The de Havilland Vampire is a model for the scenario, rather than an exact postwar design transplanted unchanged into the 1930s. Its historical speed, range, climb, and four 20 mm cannon show what a compact centrifugal-flow fighter could eventually offer after several development generations. A basic concrete runway would be adequate, so the aircraft would not require an impossibly elaborate airfield network. Its speed and range could also permit fighter bases farther from the coast while still supporting interception over the North Sea. Radar and fighter direction remain necessary to turn that performance into useful air defense.
Notable Point · 2:08:23-2:14:51
What a Vampire-like early jet could deliver
Historical Vampire performance provides a practical model for the second generation of aircraft produced by the accelerated turbine program.