Brief History
The Venom had come about after a UK Air Ministry requirement for a fast, maneuverable and capable fighter-bomber (FB) to replace the de Havilland Vampire, a late Second World War-era aircraft. The Venom's lineage lay in the aircraft it was intended to replace, which had been the second jet aircraft to enter service with the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor which did see service during WWII. In most respects, the Venom was quite similar to the Vampire, which included the sharing of the distinctive twin-boom tail and composite wood/metal structure, though the Venom did differ in parts.
The Sea Venom first flew on 2nd September 1949. Although in service long before the Sea Vixen its DH 112 design number was later than that of the Sea Vixen DH110. Fitted with Ghost engine, it entered Royal Navy service in 1953. Sea Venom aircraft were in action throughout the Suez campaign of 1956. In total, some 393 Sea Venoms were produced.
The FAW.22 was the final Royal Navy variant and was powered by the de Havilland Ghost 105 turbojet engine. Thirty-nine of this type were built in 1957/58. Some were later fitted out with Firestreak AA missiles.
In, Malta, the aircraft served the Royal Navy No750 squadron stationed at Hal Far for navigation training. Squadron 750 was the last RN squadron to operate this type of aircraft.
Restoring the aircraft
The purchase and transportation of this aircraft to Malta was made possible thanks to a kind donation made by one of the Museum's strongest supporters Mr. David Dolton. This aircraft was previously owned by Jet Age Museum which was located in Staverton Airfield in the U.K.
XG691 arrived at Malta Aviation Museum on Monday 19th, September in a dismantled state following a land/sea journey on a 40 foot trailer directly from UK.
Following extensive restoration works, the Sea Venom will join the museum's Royal Navy postwar jet aircraft collection, currently consisting of a Hawker Sea Hawk, a Glost Meteor T7, a Gloster Meteor NF14T and a DH VampireT11 aircraft.
Technical Specification
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Dimensions
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Performance
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| Span |
41ft. 8in |
Max.
Speed |
640 mph kit |
| Length |
33ft. 0in. |
Ceiling |
40,000 ft. |
| Height |
6ft. 8in. |
Range |
1,075 miles |
| Wing Area |
279 ft 26 M.D. |
Rate of Climb |
9000 ft/min |
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Power Plant
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Weights
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Type
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One 5,150-pound thrust D. H. Ghost 105 turbojet engine |
Empty |
9,202 lbs.
lb |
| Max. take-off |
15,310 lbs |
| Thrust |
4,850 lb 22 ken |
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Armament &
Equipment
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Four
20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons
Two Firestreak air-to-air missiles, or two 1,000-pound bombs, or eight rockets |
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