The de Havilland Sea Hornet was a direct descendant of the Mosquito and developed as a naval version of the de Havilland DH.103 Hornet. It was a project started during WW2 as a follow on from the Mosquito with the intention of using the Hornet in the Far East, but the war ended before the aircraft went into production. The design was similar using the same plywood frame of the Mosquito, but as a single-seat twin-engine fighter intended to combat other fighters especially Japanese types. The first sixty F.1 Hornets entered RAF service in 1946. An improved version, the F.3 was the last production model with improved stressed wings to carry more ordnance including 1,000lb bombs and RP-3 rockets to add to the four, chin mounted Hispano Mk.V 20mm cannon. Hornets were used by four home-based RAF squadrons and three RAF squadrons in the Far East and saw operational service in the Malayan Emergency.
The Hornet was designed with Naval service firmly in mind and incorporated many features such as slow speed flying characteristics, ideal for deck landings. Several F.1’s were converted for the Royal Navy in1946 which underwent extensive trials aboard HMS Illustrious. All sea Hornets were powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin 133/134 engines each with 2,030hp driving a four bladed propeller. The props turned in opposite directions to allow for extra stability on deck take-off and landings. The wings were changed to accommodate the folding mechanism and a dorsal fillet on the tail. The lower fuselage was reinforced to allow for the V shaped arrestor hook and brackets fitted to the front inner wing to allow for catapult take-off. Internal FAA specs were met with many of the F.3 modifications incorporated. It went into production in 1946 as the Sea Hornet F.20 and entered service in 1947 with 801 NAS aboard HMS Implacable.
A night fighter version, the NF.21, was developed at the same time with ASH radar fitted in a thimble shaped nose radome and a second basic cockpit in the rear dorsal fuselage for the navigator/radar operator with access via a ventral trapdoor. Special flame dampening exhaust covers were fitted as well as a bubble rear canopy which gave excellent views but could be jettisoned in emergencies. The NF.21 was operated only by 809 NAS at RNAS Culdrose but transferred to HMS Vengeance in May 1951. However, it was not suitable for the Light Carriers and relocated to Malta where the Squadron was reequipped with the Sea Venom in 1954. The Sea Hornets were moved to the UK and stationed at the Airwork FRU, St. Davids in West Wales until late 1955.
The Sea Hornet also had a PR.22 version with cameras fitted instead of the Hispano cannon. 23 of these were completed for the FAA.
The whole Hornet/Sea Hornet project, although producing the fastest, most manoeuvrable and heavily armed twin piston engine fighter, had a very short lifespan being obsolete almost as soon as it was introduced owing to the introduction of the Meteor, Vampire/Sea Vampire and Venom/Sea Venom jet fighters. The RAF Hornets were removed from service in 1952 with the FAA aircraft being kept a little longer until 1954. Of the 374 built of all 7 versions, only one complete aircraft survives in New Zealand.
