The de Havilland Hornet was evolved from the de Havilland Mosquito, it utilised the same balsa/plywood fuselage construction methods as the Mosquito but had laminar flow wings and up-rated 2,000hp counter-rotating Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 V12 engines coupled to 12ft diameter four bladed propellers. The de Havilland Hornet was intended to be used from aircraft carriers in the Pacific theatre against Japanese forces but by the time the aircraft became operational in late 1946 WW2 had already come to an end, however the Hornet was used operationally in the Malayan Emergency replacing the RAF's Spitfire and Beaufighter squadrons. The de Havilland Hornet remained operational with the RAF until mid 1955 when it was retired in favour of the new breed of post-war jet fighters such as the de Havilland Vampire and Hawker Sea Hawk. de Havilland Hornet F3 Specifications: - Pilot only
- Length: 36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
- Wingspan: 45 ft (13.72 m)
- Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.3 m)
- Loaded weight: 19,550 lb (8,886 kg)
- Maximum takeoff weight: 20,900 lb (9,480 kg)
- Engine: Twin 2,080 hp (1,551 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 V12 engines
- Maximum speed: 472 mph at 22,000 ft (760 km/h at 6,706 m)
- Range: 3,000 mi (4,828 km)
- Service ceiling 35,000 ft (10,668 m)
- Rate of climb: 4,000 ft/min (20.3 m/s)
Armament: - Four nose mounted 20 mm Hispano Mk. V cannon
- Two 1000 lb (454 kg) under-wing mounted bombs
- Eight "60 lb" (27 kg) RP-3 unguided rocket projectiles
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