DH.89 Comet Mk.II Nightfighter
During the early years of the war, the RAF needed a quick to produce, cheap and overall efficient nightfighter to escort allied bomber fleets and intercept the Luftwaffe's raiders. De Havilland proposed a modified version of their Comet racing aircraft, and it was soon clear it was the perfect choice. Twin-engined for speed and versatility, light, to allow for heavy armament, it carried 2 crew, which meant it could carry a radar operator, and as it was an endurance racer, it had a huge range for escorting friendly bombers to and from their target. A prototype was knocked together in record time, with the prototype's first flight in October 1941, 2 months after the specification was issued. It performed admirably, equipped with 2 Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannons, and a Molins 57mm 6-pounder gun. Due to the armament packed into the nose, the radar had to be moved to the wings, causing some initial confusion but proved fine overall. It had an estimated combat range of well over 600 miles, without drop tanks, and a decent top speed thanks to its light weight and the 2 Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines it was equipped with, used up from surplus after the Westland Whirlwind was put out of production for being, well, rubbish. It ended service in 1952, after several years as a trainer aircraft. After a 6 month or so hiatus, I'm back! Just something quick, although it turned out better than expected, and I actually enjoyed making it. I've got another project in the works, although that's proving to be frustrating so it may be scrapped for something new. As usual, any suggestions for improvements and new projects are always welcome, thanks!
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Predecessor de Havilland DH.89 Comet II
- Created On Android
- Wingspan 43.9ft (13.4m)
- Length 35.6ft (10.8m)
- Height 14.3ft (4.4m)
- Empty Weight 8,497lbs (3,854kg)
- Loaded Weight 13,231lbs (6,001kg)
Performance
- Horse Power/Weight Ratio 0.309
- Wing Loading 34.0lbs/ft2 (165.8kg/m2)
- Wing Area 389.5ft2 (36.2m2)
- Drag Points 6835
Parts
- Number of Parts 151
- Control Surfaces 14
- Performance Cost 563
Great variation on the Comet.