De Havilland Hornet The de Havilland DH . 103 Hornet was a piston engine fighter that further exploited the wooden construction techniques pioneered by de Havilland ' s classic Mosquito . Entering service at the end of the Second World War , the Hornet equipped postwar RAF Fighter Command day fighter units in the UK and was later used successfully as a strike fighter in Malaya . The Sea Hornet was a carrier - capable version . Design and development . Designed under a team lead by R . E . Bishop with C . T . Wilkins assisting as a private venture for a long - range fighter destined for the Pacific Theatre in the war against Japan , Specification F . 12 / 43 was written around the type . From an early stage it was also envisaged that the Hornet could be adapted for naval use , operating from aircraft carriers . As a result priority was given to ease of control , especially at low speeds , and good pilot visibility . Construction was of mixed balsa / plywood similar to the Mosquito , but the Hornet differed in incorporating stressed Alclad lower - wing skins bonded to the wooden upper wing structure using the then - new adhesive Redux . The two wing spars were redesigned to withstand a higher load factor of 10 versus 8 . Apart from the revised structure , the Hornet ' s wings were a synthesis of aerodynamic knowledge that had been gathered since the Mosquito ' s design process , being much thinner in cross section , with de Havilland designers adopting a laminar flow profile similar to the P - 51 Mustang and Hawker Tempest . The control surfaces consisted of hydraulically operated split flaps extending from the wing root to outboard of the engine nacelles ; as in the Mosquito , the rear of the nacelle was part of the flap structure . Outboard , the Alclad - covered ailerons extended close to the clipped wing tips and gave excellent roll control . The Hornet used " slimline " Rolls - Royce Merlin engines with engine ancillaries repositioned to minimise frontal area and drag . It was unusual for a British design in having propellers that rotated in opposite directions ; the two engine crankshafts rotated the same direction , but the Merlin 131 added an idler gear to reverse its propellor ' s rotation ( to clockwise , viewed from the front ) . This cancelled the torque effect of two propellers turning in the same direction that had affected earlier designs ( such as the Mosquito ) . It also reduced adverse yaw caused by aileron trim corrections and generally provided more stable and predictable behaviour in flight . De Havilland tried props that rotated outward at the tops of their arcs ( as in the P - 38 Lightning ) , but this configuration blanketed the fin and reduced rudder effectiveness at low speeds , compromising ground handling ; on production Hornets the conventionally rotating Merlin 130 was on the port wing with the Merlin 131 on the starboard . Because of the revised induction arrangements of the Merlin 130 series , the supercharger and carburettor air intakes could be placed in the leading edges of the wings , outboard of the nacelles . Other versions of the Merlin , which used " updraft " induction arrangements , required that the intakes be placed in a duct below the main engine cowling . The main radiators were also mounted in the inboard leading edges of the wings . Internal fuel , to a maximum capacity of 432 Imp gal ( 1 , 964 l ) ( F 3 ) was stored in four self - sealing wing tanks which were accessed through detachable panels forming part of the lower wing surfaces . To assist airflow over the wing , the engine nacelles were mounted low , which meant that the undercarriage legs were reasonably short and the pilot ' s field of view was improved . The single - legged undercarriage units were simpler and cleaner than those of the Mosquito , using the same de Havilland - developed , rubber - in - compression energy absorption system . The main wheels were also smaller and lighter . To further aid the pilot ' s field of view the unpressurised cockpit was mounted well forward in the fuselage and was housed under an aft sliding , perspex blister canopy . The three - panel windscreen was designed so that refraction through the panels meant that there were no obvious blind spots caused by the corner tie - rods ; all three panels were bullet - proof laminated glass . An armour - plated bulkhead ( hinged near the top to provide access to the back of the instrument panel and the rudder pedals ) , was part of the nose structure , with the pilot ' s back and head being protected by another armoured bulkhead built into the cockpit . Below and behind the cockpit floor was a bay housing the built - in armament of four short - barrelled 20 mm ( . 79 in ) Hispano V cannon , with 190 rpg , firing through short blast tubes . Fuselage construction was identical to the earlier Mosquito ; a balsa wood " pith " sandwiched between plywood sheets which were laid in diagonal panels . Aerolite formaldehyde cement was the bonding agent . The fuselage halves were built on large concrete or wood patterns , equipment was fitted in each half and they were then joined along the top and bottom centre lines using wooden reinforcing strips . The entire fuselage was then tightly wrapped in fine aviation fabric which was doped in place . The tailfin which had the trademark , gracefully curved de Havilland shape , was an integral part of the rear fuselage . On Late Mk Is and future production aircraft , a fin fillet was added to the base of the unit . The horizontal tail unit was an all - metal structure , again featuring the distinctive de Havilland shape later repeated on the Chipmunk and Beaver . Hornet F 3 . The Hornet F 3 ' s wings were stressed to carry external ordnance . Two to four " 60 lb " ( 27 kg ) RP - 3 rockets could be carried under each wing ; it was also possible to carry a combination of four rockets with one bomb of up to 1 , 000 lb ( 454 kg ) , or an additional drop tank on each wing , ranging in capacity up to 200 Imp gal ( 909 l ) . Internally , the fuel tanks were enlarged from a total capacity of 360 Imp gal ( 1 , 636 l ) to 432 Imp gal ( 1 , 964 l ) and additional equipment was added . Larger horizontal tail surfaces were adopted , with larger elevator horn balances . With the evolution of longer - range , jet - powered fighters such as the de Havilland Vampire , de Havilland Venom and Gloster Meteor , the Hornet became obsolescent fairly quickly . The F 3 was the last Hornet derivative to see operational RAF service . Hornet PR 2 and FR 4 . The Hornet PR 2 was intended to operate as a long - range Photo - reconnaissance aircraft . The Hispano cannon were removed and cameras were mounted in the rear fuselage . Total internal fuel capacity was increased to 528 gal ( 2 , 400 l ) . " PX216 " , " PX220 " and " PX249 " converted from standard Mk Is , were the prototypes , followed by five more . The requirement for these aircraft lapsed with the end of the Second World War in the Pacific ; all were used in arrestor barrier trials at Boscombe Down , and scrapped before entering RAF service . Twelve Hornet FR 4s were modified from F 3s in much the same way , except that the cannon were retained and the internal fuel capacity slightly reduced from that of the fighter . These FR 4 derivatives saw service with the RAF in Malaya and Hong Kong in the early 1950s . Sea Hornet F 20 , NF 21 and PR 22 . The Hornet was designed with the possibility of naval service in carriers firmly in mind . To this end good low speed handling was required , along with good all - round visibility for the pilot . The basic Hornet design excelled at meeting these requirements . Shortly after the first Hornet prototype flew , Specification N . 5 / 44 was issued to de Havilland covering the modification of the Hornet for naval service . The Heston Aircraft Company was contracted to carry out the conversion work on three early production F . Is . The work entailed altering the wings to incorporate folding mechanisms so that each outer wing panel , from the aileron / flap line outboard could be folded upwards and inwards at an angle . The hinges were part of the upper wing skin structure while the lower wing skins incorporated securing latches . Lockheed hydraulic jacks were used to actuate the wing panels . Slotted flaps were introduced to improve low speed " flaps down " control . The lower rear fuselage was reinforced with two additional spruce longerons designed to take the stresses imposed by the external " vee " framed arrestor hook , which was flush - mounted below the fuselage . The frame was made up of steel tubing with a forged - steel hook and was held against the fuselage by a " snap gear " . Because the Hornet used the American " 3 - point " system of catapult - assisted takeoff , two forged steel catapult bridle hooks were fitted , one below each wing , close to the fuselage . The de Havilland rubber - in - compression undercarriage legs could not absorb the rebound energies imposed by carrier landings . They were replaced by more conventional hydraulic oleos which embodied torque links . Merlin 133 / 134s ( derated from 2 , 070 hp / 1 , 543 kW to 2 , 030 hp / 1 , 535 kW ) were fitted to all Sea Hornets . Other specialised naval equipment ( mainly different radio gear ) , was fitted and provision was made for three camera ports , one on each side of the rear fuselage and one pointing down . Sea Hornet F 20s also incorporated the modifications of the Hornet F 3 , although the internal fuel capacity was 347 Imp gal ( 1 , 557 l ) , slightly reduced from that of the F I . In total , all of the modifications added some 550 lb ( 249 kg ) to the weight of the aircraft . Maximum speed was decreased by 11 mph ( 18 km / h ) . The Hornet NF 21 was designed to fill a need for a naval night fighter . Special flame dampening exhausts were installed , and a second basic cockpit was added to the rear fuselage , just above the wing trailing edges . ASH radar equipment was placed in the rear of this cockpit , with the radar operator / navigator seated facing aft . To gain access , a small trap door was provided in the lower fuselage ; a fixed , teardrop shaped bubble canopy , which could be jettisoned in an emergency , provided a good field of view . At the front of the aircraft , the nose underwent a transformation with the small rotating ASH radar dish being housed under an elongated " thimble " radome . The horizontal tail units were increased in span . The effect of these modifications on performance was minimal ; about 4 mph ( 6 km / h ) The Sea Hornet PR 22 was a dedicated photo reconnaissance aircraft version of the F 20 . The cannon were removed and the apertures faired over . Three cameras were installed in the rear fuselage ; two F 52s for nocturnal ( night ) use and one K . 19B for diurnal ( day ) . A total of 23 PR 22s were built , interspersed with F . 20s being built at Hatfield . Civilian Hornet . The lone civilian Hornet was a Sea Hornet F 20 TT193 . It had been sent to Edmonton , Alberta , Canada for winter trials and was later sold rather than be transported back to England . Registered CF - GUO , it was operated by Spartan Air Services and Field Aviation until 11 June 1952 when an engine failure caused a forced landing at Terrace , British Columbia . Some of the remains are still there in private hands . Flying the Sea Hornet . Captain Eric " Winkle " Brown , former fighter pilot and officer of the Fleet Air Arm , is one of the world ' s most accomplished test pilots and he still holds the record for flying the greatest number of different aircraft types . Just after VE Day the first semi - navalised Sea Hornet " PX 212 " arrived at the RAE , Farnborough . Eric Brown initiated " work - up to deck - landing " trials . 37 years later , he was still impressed : During this series of tests Captain Brown found that the ailerons were too heavy and ineffectual for deck landing and there were some problems with throttle movement , brakes and the rubber - in - compression undercarriage legs were still fitted . De Havilland were quick to modify the aircraft . Eric Brown : Operational history . Hornet . The Hornet prototype " RR 915 " first flew on 28 July 1944 with Geoffrey de Havilland Jr . at the controls . Powered by twin Merlin engines , it was the fastest piston - engined fighter in Royal Air Force service . The Hornet also has the distinction of being the fastest wooden aircraft ever built and the second fastest operational twin propeller - driven aircraft — being slightly slower than the unconventional German Dornier Do 335 of 1945 . The prototype achieved 485 mph ( 780 km / h ) in level flight , which came down to 472 mph ( 760 km / h ) in production aircraft . The Hornet entered service in 1946 with 64 Squadron based at RAF Horsham St Faith . Next to convert to the Hornet was 19 Squadron at RAF Wittering , followed by 41 Squadron and 65 Squadron , both based at RAF Church Fenton . No . 65 Sqn was to participate in one of the first official overseas visits by an RAF unit when they visited Sweden in May 1948 . Pilot conversion to the Hornet was provided by No . 226 Operational Conversion Unit ( O . C . U . ) which was based at RAF Molesworth . During their relatively short operational service Hornets participated in several record attempts and air races ; for example , on 15 September 1949 Flight Lieutenant H . Peebles flew from RAF Bovingdon to Gibraltar at an average speed of 357 . 565 mph ( 574 . 445 km / h ) , setting a new British point - to - point record , only to see it broken three days later when Group Captain A . P . C . Carver flew back to Bovingdon , averaging 435 . 871 mph ( 701 . 466 km / h ) . Operationally , the Hornet I ( later F 1 ) was to last only a short time before being superseded by the F 3 version . The first Hornet F 3 was " PX 366 " which flew at the Farnborough Air Show in June 1946 . New units to convert to this mark were 33 Squadron , 45 Squadron ( based at RAF Tengah , Singapore where , in early 1952 , the unit converted to the Hornet from the unreliable Bristol Brigand ) and 80 Squadron . Along with 64 Sqn these squadrons operated in Malaysia where they replaced Beaufighters and Spitfires operating against Communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency . Armed with rockets and / or 1 , 000 lb ( 454 kg ) bombs Hornets , with their long range and good endurance , were able to spend up to two hours loitering over the target area . They also proved to be very reliable ; 45 Sqn Hornets , based in Singapore achieved 4 , 500 operational sorties over five years . The last operational Hornet sortie was flown on 21 May 1955 . On 23 July 1954 , two Hornets from RAF Kai Tak in Hong Kong were the first to arrive on the scene of a shootdown of a Cathay Pacific Skymaster off the coast of Hainan Island . All Hornets were withdrawn from operational service by mid - 1956 . No complete examples of the Hornet remain in existence today , although a Hornet F 1 forward fuselage has now been reconstructed in the UK by David Collins from the scant remains collected together over a number of years . Progress on this project can be followed on its website . Sea Hornet . The Sea Hornet F 20 prototype , " PX 212 " , which did not have the wing - fold mechanism , first flew on 19 April 1945 . " PX 212 " was later converted to the prototype NF Mk 21 , first flying in this form on 9 July 1946 . The only unit fully equipped with Sea Hornet F 20s was 801 Squadron on 1 June 1947 at RNAS Ford . After a move to Arbroath the squadron embarked on . In 1951 , another move was made to until , in June , the Sea Hornets were replaced by Hawker Sea Furies . Other Sea Hornets were attached to various Naval Squadrons , including three which were attached to 806 Squadron which , along with a Vampire and two Sea Furies , were embarked on HMCS " Magnificent " for a tour of North America in 1948 . The Sea Hornets gave several spectacular flying displays at the International Air Exposition in New York between 31 July and 8 August . In mid - 1948 , one Sea Hornet , PX219 , was adapted to carry 2 × Highballs in an installation that was developed but not applied to the fleet . The equipment was removed during January 1949 and it is currently unknown if the Hornet ever dropped a Highball during flight . In January 1949 , the Sea Hornet NF 21 - equipped 809 Squadron at RNAS Culdrose , moved to and then , in May 1951 , to . The unit was then briefly seconded to the RAF at Coltishall before a posting to Hal Far Malta where it disbanded in 1954 . The NF . 21 later equipped the Fleet Requirements Units at Hal Far , Malta , and St Davids , West Wales . One Sea Hornet F 20 , " TT 213 " , was acquired by the RAAF from the Ministry of Supply in the United Kingdom . The aircraft was used by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit ( ARDU ) , at Laverton , Victoria , Australia from 1948 to 1950 . It was mainly used for evaluation and tropical trials . As with its land - based cousin , no complete examples of the Sea Hornet remain extant . Specifications ( Hornet F 3 ) . Research based on primary component drawings for the Hornet project have provided accurate figures . Of particular note is the revised height and length .