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The de Havilland Aircraft
Association of South Africa
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire and DH.115 Vampire
Type c/n SAAF serial / 1 Squadron code History
DH.100 Vampire FB5 201 AX-X
DH.100 Vampire FB5 202
DH.100 Vampire FB5 203
DH.100 Vampire FB5 204
DH.100 Vampire FB5 EP42784 205 Preserved SAAF Museum Port Elizabeth. Ex Fort Beaufort Military Museum
DH.100 Vampire FB5 206 AX-G
DH.100 Vampire FB5 EP42916 207 AX-K Preserved SAAF Museum Swartkop. Ex Air Force Gymnasium Gate Guard
DH.100 Vampire FB5 EP42917 208 AX-D Preserved SAAF Museum Ysterplaat. Ex Fort Klapperkop Military Museum
DH.100 Vampire FB5 209 Scrapped
DH.100 Vampire FB5 210 AX-A
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0489 211 To Rhodesia R8128 wfu 18/4/81. Imported to Australia 1988 - pole mounted outside shopping centre at Braybrook, State of Victoria, finished as RAAF A79-321.
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0513 212 Crashed 04/02/53
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0533 213 AX-N To Rhodesia R1833 w/o 21/10/76. Flt.Lt. Roy Hulley - Kutanga weapons range accident. Appears to have been pilot error.
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0538 214 Crashed 04/04/53
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0582 215 AX-Z To Rhodesia R8134 wfu 7/12/78. Flt.Lt Dave Bourhill - crashed on approach to Thornhill Airbase post air test. Appears to have been pilot error.
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0583 216 To Rhodesia R1829 wfu? A/c was flying up till March 1981 - possibly wfu about same time as 8128 as a/c was coming up for a 'Minor' servicing and that's when the phasing out of the type started. Imported to Australia 1988, currently in storage Old Aeroplane Company, Tyabb.
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0584 217 AX-T
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0585 218 AX-V Preserved SAAF Museum Ysterplaat. Ex AFS Voortrekkerhoogte Gate Guard
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0592 219 Preserved SAAF Museum Swartkop.
DH.100 Vampire FB6 V0593 220
DH.115 Vampire T11 15013 221 d/d 1952/3 To Rhodesia 13/12/72. In the UK. Alan Allen, Hemel Hempstead (Private, Cockpit Section)
DH.115 Vampire T11 15025 222 d/d 1952/3 Derelict at SAAF Museum. (Wonderboom?) Ex Denel Technical Academy
DH.115 Vampire T11 15041 223 d/d 1952/3 To Rhodesia R4323? 13/12/72. Brian Snyman reports "never flown, spares only. I believe it to be one of the early 'top hatch' canopy type a/c"
DH.115 Vampire T11 15043 224 d/d 1952/3 To Rhodesia R4324? 13/12/72.
DH.115 Vampire T51 15065 225 d/d 1952/3 Collision 27/03/1968
DH.115 Vampire T51 15077 226 d/d 1952/3 To Rhodesia R4325? 13/12/72.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0567 227 Preserved SAAF Museum?
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0574 228
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0581 229 d/d January 1952. To Rhodesia. Preserved SAAF Museum Swartkop. Ex 15 AD, AFS Snake Valley. Restored to static display as SAAF 229 by the Friends of the SAAF Museum Pretoria branch.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0599 230 Scrapped
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0678 231 Preserved Stellenbosch University (Stellenbosch Flying Club?) (Cockpit Section?)
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0600 232
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0605 233 Crashed 08/10/1954
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0679 234 To Rhodesia R1380. Preserved in Zimbabwe's Gweru Military Museum - last flight late 1981 early 82.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0615 235 Preserved AFB Langebaanweg, Cape Town. Gate guard
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0627 236 Crashed 23/09/1954
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0682 237 Force landed 16/03/1970
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0630 238
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0635 239 Crashed 18/06/1958
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0646 240
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0657 241 Preserved National Museum Bloemfontein. (On loan to Stellenbosch Flying Club?)
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0636 242 Thunder City, Cape Town pole mounted. Ex-Military Academy Saldhana
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0641 243
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0647 244
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0659 245 To Rhodesia R1835. Flew up till May 1982. One of the last to be retired. Imported to Australia 1988. Fully restored in RhodAF colours to taxi condition. Based at The Old Aeroplane Company situated at Tyabb on the Mornington Peninsular about 45 minutes from Melbourne.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0652 246 Crashed 24/11/1955
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0664 247
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0664 248 Preserved Museu do Ar in Portugal
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0668 249 To Rhodesia R1318. 18/01/1977 Engine failure near Gwelo, Air sub Lt N. Lamb force landed it in the bush. A/c scrapped.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0673 250 To Rhodesia R1386 w/o 23/11/1977. Air Lt. Phil Haigh - hit by ground fire whilst on Op Dingo, Chimoio terrorist training camp, Mozambique. He force landed the a/c but unfortunately hit a deep trench resulting in the disintegration of the a/c and Phil losing his life.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0674 251 To Rhodesia R1378 wfu 12/81. Imported to Australia 1988, currently in storage Old aeroplane Co. Tyabb.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0683 252 To Rhodesia R1382. Date wfu unknown but probably 2nd half of 1981. It was still flying March 1981. Imported to Australia 1988. Currently (January 2012) at Moorabbin Aircraft Museum, Victoria finished as RAAF Red Devils display a/c A79-417.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0689 253 Preserved NADS Devon. (Also reported as SAAF Museum, Swartkop, derelict store). Ex School For Technical Training Gate Guard
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0697 254 To Rhodesia R1388. Reported as never flown in Rhodesia, stored only, returned to RSA early 1980s. Cockpit section preserved SAAF Museum Swartkop.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0699 255 To Rhodesia R1839. Reported as never flown in Rhodesia, stored only, returned to RSA early 1980s before being donated to Israeli a/f museum, Hatzerim but displaying Lebanese markings.
DH.100 Vampire FB52 V0700 256 To Rhodesia R8140. Reported as never flown in Rhodesia, stored only, returned to RSA early 1980s.
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15431 257 7/54 to 5/56. Ex Test Flight & Development Centre (TFDC) from 1975 to early 1980s. Believe in storage SAAF Museum, Swartkop.
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15432 258 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15433 259 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15472 260 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15435 261 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15436 262 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15453 263 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 13/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15454 264 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia 11/12/72
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15486 265 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4221 17/12/70. Retired 1982. Imported to Australia 1988, restored to flying condition 2001 by Old Aeroplane Co. Tyabb, and is still airworthy. Finished in RRAF scheme, representing RRAF119 (R4032).
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15487 266 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R2424 14/7/71. Retired 1982, Imported to Australia 1988, currently in storage Tyabb.
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15488 267 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4126? 17/12/70
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15489 268 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4220 29/7/70. Retired in 1982. On display Gweru Military museum, Zimbabwe.
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15490 269 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4217 29/7/70 SCR 24/3/80. ZU-VAM / ZU-MES / RR417 / RR2417. Final RhodAF sortie back to RSA in 1980. Transferred to Atlas Aircraft Corp. Apprentice Training School for many years. Relocated to Wonderboom airport near Pretoria and currently (January 2012) under restoration.
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15491 270 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4219? 29/7/70
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15492 271 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R2418 14/7/71. SCR 14/8/79. Returned to RSA 1980, possibly by road from New Sarum. Derelict at SAAF Museum. (Cockpit Section).
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15493 272 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15494 273 7/54 to 5/56. w/o 3/8/1959
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15495 274 7/54 to 5/56. Hendrik Venter, Wonderboom, Pretoria (Rebuild). Ex Krugersdorp
DH.115 Vampire T55-1 15496 275 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4223?
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15497 276 7/54 to 5/56. SAAF Museum Swartkop
DH.115 Vampire T55-2 15498 277 7/54 to 5/56. To Rhodesia R4152 13/12/72. Final RhodAF sortie back to RSA early 1979. To SAAF Museum Swartkop. Flying December 2011. Registered as ZU-DFH
DH.115 Vampire T Mk 11 Sr 2 15392 N/A XE823, SR119, RRAF 403 (RhAF) R4032. Cockpit section stored at SAAF Museum Swartkop
de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB52 c/n V0636 SAAF 242
Photograph: Paul Dubois collection.
A total of 50 DH.100 and a total of 27 DH.115 Vampire aircraft was delivered to the South African Air Force

Contributions to the list below will be most welcome

Click on c/n for photographs where available

The list is sorted by SAAF serial
de Havilland DH.115 Vampire TMK55 c/n 15491 SAAF 270
Photograph: Noel Otten collection