DH.103 Hornet - Rare museum exhibits of fighter aircraft with top speed of 480 miles per hour

At the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, we have a display consisting of some of the rarest aircraft components in the world. These fragments belong to an aircraft that Eric Brown called “second to none” - the little-known DH. 103 Hornet. It was exceptionally sleek and aerodynamic, with a top speed of over 480 miles per hour. It represents the ultimate in wooden “mosquito-type” aircraft designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Check out our web site and come to visit us where you can see this rare exhibit up close for yourself.

[@geoffspitfire5160]

Pioneer Aero at Ardmore Auckland NZ have some remains of a Hornet including a fuselage mould with the long term aim of resorting one to fly.

[@rattussapiens2854]

Came here to ask this question (close, anyway) about rebuilds/restorations/replicas. Not disappointed to hear your news…

[@unclemike8467]

narrator does a nice job: crisp, clear and low-key.

[@alantunbridge8919]

I was working at B.A.C. Stevenage 1966-8 & as we were on the flight path from Radlett used regularly to see Victor bombers,however I was surprised one day amongst these bombers to see what I thuoght was a Hornet,maybe from Hatfield. My father worked at D.H. Hatfield 1939-1951 on Mosquitoes & probably Hornets.

[@SimonWallwork]

They really should have preserved a couple...

[@simon-oy6um]

Like the westland wirlwind 😢

[@michaelguerin56]

@@simon-oy6umLook up the Westland Whirlwind replica project here on KZbin AND you will discover a more nuanced view than the typical regurgitated wartime propaganda. The Ministry bureaucracy clearly gave excessive design autonomy to Westland. There was some excellent design/engineering BUT ALSO some absolutely shit design/engineering that should have kept the as-built aircraft out of service. Nothing is perfect but it was a beautiful aircraft with unrealised potential.

[@Jones607]

I’ve always considered de Havilland to be the 1930s British equivalent of the Lockheed Skunk Works.

[@luckycruiser]

Its hard to believe that they could improve on the Mosquito, and even harder to believe nobody had the foresight to preserve one.

[@scroggins100]

Very interesting thank you and for all your work in preserving these lovely aircraft.

[@prs00001]

Great video, very interesting

[@BassFiddleify]

Very interesting, what a remarkable aircraft,,,all the best 👍🍀🛩️

[@johnjephcote7636]

I await someone in Australia or NZ constructing one from scratch. I was brought up near the DH engine factory at Leavesden and the factory at Hatfield. I remember mosquitos in the 1950s and although aware of the Hornet, never recall seeing one.

[@thunderace4588]

Thank you.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

That wood/metal bonding must have been very strong to contend with carrier landings.

[@14rnr]

Thank you

[@nicholasbell9017]

If the D.H.Hornet could talk, Like another famous fighter, Cassius Clay , it would proclaim: "I AM the prettiest".

[@raymondreeve7546]

What a beautiful aircraft.

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you. Good video.

[@deHavMuseum]

Glad you liked it!

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@stretchedits]

Hi, that was an interesting story, thank you. I wonder how overpowered this aircraft was, like a single seat Mosquito.............Would it have been a handful to fly I wonder? Thanks I really must come and visit the museum some time. All the very best Dave.

[@Luddite-vd2ts]

Search out video of Eric Brown's comments on this aircraft. I believe he referred to it as one of the best he ever flew. Capable of being looped on one engine, if I recall correctly.

[@jimstewart6720]

Came down from Scotland last Sunday to see museum. Unfortunately, there was a plastic model convention with benches and boxes of kits in front of most of the exhibits. Just check before you spend hours waiting for busses and trains to get there.

[@johnculver2519]

I like the ikea display jig.

[@martyn6792]

Brilliant video, nearly 500mph is fast, what did it carry, four 20mm cannon ?

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Eric 'Winkle' Brown said the Hornet was the best piston engined aircraft of ww2, and he flew nearly every allied and axis plane in the war.

[@jvisser57]

I did know some time ago of the location in Sydney of a left handed Hornet engine, presumably it was the starboard side. Where it is now I wouldn’t have a foggiest, but hopefully somewhere, somewhen it will be married up to a wing and fuselage…

[@Luddite-vd2ts]

10 years or so ago, I recall reading that someone in the UK had built a replica Hornet cockpit. What happened to that?

[@chuckaddison5134]

How about an episode on tne glue used to build these airplanes and the later derivitives or descendants of it.

[@keefymckeefface8330]

my grandad worked there- family lore about bringing glue home for DIY suggests it was an epoxy style 2 part then mix and cure sorta thing- so early epoxy,,?

[@spamhead]

Aero Research Ltd. developed synthetic resin adhesives in their plant in Duxford before WW2. I believe the name of wartime or just postwar Araldite is derived from the name of the company. I agree it would be very interesting to hear the full history of these developments.

[@danbenson7587]

Is there a reason the radar operator faced the tail? What comes to mind is it shields him from exhaust glare and perhaps the pilots instrument.

[@xanderunderwoods3363]

I can't believe there are none left :(

[@viking1236]

Perhaps what the Whirlwind could have been

[@jameswebb4593]

With more commitment , could the Hornet have been ready earlier and seen action over Europe.

[@fatarsemonkey]

If I had mega buck I would make one and park it next to my Mosquito which I would also make.

[@user-oj1nt7jn9g]

What was going through the mind of the person who scrapped the last Hornet?

[@francodimitsy989]

Short sightedness.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

FOLLOW THE ORDER. DO NOT THINK.

[@c123bthunderpig]

The British have always made excellent mission specific aircraft and were constantly improving performance over a short time line. The Mosquito , IMO, is one of the greatest aircraft built. Its ironic the Hornet had counter rotating propellers when the Mosquito did not. As a model builder I need to find a Hornet to build side by side the MOSSIE, it'd be like big brother next to little brother.

[@1982rrose]

So stupid when they don't retain samples.

[@Slaktrax]

If you can stop smacking your lips together and breathing heavily into the mic, you will garner more interest from the people with a genuine interest.

[@johndavey72]

Hadn't noticed myself . Perhaps you should show us how to narrate on you tube

[@06colkurtz]

Sick and tired of hearing about ERIC BROWN. He was an opinionated little man who created his own myth of greatness and like a lot of things that are BRITISH he is way overblown. Many of his personal opinions are total BS and sad to see. Let him lie.

[@brianaustin8989]

He still achieved more carrier landings than anybody else so earned the right to be self-opinionated. Nobody has surpassed his 2,400, even though an American flyer tried, but gave up at 1,500

[@robertpatrick3350]

Not very nice to attack a person who is unable to defend themselves. It’s highly unlikely that you’ve achieved anything comparable. How many planes have you tested? How are the carrier landing’s going?

[@user-wf5co6ct7l]

Can you back up your opinion with evidence or is that BS too? Before you blow a gasket, I’m not saying the Brits are perfect and no doubt some have overstated their contribution to events but I guess all nations have those type of people to contend with.

[@pcka12]

Eric Browne was a classic clever & pugnacious little Scot, the British were lucky to have him especially because he was a language student & fluent in German, in addition to which his dad was an airman in WW1

[@powerjets3512]

Being a total adrenaline junky, he was totally unaware of how catastrophically bad German jet engines were. Then there was the explosive Me 163, which he regarded as the only flyable flying wing.