbers. The Sea Vampire had some key differences, as it was equipped with a V-shaped arrester hook that retracted to a high-mounted position above the jet pipe. It was fitted with larger air brakes and landing flaps for better low-speed control during carrier approaches. It was also equipped with stronger construction for the higher stresses involved in carrier landings and catapult launches. The Sea Vampire F.20 was a navalised variant of the FB.5.
Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire
2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire
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