(Flying Sea Hen Fox fighter.) It still has a unique look, making it one of the coolest fighters in the UK)
History
In World War II, the British, who had experienced fierce air battles with the Germans, realized that they needed a good night fighter to deal with the enemy's night attack, but this required the deployment of high-performance radar and navigation equipment on the aircraft, which meant that the conventional size fighters of the time could no longer meet the demand, and the size of the aircraft had to increase. In January 1947, the British launched a new fighter program to meet these requirements, and most British aircraft manufacturing and design companies were involved.
(DH.110 prototype.) It's so ahead of its time that it's hard to believe it was designed in the 1940s)
Meanwhile, the British company de Havilland has been working with the British Navy since 1946 on new aircraft with similar specifications. The DH Series is a two-seat, twin-engine swept-wing aircraft, and the DH 110, like the vampires that began deploying at the time, is a unique two-body structure of de Havilland, with a stunning appearance that is still hailed as the best today.
(The dh 110's catamaran structure is a distinctive symbol of the jet fighter developed by De Havilland.)
In 1949, de Havilland proactively designed and built 13 prototypes with different functional specifications, such as the Air Force, the Navy, etc. However, in the end, the British Navy chose a single-engine fighter and named it DH112 "Sea Venom", because of its low configuration, so the procurement cost was relatively low, which was also the first jet fighter developed by De Havilland after the war, which had the usual two-body style of Havidran.
(DH110 FAW.1 prototype in a test flight on March 2, 1957)
The development and test flight of the DH.110 prototype was relatively smooth at the beginning, and it successfully passed the sound barrier. But at the 1952 air show, its prototype suddenly exploded in the air while performing an air show, killing the pilot and radar operator on board, as well as 29 spectators on the ground. The accident resulted in the near cancellation of Dh.110's development plan.
In order to cope with the loss of the first prototype, De Havilland modified the design of the DH.110 and upgraded the second prototype. These changes include the use of fully moving tail fins and the extension of the curved leading edge. The modified prototype did not resume flight until July 1954. The modified DH.110 can no longer exceed the speed of sound, the RAF announced that it was abandoning interest in the DH 110, and the British Naval Air Force decided to adopt the aircraft as a replacement for its carrier-based aircraft.
(DH110 Sea female fox is landing)
In February 1955, the British Naval Air Force ordered 110 DH 110 aircraft and named them "Sea Hen Foxes".
(1960 Sea Female Fox lands on the Aircraft Carrier Centaur)
peculiarity
The Sea Hen Fox is a jet fleet defense fighter whose main role is to be equipped with modern radar and air-to-air missiles for fleet defense, and to fight enemy aircraft through air-to-air missiles. When it was put into practical use, it was the first British aircraft to be fully equipped with missiles, rockets and bombs, making it the first British fighter without a cannon. However, due to the limitations of technology at that time, it was difficult to achieve satisfactory combat effectiveness.
Although it is an all-weather fighter for fleet defense, it can also be equipped with weapons for air-to-ground attacks and can also carry tactical nuclear warheads. As mentioned above, due to its large size and strength, it is capable of performing a variety of tasks. Even if the engine or power unit fails, the tail, ailerons and rudder can work, but due to the complex structure, it is difficult to repair.
From the outside, it is a two-body structure unique to De Havilland. Although the swept back angle of the main wing is large, the aircraft's structure has been changed to solve its own defects, which has led to the inability to break through the speed of sound. Another feature of the sea hen fox is its cockpit. Its cockpit is side-by-side, the left cabin is the cockpit, and the right cabin is the weapon control cabin. The area of the weapons control compartment is flat.
(Viewed from the front, the cockpit of the Sea Fox is located on the left side of the nose instead of in the middle)
The health status
(In 1964, the Sea Hen Fox of the 893rd Combat Squadron conducted joint training with the A-4 of the 55th Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy.)
In the 1960s, the Sea Hen Fox took part in British armed interventions in the Middle East and Africa, in January 1964 the British aircraft carrier Sagittarius carried a Sea Hen Fox fighter to provide air support to the British Marine Corps, and in 1967 the British aircraft carrier Victory carried the Sea Hen Fox fighter (Flight Squadron 893) to help the British retreat from Adina.
The Sea Hen Fox fighter was retired in 1972 due to the Royal Navy's subsequent cancellation of large aircraft carriers.
Variants and derivatives
FAW.1: Early mass production.
(Sea Hen Fox Double Machine Refueling)
FAW.2: Improved version that reinforces the skeleton to withstand weights up to 8.9G.
（FAW.2）