De Havilland Vampire F 3 (1:48) - Loaded Dice

Airfix De Havilland Vampire F 3 (1:48)

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With the magnificent de Havilland Mosquito only just entering Royal Air Force service towards the end of 1941, designers at the company were next asked to turn their attentions to developing a new jet engine, one which was capable of powering a new generation of high speed fighter aircraft. Entrusted to the brilliant mind of engine designer Frank Halford, he was determined that his engine would be less complicated and of simpler design than the one being developed by his rival, Frank Whittle and he was ready to test his engine by April 1942. Showing great promise and producing the intended level of thrust, the only thing to do now was to see how it performed in the air.

 At a time when jet engine technology was still in its infancy and these early engines were both a little lacking in power and slow to respond to power input commands, de Havilland's decision to produce their first jet aircraft as a single engined design was a brave one and placed great faith in the performance of their new jet engine. The diminutive new aircraft was initially designated de Havilland DH.100 'Spider Crab', with this codename used to mask the secret nature of the aircraft's development. Constructed around the new de Havilland Goblin 1 turbojet, the aircraft featured a relatively short, egg shaped central fuselage nacelle and employed a unique twin-boom tail configuration for control stability which allowed the engine's thrust to egress directly from the central fuselage. With a requirement to take the pressure off the wartime aviation industry, this experimental aircraft had to be constructed of both wood and metal and it is interesting to note that the majority of the fuselage employed the same laminated plywood construction the company had perfected during Mosquito production.

Unfortunately for the de Havilland team working on the new jet, their Mosquito was proving to be such a war winner that this experimental project was deemed of lesser importance than producing Mosquitos, probably rightly so for Britain's war effort. To rub salt into this aviation wound, the first flight of the aircraft would be further delayed for an unbelievable reason - the only serviceable jet engine was ordered to be sent to America to help with the advancement of their own jet powered project. Mosquito production priority and a series of unforeseen delays eventually dictated that the Gloster Meteor's development outpaced that of its de Havilland competitor, with the Meteor taking the honour of being Britain's first jet aircraft to enter service and the only Allied jet of WWII.

 Making its first flight on 20th September 1943, de Havilland DH.100 'Spider Crab' LZ548/G took off from the company's Hatfield airfield in the hands of chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. Interestingly, the 'G' used in the identification code highlights the secret nature of the project and required that the aircraft must be guarded at all times whilst on the ground. This first flight lasted just over 30 minutes, during which time the aircraft exceeded 400mph and showed great promise, however, it would be April 1945 before a production aircraft would take to the air, by which time the new jet fighter had been christened the Vampire. Despite its protracted development, Britain's second jet fighter to enter service would prove to be something of a classic and is now regarded as one of the most successful early jet aircraft in the world.

The Vampire F.Mk.I entered Royal Air Force service in March 1946, to be followed by the revised and more capable F.3 just two years later. The Vampire F.3 was basically a longer range version of its predecessor, featuring increased internal fuel capacity and the ability to carry two external fuel tanks. This latest variant also differed visually, in that it incorporated taller and more rounded vertical stabilisers, a lowered horizontal stabiliser and distinctive 'acorn' fairings at the base of each vertical stabiliser. Although this was still relatively new technology, de Havilland cleverly designed the aircraft to be simple to maintain and operate, earning the aircraft an enviable reputation for reliability amongst air and ground crews alike and allowing more pilots to safely make the transition to jet powered flight. 

 With a number of significant firsts to its name, the Vampire was the first RAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph, with the extra range of the F.3 allowing this to be the first jet fighter to cross the Atlantic. The Vampire F.3's of No.32 Squadron were also the first RAF jet fighters to be deployed outside Northwest Europe and the first to operate in the higher temperatures of the Mediterranean. Without doubt, the de Havilland Vampire has to be considered one of the most important early jet fighters in the world.

*Free Shipping Exclusions

Please note, there are some free shipping exclusions such as spray paints or large and heavy items and the free shipping information bar at the top of the page may not reflect this. All products that are excluded from the free shipping will be indicated on their respective product pages or on the checkout page.

General Shipping Policy

At Loaded Dice we take pride in our shipping. You have made a purchase with us and we greatly appreciate it, we will do everything in our power to get your package to you as fast as possible.

There are unfortunately things beyond our control when it comes to shipping and this page aims to address some of the common issues we face, what to do if something goes wrong, and our promise to you.

Fast Dispatch

We have worked hard to provide a fast dispatch and shipping service. If you place an order with us by 2pm (weekdays) it will be picked, packed and shipped the same day.

Because of this, any cancellations and amendments must be made as fast as possible. 

Contact Us Here

All products are shipped via Royal Mail 48 Tracked as standard. Express service refers to Tracked 24 which usually means next working day, however this is not a guarantee. We apply a discretionary signed for service at no extra charge should the value of goods exceed a desired threshold set by us.

Shipping Rates (Excluding RM Prohibited Items)

Where possible we always keep postage and packaging rates as low as possible. We only pass on costs that are applied to us.

Our shipping rates are as follows:

Basket Total

Shipping Cost

Service

£0 - £79.99

£4.99

Royal Mail 48

£0 - £79.99

£5.99

Royal Mail 24

£80+

FREE

Royal Mail 48

£80 - £199.99

£1.00

Royal Mail 24

£200+

FREE

Royal Mail 24

 

Please note that we try our best to offer the most competitive shipping rates. Shipping fees incurred are only covering the cost of the shipping and packaging as charged by our third-party delivery company. In these cases, we have no alternative but to pass this shipping charge to our customers. Where possible, we subsidise the shipping charge and do not pass this to our customers.

Why hasn't my order shipped yet?

If it is after 2pm on a Friday, a weekend or bank holiday you must wait until the next working day before your item is shipped. Where possible we will aim to ship faster but we reserve the right to adhere to the policy.

During peak times we will pick and pack on Saturdays in order to meet our fulfilment commitment to you. In light of this you may receive a shipment notification on a Saturday but the parcel will not leave us until the Monday. Please be aware of this as it does not mean you will receive your parcel a day earlier.

If you think your order has not been dispatched we ask that you wait a day as there may be system delays that are out of our control.

If for whatever reason we cannot send your item in time we will contact you to discuss so please check your email (and spam folders).

Order Not Arrived?

At Loaded Dice, we always endeavour to get your products to you quickly and safely, from time to time, some deliveries may be delayed beyond our control and we would ask customers to be patient at this time if their package is delayed. Full details of your rights are below.

We strictly adhere to the following process:

  1. Please allow up to 7 days from when you receive your shipping notification to contact us as we cannot investigate prior to this. Once this amount of time has passed please email customerservice@loadeddice.uk. We do not investigate and may not respond to emails asking us to do so if 7 days have not passed
  2. If 7 days has passed we can then investigate with Royal Mail as to where your shipment may be, this may take up to 5 days to complete and is completely out of our control.
  3. If your item cannot be located then we must file a claim with Royal Mail and we will wait for the results of this claim prior to replacing or refunding.
  4. If a resolution cannot be reached and your item is still missing we reserve the right to wait for up to 90 days after purchase before issuing a replacement or refund.

Delivery Failure

If you fail to take delivery of the ordered goods and they are returned to us, we will contact you upon their arrival via email. A refund of the cost of goods (minus shipping fees) will be processed within 7 days unless you have notified us before then to advise that the goods are still required. If the goods are still required, you will be charged an additional shipping fee for a second delivery which will be agreed with you prior to dispatch.

Incorrect delivery address - the customer is entirely responsible for providing the correct delivery address as we ship exactly as it is written. We cannot physically check every address before sending out so please take care to fill it out correctly. Any packages returned to us due to an incorrect delivery address will be refunded (minus the postage cost). If a redelivery is required then payment will be required for the redelivery. We are also not responsible for any delays caused by having an incorrect delivery address.

Right to Cancel

As a consumer you have the right to cancel your order 14 days after your purchase. We advise that you contact us as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment.

The outcome of your cancellation depends on the timeframe that this is done within:

1) Cancellation prior to dispatch - Full refund (including shipping cost) will be processed as soon as we confirm it has not been shipped from our warehouse (normally if you have not received a dispatch notification).

2) Cancellation after dispatch but prior to delivery - Customer must refuse goods and refund will be given once it is received by Loaded Dice. Any shipping fees will not be refunded.

3) Cancellation after goods received (within 14 days or sooner) - Customer is liable for the return shipping cost, refund will be given once the item is received by Loaded Dice and any shipping fees will not be refunded.

Stock Outs

Usually everything displayed on our site as "In Stock" is present in our warehouse and available for immediate dispatch. In the unlikely event that any ordered goods are not readily available to us, we reserve the right to cancel your order. You will receive an email notification of any order cancellation as a result of stock out confirming that any pre-authorisation has been released or payment refunded as relevant in line with our Payment Terms, to the extent that the out-of-stock item forms part of a larger order, all other goods ordered by the customer will be dispatched in the normal way.

Delivery Timeframes

It is our objective to achieve on time delivery on all orders. We monitor our delivery partners and our experience is that delivery is successful within the chosen delivery time period in 99% of cases.

We can use a number of third-party courier service providers. Once dispatched, the on-time delivery of a package is the responsibility of the relevant courier company and Loaded Dice cannot be held responsible for a package not reaching its destination on time.

In order to avoid disappointment, we suggest that customers place orders well in advance of when they are required to allow for any unforeseen delays. We accept no responsibility for delays/loss of revenue to customer's projects/deadlines due to shipping delays.

Returns Policy (Online Only)

We accept all returns that adhere to your consumer rights and our policy, no quibble. 

All returns must be sent to:

Loaded Dice, 28 Holton Rd, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, CF63 4HD

Changed Your Mind?

Our policy has been written in accordance with Citizens Advice Guidelines.

If you have changed your mind and wish to return something for a refund you must follow this procedure:

  1. Notify us within 14 days of receipt of the item that you wish to return it. Please tell us your order number, name and which item(s) you are returning.
  2. Within another 14 days send the item(s) back to us (Address above) and include a note stating the order number and your name. The item must in an unused and resell-able condition. Any damage incurred to the item under your care may result in your refund being refused. We highly recommend using some kind of tracked or recorded service to prevent any shipment issues, we cannot take responsibility for any loss of parcels being returned to us.
  3. Once your item is received please wait while we inspect the item, this may take up to 7 days (but usually quicker) and we will process the refund which could take a further 3-5 days depending on your bank. We will notify you by email during this process.

Please note, any items returned to us due the customer changing their mind will be refunded minus original shipping fees we have incurred.

Faulty or Damaged Item

Our policy has been written in accordance with Citizens Advice Guidelines.

In the unlikely event that your item arrives damaged or faulty please follow this procedure:

  1. Notify us within 14 days of receipt that the item is faulty or damaged. Please tell us your order number, name, description of the fault and pictures if necessary.
  2. If we accept the return we will send you a return label via email.
  3. Within another 14 days send the item(s) back to us (Address above) and include a note stating the order number and your name.
  4. Once your item is received please wait while we inspect the item, this may take up to 7 days (but usually quicker) and we will process the refund which could take a further 3-5 days depending on your bank. We will notify you by email during this process.

Please note, any items returned to us due to the product being faulty will be refunded including the original shipping fees you have incurred.