"The de Havilland Hornet was undoubtedly the ultimate in piston-engine fighter design, carrying on the graceful family line up to the jet age. It was the fastest piston-engine aircraft produced as a working aeroplane, and, were there still an airworthy example of this classic aeroplane in existence, it
would have no doubt roared round the Reno pylons well up with the rest of the field". Thus began Philip Birtles article on the Hornet in the December 1974 issue of Aeroplane Monthly magazine.
Despite the resurgence in aircraft preservation and restoration in the intervening 24 years, those words could have been written today but little thought was given to such matters when the last Hornets were being chopped up in the late fifties.
With over 4,000 h.p. at its disposal and with a beautifully clean airframe, the Hornet's weight compared with that of a late P-47 (despite having two engines) and the achievement of 472 m.p.h at 22,000 feet did not come as a surprise. The Hornet gave valuable service in the Far East particularly and was highly regarded by its pilots.
The model depicts WF966, OV-B, the last but one F Mk 3 to be built, which served with 45 Squadron based at Tengah, Singapore, but carries the markings of 19 Squadron. Every effort has been made to make the model as accurate as possible. I would have liked to include visible flaps but if anyone knows how this can be done without problems on either side of underslung nacelles I shall be pleased to hear from you !
The Merlin sound package produced by Mike Hambly/Dan Hapgood which is available at FlightSim.Com is recommended for use with this plane. Dave Haskell is releasing a Hornet panel concurrently which adds still more realism for those who like to get strapped in.
This model is released on a one-to-one basis as freeware and may not be used for any other purpose without the permission of the author.
Chris Lampard, Didcot, England
31st December 1998
(cmdl1650@aol.com)
