The Vampire touches down, slightly port wing low, on HMS Ocean. To improve deck clearance, after an incident during the fourth landing, the flaps were modified while the aircraft was still aboard Ocean, reducing their area by about 4 sq ft (0,37 m2).

Специально доработанный для испытаний на авианосце прототип Vampire Mk I (LZ551) стал первым в мире реактивным самолетом, выполнившим посадку на авианосец.
View of the initial series of trials on HMS Ocean with the Vampire prototype. Note the fully extended airbrakes on the wing trailing edge outboard of the booms, as well as the conventional split flap across the underside of the aircraft.

The de Havilland Vampire prototype LZ551/G flying in the vicinity of HMS Ocean, on which the author made the first landings (and take-offs) by a British jet aircraft on 3 December 1945.

"Вампир" перед первой в истории посадкой реактивного истребителя на авианосец, декабрь 1945г.
The second DH.100 prototype, LZ551, flying past HMS 'Indomitable'. LZ551 made the first jet deck-landing on this carrier on December 3, 1945, and is now on show at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton.

The first of 18 Sea Vampire F Mk 20s (VV136) that were built to allow the Royal Navy to gain experience with jet aircraft aboard aircraft carriers.

A close up of the A-frame arrester hook on the Vampire.

Some 30 months after pioneering deck operations with the Vampire, the author made the first landings in a twin-jet fighter on a British carrier when he flew this Meteor on to HMS Implacable in June 1948.

View of the Meteor F Mk 3 EE337 landing aboard HMS Implacable on 8 June 1948.

View of the Meteor F Mk 3 EE337 landing aboard HMS Implacable on 8 June 1948. The V-frame arrester hook about to pick up the No 2 wire, came from a Sea Hornet.