The Flying Legend That Never Was - de Havilland Hornet
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ม.ค. 2021
- Many have heard of the Supermarine Spitfire, fewer have heard of the de Havilland Mosquito. But even less have heard of the de Havilland Hornet, a one seater aircraft that aimed to take the best of the Mosquito and refine it even further for new purposes. It received high praise from its pilots, and even higher praise from Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown, one of the most accomplished test pilots in history. So why didn't the Hornet... take off? Why isn't it remembered like the Mosquito, Lancaster or Spitfire?
Twitter: / douglas33689714
Ben G Thomas: / bengthomas
Joe's Channel: / @joe_brennan_
If you think I've got something incorrect, please leave a (pleasant) comment about it down below, I'll check it out. If you do so, make sure to use some sort of reliable source, in oppose to a generic website/TH-cam video/Wikipedia. If I conclude that I was wrong, I'll pin a comment about it, or just pin your comment.
Sources:
www.airspacemag.com/military-...
Air International, Vol. 23, No. 4
www.britannica.com/technology...
www.baesystems.com/en/heritag...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnell...
Also other but I forgot to note them down... oops.
If this kind of video interests you and you want a longer one - check out our full documentary on the Supermarine Spitfire!
th-cam.com/video/qqIKzdlHQfo/w-d-xo.html
And yeah, I mispronounced Geoffrey. I did notice late into editing, but thought 'ah no one will mind'. Lesson learned.
Also as some of you have pointed out, at 5:14, I seem to suggest that those early jets had a longer range than the Hornet. It's a script error really, because that's not what I meant - because they didn't.
They did however have a longer range than the aircraft that they were specifically replacing, negating the need for a long-range fighter like the Hornet.
You've probably heard this Doug - just come across your channel - but this is a link to the Desert Island Discs episode with Eric "Winkle" Brown, just a couple of years before he died. A marvellous aviator and man. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b04nvgq1
@@nickdougan394 thanks for providing the link to Eric on Desert Island Discs. I'm listening right now 👍
@@nickdougan394 His autobiography, 'Wings on my sleeve' is a first class book. Page after page leaves you gobsmacked.
“Joffrey” DeHavilland? Was he boy king of Westeros? It’s pronounced “Jeffrey” even though it’s spelt “Geoffrey”.
Ensign C. Jake West of the USN was the first pilot to land on a carrier under jet power. The plane was the experimental Fireball, which had both a piston powered prop and a jet powered turbine.
The greater challenge was actually takeoff in the early days.
Great bit on the Hornet.
I used to fly with a guy called Bill “Doc” Watson in the 70s, at the time he was the last operational Spitfire pilot from the Second World War still flying commercially.
He had flown the Hornet and rated it as the best plane he’d ever flown.
When in the airforce he flew Meteors, Javelins and many others.
When he died I did the fly past at his funeral!!!
His wife Hilda made the best pies and Yorkshire puddings ever.
Well I guess he would now.did he fly Moskitos
@@georgepantazis141 No Mosquitoes I’m afraid but he told a good story about post war flying the Twin Pioneer into a strong headwind parallel to a main road in England and being overtaken by a Jaguar car...towing a caravan!
Well that was interesting
Eric "Winkle" Brown. What a man, what a pilot!!!!!!
@Mark Hepworth
Yes it was a Citation Ultra and a lovely handling plane, I mainly flew the KingAir and the QueenAir with Doc and had many adventures with him.
He was the nicest guy in aviation that I’ve ever met and married to Betty also a wonderful person
I’ve loads of stories about him, stay in touch.
Flying all the way to Berlin just to interrupt a German radio broadcast with their own anti-aircraft weapons is the most British thing I can think of apart from putting a kettle in a tank.
The point was Goering had said that no British plane would fly over Berlin
So it was a good time to prove him wrong
Anything,and anyway to upset the hun,cpl Jones(dad's army)
@@davidhall2327 IIRC the first single seaters to fly over Berlin were the RAF's photo-reccon Spitfires.
The pilot did take a Thermos flask of tea with him though
You expect the guys to get out of a tank & light a fire to boil the water for a cuppa on the battlefield?
My grandad would have been proud , he was at DeHavilland on the mossie , hornet , and vampires . Got white feathers because he did his fighting on the factory floor in a protected position . Proud of his life
My Grandad flew the Mossie with 23 Squadron as an 'intruder' (well, he actually flew three - crash landed two and one of those crash landings was on a sheep). He flew other planes before and after, but the Mossie was always his favourite after working with it. And consequently, it's my favourite too!
Where do the idiots come from some people have to make aircraft so other people can fly them🤨
@@donaldellis3609 Umm... You okay dude?
@@donaldellis3609 not sure whom you are replying to Mr Ellis .... My grandad was skilled in woodworking and aircraft construction , before the war . He was on the gypsy moth and other biplanes . Taught me on how to dope canvas to tighten it on the frame . Was with DeHavilland and beyond until retirement in 1970 .
@@garycorbin2789 Obviously commenting on the idiot who gave your grandad a white feather. A bit of punctuation would have helped clarity though.
I love the British aircraft designs! The Mosquito, Typhoon and Fury lineage, Beaufighter... so many others. The Brits were quick to pack aircraft with four 20mm canons grouped tightly. I love our borthers from across the pond.
It always strikes me as odd when people say the mosquito was "not well known". It was one of the best fighter bombers of the war. Fast, accurate, and deadly to those that encountered it.
I doubt that it refer's to the 'Baby Boomer's'', or their parents.. We can thank the current generation's ignorance on the 'Woke' Hedu-cation.
This video referrs to the mosquito variant (sea) hornet. Which is a different type, as I understand it. Also the title might be a bit misleading on purpose for clickbait.
It's a reflection on the culture of the person making the comment...
However, the author does ask for polite corrections and/or suggestions and doesn't claim to know everything(!), so all is forgiven!
"not well known". / de Havilland serial number LR503 and RAF number GB-F, it completed 213 missions ,more combat missions than any other Allied aircraft. / By the end of the war, some 520 passenger round trip flights had been made to neutral Sweden by BOAC in converted Mk.VI Mosquitos.
All that is quite true, but for some reason the Mosquito was over-shadowed by the Spitfire, Hurricane, and Lancaster. Maybe because the Mosquito was a later entry in WW2? But all 4 types
led Commonwealth Air Forces to win the war, along with USAAF & Soviet VVS. At war's end, RCAF was the 4th largest air force in the world, flying (among others) Mosquitos & later, Vampires made by DeHavilland.
When 'Winkle' speaks ... the aviation world listens. GodSpeed Captain Brown ... ^v^
He was a great one, that's for sure.
I read his autobiography. Brilliant
@@nialldoyle8206 It's a good read. I found out about his memorial in Edinburgh airport while on a plane that just left from there. F me I guess.
Flying the Me 163 FOR REAL = ∞ RESPECT!
The Americans wanted him for the X 15 program. He had worked with their Navy training them on Jet carrier operations, and they were so impressed they offered him a place on the X15 program, only issue they wanted him to become a US citizen, he refused.
Eric Brown is an absolute legend. An amazing career
He test-flew all the advanced captured German planes , including the ME163 Rocket plane. And flew some models to Farnborough England for further assessment.
@@MrDaiseymay There are US citizens who do not believe he was that good Greg FOR ONE.
I remember my father talking about the Hornets when he joined the RAF in 1948. He spoke about its ability to fly fast and still be very manurable on one engine. He thought it was a fantastic aircraft.
I was walking through an old abandoned warehouse just outside Vancouver BC and I found out a few days later that De Havilland built the Mosquitos there during the war!
The first five Canadian built Mosquitoes were named after the cities that donated the most money in the last Victory War Bond drive.
The aircraft named - “Acton, Ontario”, “New Glasgow, Nova Scotia”, “Moose Jaw” - “Saskatoon, Saskatchewan”, and “Vancouver, B.C.”
The Mosquito , My favourite WW2 aircraft , so versatile & faster than a spitfire , awesome aircraft .
Faster when first introduced but the Spitfire took over and was the fastest aircraft in the world in 1943 and only beaten for speed in 1944 when jets started to enter service.
Freeman's Folly was so fast it did not need guns . I have read the germans gave two kills for every mossie downed .
One role for the Mosquito during wartime was as a high-speed transport. British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) flew Mk.VIs , converted to carry passengers in very cramped conditions. By the end of the war, some 520 round flights had been made to neutral Sweden by BOAC Mosquitos.
7,781 examples were built in more than 30 variants in Australia, Canada, and England by the time production ended. Remarkably, the first prototype, serial W4050 still survives, at its birthplace .
@@fredjohnson7497 I believe there were also a few flights made to Norway & Denmark as well . I think I saw an episode of either , War Stories with Mark Felton or Mark Felton Productions ( He has two channels ) where they brought someone ( possibly an escaped POW or an SOE operative ?) back from either Norway or Denmark and for some reason the bomb bay doors were opened en route , the passenger ended up clinging on for grim death all the way across the North Sea . Scary ! but thankfully they made it all the way back to Great Britain .
@@barrierodliffe4155 Ah, no. A Spitfire XIV was about 30 mph quicker than the fastest Mosquito.
@@SvenTviking
As I wrote the, the Spitfire was the fastest in 1943 which is when the Mk XIV was introduced, the fastest Mosquito did 437 mph which is the same as the P 51 D but the Mosquito had a higher cruising speed and better acceleration than the P 51.
I doubt very much that the RAF would ever have referred to the Mosquito as a "Schnellbomber".
Naaagh, many german words sound humourus to the Brits, and that's why we extract the Urine.
First schnellbomber was actually soviet
Schnell in german means fast, and the mosquito was certainly that.
@@charlesmiddleton718 No shit
I think that was awkwardly phrased. Schnellbomber was a German name for the type, rather than a term used by the allies for a specific aircraft.
I'm a simple man; I see de Havilland, I thumb up.
I approve of that sentiment :D
Too bad about the Comet. I really love their designs. Dove, Albatros, Dragon Rapide...
We all do friend... we all do
I used to love me a good fly computer game and would hope I,d eventually get to unlock and fly in a mosquito . The closest I,ll ever get to the real thing
I'm a Yank. That said, I think Captain Brown is likely the best "Prop Driver" in the world. America has no shortage of accomplished pilot's but I think that Brown's record speaks for itself.
A lovely tale to hear and a nice tribute to Captain Eric Brown. Thank you.
Beautiful aeroplane - a stripped-down version of the peerless Mosquito.
Using the same Merlin engines (though even more powerful than before) and shrink-wrapping the fuselage round just a pilot and 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon.
A total hot-rod - as per Eric Brown's description.
One slight change from the Mossie, besides the narrower fuselage (for higher speed): Hornet had right & left engines, to counter gyroscopic f/x. So it handled even better!👌
@@nunyabidniz2868 Structurally a massive change from the Mosquito.; about 50/50 Wood and metal bonded with Redux adhesive.
Hi Lawrie. Those final Merlins that powered this beauty produced 2070 hp, deratted to 2040 hp in service,over twice the power of the original !
@@johndavey72 4,000+ hp in a smaller, lighter and more aerodynamic design than the Mosquito?
Wow!
What a plane to compete in against the other stripped down WWII fighter planes in those air race competitions they used to have in the desert.
@@PDZ1122
'Structurally a massive change from the Mosquito.'
Not so.
The fuselage construction was identical - as were the wings - apart from the incorporation of Alclad alloy on the undersides.
Structurally a slight change from the Mosquito.
I built a 1/72 scale model of the Hornet way back when I was a kid, I'd completely forgotten this aircraft until I saw the thumbnail.
Really glad you covered this very underated fighter, and for reminding me of the happy days of childhood.
No problem - hope you've managed to keep up the model building!
Excellent video, I was unaware of the Hornet, it’s a beauty.
Nicely done. Good content, and commentary was excellent. Two thumbs up mate!!!
Excellent vid, very well presented.
John
Love your doco's and subbed, waiting paitently for the next.
My cousin, Roy Edwards, flew these from a carrier in the 50s. I have a photo.
Supremely excellent video, Doug. The two wooden wonders (the Mosquito and Hornet) make us Americans full of admiration. And the magnificent Merlin! Its sound has its own music still heard in warbird air races. And the 2000 hp edition must have been a beast. Cheers from the States! 💛🙏🏼
Thank you!
Glen: It's a bit of a pity your aircraft manufacturers didn't take up the licence to build the Mosquito like Packard did with the Merlin engine.
@@elroyfudbucker6806 Right, Elroy. The Mossie was truly matchless. And for a variety of roles! Cheers. 💛🤗
Glen, I'm with you (as a petrolhead) on the sound of those Merlins. But, and this is my own preference, the sound of a lone radial (most especially the Bristol Centaurus) is the purest music to me! (Aside from things like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and other great 70s bands, also Beethoven... ah well, no wonder my friends say my taste in music is weird!)
@@johnjones4825 Brother John, I agree. As recently as the 1990’s, a company was flying old DC-3’s out of Long Beach airport here in the States, to take freight to Catalina Island daily. Radials indeed sing their own tones!
That was fascinating. I had not heard of the Hornet now it is up there with one of my all time favourite aircraft the Mosquito.
Good luck :) And thank you. I may have heard of the Hornet before... I forgot about it.
Thanks, looking forward to more from this Channel
Really interesting and well presented. Looking forward to more. Thanks
DORNIER: "Let's create a fast strike-fighter with two engines in a push-pull configuration, which is so awkward that scarcely any designers will touch the concept after the war. Make it tricky to fly so that it can only be flown by highly-skilled pilots, at a time when we can't train new pilots because we've run out of fuel. Let's design it with scarcely any parts in common with types already in service. Let's give it a spindly undercart which requires a long runway, even though every long runway is full of craters. The aircraft will need years of development and improvement, even though we need it in service within a few months".
DE HAVILLAND: "Let's put a single-seat cockpit on a Mosquito, make detailed improvements, build it on existing production lines with plentiful plywood, every pilot who can fly a Mosquito can transition in a few hours".
And the Krauts didn't expect to lose the war.
brilliant video informative but simple and easy to follow well done im a fan.
Excellent work, sir!
Thanks for your hard work. Great content!
Thank you!
Excellent video. Narrated very well and correct facts. No rubbish or make up tales. Winkle Brown, Rip, a true British legend.
Really ? Joffrey ? Very poor English and strange pronounciations abound.
Plus I wouldn't of said hurricane was outclassed in b.o.b
The Mosquito is such a sleek and beautiful aircraft...One of my personal favorites. It's a shame that the Hornet wasn't able to prove itself.
It did in conflicts in the east however there was issues as the climate and temperatures melted the glues the was highly effective at ground attack and also air combat, they was operational squadrons operational up until the 50s
Unclear why this is in my recommended but really enjoyed the video and now subscribed. thank you
All hail the algorithm
Similar fate as the Gruman F7F Tigercat.... Both were absolutely beautiful aircraft and the pinacle of development for the piston engine fighter.
Agreed. I would also add the Hawker Sea Fury and Bearcat to that list.
Great video !! 👍👍👍
Fantastic video, haven't seen any other channel do a deep highlight on these planes
I did, Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles is one, Military Aviation history another.
Brilliant plane and good video, cheers
What a beauty! Thanks for that!
Really nice video, thank you
Well done. I can readily understand the Hornet's attraction to pilots. When I walked around a (then) flightworthy P-38 Lightning the impression was nearly visceral: "I. Want. To. FLY. This." And a since-departed colleague explained this appeal very well: "If you liked fast cars, you signed up to fly either the Mustang or Corsair."
This is really my favourite Channel!
Thanks for your nice Videos,
it is very enlightening,
Waiting for your latest update.
De Havilland 'Mossie' Park
An amazing documentary, what a great video.
Thank you :D
Nicely presented and an all round quality piece on the Hornet. I enjoyed it so much I'll forgive the 'less v fewer' slips in the blurb.
Great vid, thanks :-)
Excellent video, very well presented. I am always searching for exactly this type of content, (mainly aviation). You have solid naration abilities and good info. Subscribed.
Thank you! You'll probably enjoy our longer Spitfire documentary, but I'm afraid those are the only two aviation videos I've got so far.
One of my Favorite Planes! Serious Evolution of a Great Design.
I live near CFB Downsview, formerly DeHavil
land Airport, home of DeHavilland Canada.
DHC made Mosquitos in WW2, and went on to design/build the DHC series of STOL aircraft like the Beaver, Otter, Caribou, etc. And not far away was Malton airport, now Pearson International, home of AVRO Canada, builder of Lancaster bombers and designer/builder of the Canuck and Arrow interceptors. Back when we had a world-class aircraft industry...
Canada had a world class aircraft industry? I thought they just produced foreign aircraft under license...
I remember seeing pictures of the Hornet when I was a lad back in the early 50's.
It was a really beautiful looking plane with amazing views all round for the pilot.
There is at least one Airfix model available, 1/48 scale.
Excellent video. 10/10
Frog made a 1/72 scale of the Hornet or Sea Hornet those kits are still around.
It's the only way De Haviland knew how to make 'em. ''if it looks good, it will perform good'.
Excellent! Well done…
Great video and good information.
Best looking aircraft ever made.
Bar none.
Extremely interesting as my father was an aero engineer and worked for deHavilland in the UK and also here in Australia. I have subscribed
really great content
aah, 'Winkle' Brown. surely one of the world's greatest pilots of all time. I would recommend the autobiography 'Wings On My Sleeve' to absolutely anyone, not just fascinating history but from an intelligent, modest and genuinely funny man. if he hadn't been such a diamond geezer I might be jealous!!
Wonderful video! Just subscribed!
Great video. The Tsetse was pretty amazing too. 👍🇬🇧
Tsetse gets my vote too an absolute beast👍🏴
Enjoyed the video learned somthing
Great Aircraft !! Nice presentation
Thank you!
this was one of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed and its performance was stunning
Really interesting mate, 🙏
Thanks for the Airplane Woodie!
Great thankyou, I didn't know about the Hornet. But there isn't much about it. Great vid
Undoubtedly the most beautiful fighter aircraft ever flown.
age 5 years old at cosford i actually sat in their mozzy. one of the best memories of my life and i wish i could thank them for letting me fly the best aircraft ever :)
Matter of opinion; my choice would be the Curtis P-40.
P-51D Mustang for me
That would have been the Spitfire, because my father flew them and several other single seat fighters of WW2 (Grumman Martlet, Hurricane, etc). Nonetheless, I think the Mosquito was easily the best and most remarkable aircraft of WW2.
We had the Hornet in Malaya. Early 50's.
My dad was offered a posting to a Hornet Squadron in Malaya (before I was born), but typically for a young hot-headed South African he wanted new fangled jets, ended up flying Meteors. Crashed one too, or so I believe. RIP Bob.
De Havilland proposed the Hornet to the Air Ministry in January 1943, but the Ministry did not give him the go-ahead to develop it until June 1943. That six-month delay might have made all the difference to the story of the Hornet because it was just becoming operational in August 1945, just as the war ended.
No matter how good an aircraft it was I can't think it would have made all that much of a name for itself in just 6 months, and in a period in which domination of the skies had already been achieved.
@@tonyb9735 ... and in a period in which german jets and rocket planes were already fighting, not to mention british and U.S. jet prototypes were already test flying...
Had we not dropped the A-bombs the Hornet would have seen plenty of service during the invasion and conquest of Japan, as the Royal Navy would have sent at least one carrier task force to join the campaign and support the British divisions that landed.
@@gregb6469 Actually there was the second reason the Brits were in the Pacific. They were there to stop US interference in the reclaiming of the colonies. It was obvious that late in the War the US were not happy with the Brits coming back
A great book on the Mosquito is "The Wooden Wonder". Worth a read
Having read it - repeatedly - I second that.
Those 3 planes mentioned at the start are my three favorite planes, and also my pick for the most important RAF aircraft.
Well you learn something new all times very good 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Love the shape of the wing on both the Mosquito and Hornet
Thanks for introducing us aviation buffs to the (Sea) Hornet.
Fascinating!
There is a DH Hornet (not sure of type) that is being re-built to airworthiness down in New Zealand.
Sad to say that will probably be a Hornet moth a pre ww2 civilian plane high winged, fixed undercarriage with wood and fabric frame.
@@owen368
Boy, are u in for a surprise! It will be based on the centre-section and other parts of the Sea Hornet TT193! Last I heard, (just last year, I believe).there were couple of P-40s ahead of it in the restoration queue, but they are collecting parts and doing research.
Well thats nice to know my initial response was based on the fact that I know they have a health number of DH moths of various sorts in NZ. The number of old war birds in the world seems to be going up not down which given the times we live in is nice.
There's an article from 2017 in Warbird Digest on this. Unfortunately this system wouldn't let me post the link and I can't find anything more recent? Unless you know otherwise?
@@oxcart4172 that’s the one I read about! Thanks for confirming it 👍
Thank You! I love those old WWII aircraft.
The Hornet was a post war aircraft.
I'm a PPL with roughly 200 hours P1.
Although the Mosquito was generally praised for it's handling qualities the idea of flying one operationally fills me with extreme trepidation and fear.
Incredible stable of Aircraft D.H. I was stunned recently to see a picture of the Whirlwind in the Farnborough Wind tunnel in 1938!! Re: Hornet, heard about a crazy pilot who served in Burma...called Mad Max who'd fly the plane to the max! Used to ripple the Fuselage..and did some mad landings on those makeshift runways.
Thank you.
Great video and info on an aircraft I was unaware of. As for the 'Wooden Wonder' that was also used in a maritime role for U-Boat busting by Coastal Command, I actually met a guy who worked on the prototype with Geoffrey de Havilland when I was ex-RAF as a mature student, at college in the early '80s studying for an OND in Technology. He was a pensioner earning some extra funds by part-time teaching woodwork, I had a free period and his was one of several choices of non-curriculum classes offered for self interest.
He told me that the work was carried out by de Havilland and a small team away from the main aircraft works, and that the boss financed it himself out of his own funds after the Air Ministry had rejected his design, but his self and his team's belief in the aircraft wouldn't diminish. He foresaw that the light aluminium, and alloys now being used would become in short supply the longer the war went on, and by utilising plywood and balsa that Britain's furniture mass producers could make up the airframe and fuselage parts. My tutor said his job was making the wooden propeller blades that were used on the first prototypes.
Arguably, if the Air Ministry hadn't been so set in their use of heavy bombers and prioritised production and utilised more Mosquitoes in mass bombing runs over German cities and war industries, then a lot more aircrew would have survived.
The world's first truly multi role combat aircraft, there should be a flying example in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (even though it wasn't available for that battle).
That's a really fantastic story!
It's worth noting that the heavy bomber focus of the allies is usually seen as a great advantage over their enemies - and it became especially crucial in the latter stages of the war. Lighter bombers have their uses, but they cannot inflict the same kind of large-scale damage as heavy bombers!
Eric "Winkle" Brown. An incredible man and and an incredible pilot!!!!!
Geoffrey de Havilland Jr as well
G'day Doug, Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS, RN is, sadly, as little known as is his favourite aircraft, the subject of this excellent video. What an aviator. He has, in his log books, 480 different types of aircraft he flew. That is more different types than many senior pilots had sorties during their entire careers on one or two types.
Let's, conservatively, estimate that he flew each new type only 4 times. That's 1,920 flights. I'm ex-RAAF and a military historian and I guess if one doesn't know about the DH Mosquito then you're not really into aircraft. Even so, I only became fully aware of the DH Hornet some 10 years ago when I was doing an in-depth history of De Havilland. And, yes, I quickly discovered it was a magnificent aircraft that, simply, was conceived and produced too late in aviation history to earn the praise it so richly deserved. The Hornet, like so many outstanding piston driven aircraft were 'killed off' by the introduction of the prop-jets and fan jets that took the world by storm post WW2.
There are only a couple of decent documentaries about the amazing life and flying career of 'Winkle' Brown. He would be an excellent subject for one of your longer videos as you impress me as a video maker. So much so, I've subscribed (and 'rang the bell) to your channel; and this is the first of your videos I've seen. Military and commercial aviation is such a rich topic that can be connected to so many of the world's significant historical events and technological advances. It's truly fascinating. I look forward to enjoying more of your work. Cheers and all the best. BH
P.S. Eric Brown's favourite Axis aircraft and well near the top of his favourite single engine aircraft list was the almost universally disliked German BV 141 Observation aircraft. Because 'Winkle' spoke and wrote about it at length, I began an intensive study of the aircraft myself. Even though there are all too few documents extant on the BV 141 yet, it is, again, a fascinating aircraft that solved one of the common shortcomings of all single engined aircraft. You should look, deeply, into this aircraft as well. It's worth the effort.
I believe, Winkle" also has the record for most carrier landings. I find the story about him hijacking a Me163 Komet at the end of the WW2 to be a fascinating story.
You are right about more people learning of the life of this man. I decided to do a school assembly on him and where his work has left us today to 400 of my peers over the lockdown earlier this year.
@@davidbranney3924 G'day David, That's extremely possible that he did the most carrier landings with the RN FAA while testing aircraft, and on operations, during WW2. Their main concern, of course, was the strength of the landing gear on various aircraft types. In the early days of carrier ops many aircraft were written off, sometimes killing their pilots, due to weak undercarriages. Being a test pilot in these circumstances was, perhaps, one of the most dangerous jobs in aviation at that time. Of course,
Allied aircrew losses while bombing occupied Europe and Germany were horrendous and their sacrifices were too long overlooked. Even so, very few people, even established historians, give sufficient credit to Allied test pilots who, often, were testing aircraft types built in a hurry, sometimes flown 'off the drawings' with little or no R&D.
One of my future projects is to do a study into test pilot losses at various points in WW2 and post war testing of new jet technology. I expect I will be shocked at the test pilot losses involved. The details of the introduction of the B-29 was the aircraft that prompted me to look at test pilot losses. The B-29 was wanted so urgently that full, pre-production testing by manufacturers test pilots was minimal to say the least. Often B-29s were 'tested' as they rolled off the assembly line. They had, literally, hundreds of mechanical issues that should have been addressed before production. Also, they had terrible trouble with the engines which cost the Americans dearly in lost aircrews, in the early part of the B-29s life.
Given the frequency of air ops on modern USN carriers, I dare say they really rack up the take off and landing numbers during 'routine' flight ops. Still, I do recall that in Eric's magnificent book he did spend a lot of time working off the FAA's carriers. All through his book he keeps pointing out that thorough preparation was the key to his success, and longevity, as a test pilot. He truly was an extraordinary individual and we were extremely lucky he was on our side! Cheers, BH
@@baselhammond3317 G'day Basel, Good for you! That was a great idea. The more people who know about Eric 'Winkle' Brown's amazing career the better. If you haven't already, you really should read Eric's wonderful book about his career as a test pilot. It is: 'Wings On My Sleeve' and it is available as a Kindle ebook or in paperback. It is well worth the time to read it. Eric was a very forthright man in his opinions, however, there is an easy to see humble side to how he viewed his unique achievements. He puts most of it down to almost fanatical preparation that he would carry out before ever sitting in a cockpit.
Of course, during the war this was not always possible and he had to test new aircraft on extremely short notice. Luckily, he was a 'natural' pilot which was a difficult and extremely rare thing back in the early days of military aviation. Apart from really primitive 'Link Trainers' there were no real flight simulators that could be used to train pilots and test new aircraft types. What Eric and his colleagues did during the war was totally outstanding. They needed steady nerves and the ability to remain calm when everything seemed to be going wrong at the same time. I can't recommend his book too highly. I hope you got good marks or a glowing assessment for your presentation. Public speaking, in any format, even electronically, is a significant achievement in itself. Cheers, BH
One of my fathers best English friends was John "Cat Eyes" Cunningham. They met in the 30th when my father attended the "de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School". They stayed friends for the remainder of their lives. For you youngsters, "Cat Eyes" flew the de Havilland Mosquito with "night" radar.
Did you ask him if he still eats carrots??
@@christianbuczko1481 LOL. My father told me the story about the carrots. I always use that when I am going to talk about Cat Eyes. Funny thing is that the myth still lives.
@@rudolfabelin383 id bet he hated carrots by the time he died..
@@christianbuczko1481 Well, at least that he was tired of the story....
@@christianbuczko1481 Suppposed to have been a ruse to cover AI radar, and yes my Mummy always said it when carrots were on the plate.Then wouldn't let me out to play at night to prove it! :-(
To me it’s the ultimate, prop plane, fabulous performance and looks!....- so sad none were preserved...
de Haviland's name wasn't Joffrey, it was Geoffrey - pronounced the same as the American spelling "Jeffrey"
Gee, that and a thousand other fuck ups of the English language. Take the most, er make the most. Is this guy English?
'Jeffrey' is actually a very old english spelling of the name whereas 'Geoffrey' is anglo-french. They're pronounced the same in english but not in french.
Even pronounces Lunkcaster . I think he has a speech impediment
I wondered about that, but the narrator sounds English. In Canada we pronounce Geoff as "Jeff".
@@Rusty_Gold85 No it is his regional dialect
Good luck! 🖖
A beautiful plane I hold in the same regard as the P-38 and could have achieved the same legendary status easily. It is also modelled pretty well in War Thunder. Take that thing out in a leisurely sim flight and you'll see just how much it agrees with everything you want to do. Reminds me of the P-38 but less compressibility. And it is just so friggin fast and powerful. It shares top spot in my dream plane category right alongside the P-38.
I came accross the DH Hornet 40 years ago as a youth. I bought the FROG model in 1/72nd scale.
FROG, not heard that name for ages
@@TheRobbiUno Famous British brand. They produced many unusual kits, that Airfix wasn't. They also co-operated with AMT on some of their car kits. Happy days..
I was aware of the Hornet as a child and saw Mosquitoes but I really don't recall seeing a Hornet...and I lived near the DH establishments of Hatfield and Leavesden as well, throughout the fifties. Such a pity!
this aircraft type was unknown to me, thankyou for the video, i know Eric Brown and his carrier, like going to Germany to fly there jets and even the komet,
Your videos are high quality, I'm amazed
The Mosquito Museum near Hatfield has a few fragments of a Hornet, I think it also has some of the concrete moulds/plugs used to build them. An issue of FlyPast from 20 years ago describes them in detail and how most were scrapped at RAF Seletar. They were flown to the site then demilitarised by having the props (and most of the front of the engines!) ripped off by a cable towed by a truck!!
I had a book on the Hornet somewhere. The book stated that Hornets had an issue with debonding when operating for prolonged periods in Malaya due to the heat and humidity. Such a shame that it was never developed further.
@@davidbranney3924 Hi, yes I recall that was one of the reasons they were all scrapped. The Mossie had the same issue, I saw a documentary years ago about an RAF "safety officer" I think,. He was famous for personally sawing the wings off some Mossies to stop them being used on missions. The were all delaminating!
Hi Mark, It was the same with the Westland Whirlwind, a great plane, but tied to the weak Peregrine engine. Such a shame that it wasn't designed with other engines in mind or at least with developed enhancements, although I believe Westlands did offer a proposal of a re-engined Whirlwind. At least the Hornet was designed with decent engines in mind. Could they have had the larger Griffins, what difference would they have made? Often wondered why the aircraft was never trialled as a torpedo bomber?
@@davidbranney3924 the Whirlwind was a lovely aircraft (imo) with under-developed engines, but the Hornet had Merlin 13X series engines, practically the peak of Merlin development - over 2,000hp each. So each lovely Hornet had over 4,000hp on tap: enough, don'cha think, for use as a long-range fighter/intruder had the war with Japan gone on longer?
One of the few fatalities in the Mossie was Guy Gibson VC, who crashed returning from a night raid. The Mosquitoes acted as Pathfinders, identifying the target with flares and as master controller, directing the bomber stream.
Love The De Havilland Planes, & All Seemed To Be Well Thought Out, As The Hurricane, & Spitfire As Well.!
And All Of Its Many Tremendous Contributions To Winning WW II.! De Havilland Planes Are Simply Legendary.! !
The Hornet was a great-looking airplane. Makes me think of a slimmed-down Mosquito fitted with a sharply tailored suit.
recently read his book, and the glowing praise for this aircraft., was amazing. Shame it came so late, I wonder what the counter torque was like? The P38 used handed engines, which rotated outwards at the top.
The Hornet had a pair of Merlins that were handed like on the P38.
Wow, what a great plane!
if Winkle praised it then it was bloody good
Hope I live long enough to see that one in NZ fly again!
Good video subbed.
Cheers Geoff.
Apologies for mispronouncing your name...
I always get called 'Gee off when speaking to overseas call centres so I'm used to it, in fact when asked for my name by mentioned call centres I reply Gee offery to save confusion.
I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I encourage anyone who hasn't read of the extraordinary life of Capt. Eric"Winkle" Brown RN to do so. It goes well beyond his remarkable flying career.
Thanks.
Im a huge fan of the yanks P-51D
That plane was just plain amazing .