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The
45 aircraft type D H 115 Vampire T.55 (Trainer Mk 55) aircraft
were bought from de Havilland Co. in three different sub-versions. 12 J
28B were rebuilt to J 28C standard in Sweden. The C-version version was
first developed by de Havilland as a night fighter (D H 113). When this
version showed itself difficult to put on the market, the manufacturer
developed it further to an advanced trainer, keeping the armament of
four 20 mm automatic cannons. It could also carry rockets. This
two-seated aircraft (side-by-side arrangement) were purchased to improve
the training after a row of serious crashes. The aircraft were delivered
directly to the Swedish fighter wings. The first 30 aircraft were
original T.55. The last 15 British-built Vampires were of the modified
T.55A version, which lacked armament. When the
Air
Force Flight Academy (F 5)
at Ljungbyhed needed more two-seated jet aircraft, twelve J 28B/A 28 B
from the attack Wing F 14 at Halmstad, were rebuilt by the Air Force own
workshop CVM at Malmen. The Vampires ended their career in the Swedish
Air Force as trainers, not least for senior officers to give them
experience of jet aircraft. The trainer Vampires were re-designated fpl
28 (fpl=flygplan=Aircraft).
Note that this was
an inofficial designation - many Swedish aviation historans do not
regard it as correct to speak about any Sk 28.
The
aircraft used the Goblin III engine (1.500 kp). These engines were
manufactured in Sweden by Svenska Flygmotor AB and got the Swedish
designation RM 1A.
Photos
from airshow at Ljungbyhed 1967. Photo at top: Aircraft # 28451. Photo
below: Aircraft # 28425.
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