De Havilland Vampire • IWM Duxford - Battle of Britain Air Show
Video from the channel Biggsy about Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show 2025, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 6:43. Language: English. Video type: Air show.
Event and team
The video was filmed at the 2025 Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show. It shows a de Havilland Vampire FB6 from the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron on display.
What's shown
The Vampire makes several passes and turns over the airfield while the commentator tells the story of the type. Part of the commentary is lost to engine noise.
The aircraft on display
The Vampire belongs to one of the earliest jet generations. The shape of its airframe was dictated by the engine technology of the time: it has a single jet engine, and the short fuselage with twin tail booms keeps the jet pipe short, reducing thrust losses. The engine was developed by Frank Halford. Unlike the Meteor, the Vampire never entered service during the war, but went on to set several milestones in peacetime. The best known occurred on 3 December 1945: naval test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown made the first jet take-off and landing on an aircraft carrier, HMS Ocean, flying a Vampire Mk 1. The commentator also mentions its participation in the RAF's 1953 flypast.