De Havilland DH 108
The de Havilland DH108 Swallow was an experimental aircraft of the British aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Aircraft Company, was the designer Ronald Bishop. With this designed as a flying wing model experiences should be collected at high speeds. The three built aircraft crashed over from a few years, the test pilots lost their lives. Then they gave the revolutionary concept again.
History
The machines were built as a single-seat research aircraft. As a basis, the engine and the body of the Vampire served. The swept-back wings developed on the basis of captured German documents. The DH108 flew faster than other contemporary jet fighter. The first flight took place on 15 May 1946. In the course of time, various modifications and adjustments to the three prototypes were made.
The crash of the first machine cost Geoffrey de Havilland Junior September 27, 1946, the life. He had previously reached on the flight preparation for a planned record flight just under Mach 0.9. 1948 broke through the second prototype in a little more controllable dive for the first time the sound barrier, but in the same year, an American F -86 Sabre succeeded. The same machine set on a 100 - km round course record. She fell a short time later due to a faulty oxygen system from which cost the life of the second pilot. A few years later the third aircraft was lost along with its pilot.
Although the DH108 Swallow proved unsuccessful, nevertheless were incorporated important insights into future projects.