The de Havilland Aircraft Company DH.112 Venom was a post-war single-engined jet fighter. It was a development of the DH.100 Vampire but with a thinner wing section and wing leading edge sweep. It was also designed around the more powerful DH Ghost engine, rather than the Vampire's DH Goblin and can readily be distinguished by its additional wingtip fuel tanks.
Two prototypes were built, these being modified Vampire FB.5 aircraft. The first prototype (VV612) was first flown on 2nd September 1949 by de Havilland Test Pilot John Derry, before delivery to Boscombe Down for official trials and evaluation. During these trials the aircraft outperformed many of the contemporary fighters in mock battles. The second prototype (VV613), first flew on 23rd July 1950 before joining the flight test programme in April 1951. Production Venoms were all fitted with a lengthened tailplane which extended beyond the width of the twin tailbooms.
The initial service variant was the DH Venom FB.1 of which 375 were built and entered service with the RAF in Germany in mid-1952. de Havilland also built a two-seat nightfighter version of the Venom, mating a fuselage of the DH.100 Vampire NF.10 to DH.112 Venom wings with in a 'side-by-side' cockpit configuration. The first prototype (G-5-3) was built as a private venture and flew for the first time on 22nd August 1950.
Ninety production aircraft were ordered for the RAF as the DH.112 Venom NF.2, the first of these flying on 4th March 1953. The Venom NF.2 was powered by the 4,950 lbst DH Ghost 104 turbojet and some aircraft were fitted with the frameless canopy and larger fins of the Vampire T.11, these being designated as the DH.112 Venom NF.2A.
The later Venom NF.3 (129 built) featured an improved Westinghouse AN/APS-57 radar and other features of the Venom FB.4. A two-seat nightfighter variant was also exported to Sweden as the DH112 Venom NF.51 with 62 being delivered and known as the Type J33 when in Swedish service. The Venom FB.4 introduced the more powerful DH Ghost 105 engine. It was also fitted with a Martin Baker Mark 1F ejector seat and cockpit air conditioning. The FB.4 also introduced larger, squarer tailfins, with a rear ‘acorn’ fairing and power-boosted ailerons and rudders. 150 were built and most remaining FB.1 aircraft were also upgraded to FB.4 standard. The Venom was armed with four 20-millimetre Hispano V cannons and carried upto 2,000lb of external stores. These would typically comprise two 1,000lb bombs or eight rockets, or drop tanks.
The aircraft served in many theatres including the hotter climates of Cyprus, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Throughout the 1950s, Venoms were dispatched to all corners of the British Empire and four aircraft set a new speed record, flying between Iraq and South Africa, covering the 807 miles in just 1 hour 23 minutes. In service, the Venom encountered issues with handling at high Mach numbers and with structural failures. These combined to limit the type’s service career with the RAF and saw it replaced in service by the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. The last RAF Venom FB.4s were retired in 1962.
The Venom was exported to Iraq and Switzerland (FB.50) and 60 of the nightfighter version were sold to Sweden as the NF.51. The last export version was the FB.54, which was sold to both Venezuela and Switzerland. 250 Venom (150 FB.1 and 100 FB.54) were built under licence in Switzerland. Outside the UK, Swiss Air Force Venoms were the most prolific and remained in service until around 1984 with many being fitted with a turned-up nose. The Swiss also cleared the type to carry a wider range of underwing stores including a reconnaissance pod.
The DH.112 Sea Venom was designed for aircraft carriers and operated by the Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm), Royal Australian Navy and the French Aeronavale (the French Naval Air Wing). It was derived from the Venom NF.2 with folding wings, a strengthened undercarriage and an arrester hook. Royal Navy variants were the Sea Venom FAW.21, FAW.21 and FAW.22. Three Sea Venom prototypes were followed by 50 Sea Venom FAW.20s, the first flying in March 1953. These featured the DH Ghost 103 engine, AI.10 radar and a clear-view canopy like that introduced on the Venom NF.2A. The Sea Venom FAW.20 entered service in 1954.
The first of 167 Sea Venom FAW.21s flew on 22nd April 1954 and featured a DH Ghost 104 engine, Westinghouse AI.21 radar, a canopy with a bulged top to improve headroom and power-boosted rudders and ailerons. The tailplane extensions outboard of the tailfins were deleted. 39 Sea Venom FAW.22s were built in 1957-58, featuring the 5,150 lbst DH Ghost 105 engine and improved AI.22 radar; after delivery many FAW.22s were fitted to carry DH Blue Jay (later Firestreak) air-to-air missiles (AAMs). The Royal Navy obtained a total of 256 DH112 Sea Venoms of all types and a number participated in the Suez Crisis in 1956 operating in a ground attack role.
39 aircraft were exported for use by the Royal Australian Navy, being designated Sea Venom FAW.53. The Sea Venom was also built under licence in France as the Sud Est Aquilon. The French initially procured four FAW.20 aircraft in kit-form and these were assembled by Sud Est, the first flying on 20th February 1952. They were followed by 25 Aquilon.20s built to a similar specification. A single prototype Aquilon.201, fitted with ejection seats and a new sliding canopy, was followed by production of the Aquilon.202, of which 25 were built. The Aquilon.203 featured a US-built AN/APQ-65 radar with 40 aircraft built. Six unarmed Aquilon 204 radar trainers were also produced.