DH.108. 24 июля 1947 года Джон Каннингэм впервые поднял в воздух самолет с индексом VW120. 9 сентября того же года он превысил скорость звука в пикировании, а в 1949 году продемонстрировал великолепное пилотажное выступление на авиашоу в Фарнборо.

The first of three De Havilland DH 108s, TG283, at Hatfield prior to its 15 May 1946 maiden flight. Produced as a small flying test bed for the DH 106 Comet airliner that was originally designed to be tailless, this first DH 108 was always intended to be the low speed test vehicle and as such made maximum use of existing DH Vampire components, including the whole fuselage. Significantly, Capt. Eric Brown, RN, then commanding the RAE's Aerodynamics Flight flew this machine soon after Geoffrey de Havilland, the younger, had made the first flight. Shortly after going airborne Brown encountered the predictable pitching problem, in his case at low speed and privately summarised the DH 108 as being 'a killer'. Brown's appraisal was to prove all too true, when, on 1 May 1950, TG283 spun in and crashed, killing Brown's successor, Sqn. Ldr. George Genders.

TG283, the first prototype D.H.108, in October 1946. Note the tufts on the top surfaces of the wings for determining airflow behaviour.

Another view of the same aircraft, taken in October 1946 and showing the tufts on the upper wing surfaces. Anti-spin parachutes were fitted in the purpose-built wingtip containers but were later removed.

Английский опытный самолет со стреловидным крылом D.H.108

TG283 flying at Hatfield on May 30, 1946, two weeks after its maiden flight.

The DH.108 was built to investigate the behaviour of swept-wing at low, medium and high subsonic speeds. TG283 flew for the first time on May 15, 1946.

The D.H.108 Experimental Jet-propelled Tail-less Monoplane

Another view of TG306 showing the much-modified cockpit canopy.

The D.H.108 Experimental Tail-less Monoplane (D.H. Goblin turbo-jet engine)

The same aircraft in its original configuration, with the anti-spin parachutes in wingtip containers.

TG306 at high speed over Hatfield.

Гибель Джеффри де Хэвилленда. 27 сентября 1946г.: старший летчик-испытатель фирмы "de Havilland" сэр Джеффри де Хэвилленд, сын основателя компании, погиб в ходе испытаний второго экспериментального самолета DH.108 (TG306, на фотографии), построенного по схеме "бесхвостка". Самолет должен был достичь сверхзвуковой скорости, но над Грейвсендом, графство Кент, разрушился.

Geoffrey de Havilland Jr flying TG306, the second D.H.108. It was first flown on August 23, 1946, from Hatfield and it soon became apparent that it was faster than the first aircraft.

The second of the DH 108 trio,TG 308, took to the air initially, again with Geoffrey de Havilland the younger at the control, in June 1946. With a wing sweep increased from 43 to 46 degrees, this second machine, freed of the 322mph indicated limitation of the prototype, besides its normal test flight schedule, was groomed for an attempt on the 100 kilometre, or 62-mile Closed Circuit world air speed record. In the late afternoon of 27 September 1946, with the company's founder's son at the controls, TG 306 departed Hatfield heading south east. A few minutes later, at 7,000 feet in a shallow dive over the Thames estuary, the aircraft disintegrated at around Mach 0.875, or 650mph, killing its pilot. Subsequent investigation showed a rapid build-up of violent pitching forces to be the culprit. The RAE's research findings had not been acted upon.

The third and final D.H.108, VW120, with more pointed nose, a Vampire Mk 5 fuselage and fitted with an ejection seat. It was first flown on July 24, 1947.

Despite the death of Geoffrey de Havilland the younger when the second DH 108 broke up around him, it was decided to press ahead with the completion of the third DH 108, VW 120. First flown on 24 July by the company's Grp. Capt. John Cunningham, VW 120 was to be the most aerodynamically refined of the trio, sporting a more shapely nose and canopy contour refinements. Powered by a 3.750lb s.t. DH Goblin 4, this machine was used to establish a new World 100 kilometre, 62-mile, closed circuit air speed record of 605.23mph on 12 April 1948, flown by the company's John Derry. On 15 February 1950, VG 120 joined its ill-starred brethren, killing its RAE pilot, Sqn. Ldr. J. S. R. Muller-Rowland, when it broke up following high speed-induced run-away pitching.

Самолет DН.108, также известный как Swallow, был изначально задуман как экспериментальный DH.106, выполненный по аэродинамической схеме "бесхвостка". В конечном счете, проект DН.106 был закрыт, а все три Swallow разбились в катастрофах.

The third D.H.108, VW120, was powered by a 3,750 lb s. t. Goblin 4 and had a redesigned canopy and more pointed nose fitted. The aircraft crashed in February 1950.

It was in VW120 on the evening of April 12, 1948 that John Derry raised the 100km closed-circuit speed record to 605-23 m.p.h.

The third prototype D.H.108, VW120. Note the lines of pressure-plotting points under the wings, which were connected to recording instruments within the fuselage.
DE HAVILLAND DH.108 SWALLOW. The DH.108 was a swept-wing tailless machine designed for research. Three aircraft were built, and they provided much useful data for the Comet design . The first machine, TG283, was intended to determine the low-speed characteristics of the swept-wing, and had fixed open-wing slots. It flew for the first time on 15th May 1946, piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland, but crashed on 1st May 1950. Maiden flight of the second aircraft, TG306. was on 25th September 1946 (also piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland). It was built for high speeds and the wing slots were retractable. It crashed only two days later (27th September 1946). The third prototype, VW 120, was another high-speed machine, which first flew on 24th July 1947 in the hands of Group Capt. John Cunningham. It was in this aircraft that John Derry established a new 100-km. closed-circuit record of 605.23 m.p.h. on 12th April 1948, and on 6th September 1948 officially exceeded the speed of sound for the first time in this country. This aircraft was in fact the first aircraft in the world to fly supersonically with a conventional aircraft engine, i.e. an aspirated engine as opposed to a rocket. It crashed on 15th February 1950.

Усовершенствованный экспериментальный самолет D.H.108 «Swallow», 1948 г.

Самолет с кодом VW120 был третьим DH.108. Заместитель министра по вопросам поставок назвал его Swallow, так как опытная машина не получила наименования от фирмы-изготовителя.
The same aircraft, in which the first supersonic flight in the UK was achieved when John Derry attained Mach 1-2 on September 9, 1948, two days before VW120 made its Farnborough debut.

The holders of two world records flying in formation. Nearer the camera is D.H.108 VW120, in which Derry broke the 100km closed circuit record. Behind is Vampire TG278 in which John Cunningham reached 59,492ft and thus regained the altitude record for Britain on March 23, 1948.

VW120 survived until February 15, 1950, when it was lost during a flight from RAE Farnborough, killing pilot Sqn Ldr J. S. R. Muller-Rowland DSO DFC.

VW120 in the SBAC Challenge Trophy Race at Birmingham on August 1, 1949. It carries the race number 90, new fin flash and ejection seat triangle. The chap on the wing is obscuring the KEEP OFF legend!

VW120, the third DH.108, at the 1947 SBAC display at Radlett.

Sporting red/orange bands around the rear fuselage and racing number “87", VP401 awaits its next race at Elmdon in July-August 1949. To the left is Blackburn Firebrand EK621, which raced against VP401 for the Kemsley Challenge Trophy, and to the right, D.H.108 VW120, which lost out to VP401 in the SBAC Challenge Cup.

Джеффри де Хэвилленд-младший в кабине экспериментального DH.108. До своей гибели он принял самое активное участие в доводке самолета, на который установили двигатель Goblin 3 в надежде установить мировой рекорд скорости полета.

Three-view of TG283, the first prototype D.H.108, built to investigate slow-speed characteristics, sporting the safety factors considered necessary in view of the RAE’s instability warnings about tailless aircraft.
TG306, the high-speed second prototype, showing the final sliding-hood modifications, in preparation for its attempt at the world’s absolute speed record.
Three-view of VW120, the third of the D.H.108 tailless trio, embodying the modifications made to ensure it was a stronger aircraft for a sustained high-speed research programme.