History:
Designed to Specification E.18/45 with the first prototype ready by May 1946,
the DH 108 was intended to provide basic data on the behavior of swep wings
for the project DH 106 "Comet" and the DH 110 "Sea Vixen".All
three prototypes were made using standard a "Vampire" fuselage taken
from the production line, with the wings fitted to the existing fixing points
The first aircraft TG 283 was a subsonic aircraft for the purpose of solving swept wing control problems with a swept wing of 43 degrees which made it's first flight on the 15/5/1946.
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The second and third aircraft were progressively modified and potentially supersonic but both having a swept wing of 45 degrees fitted with slots. Aircraft number two TG 306 took to the air on the 23/8/1946 and with fitted with a boosted engine the "Goblin III" and quickly attained a top speed of over 620 mph in level flight. The third aircraft VW120 had a new pointed nose, lowered pilot seat, new canopy and the more powerful "Goblin IV" engine. It flew for the first time on the 12/4/1947 and on the 9/9/1947 exceeded Mach 1 |
| All three aircraft crashed killing there pilots.
TG 283 1/5/1950 G.Genders, TG 306 27/9/1946 G.De Havilland VW 120 15/2/1950 J.Muller-Rowland |
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