December 2025
De Havilland DH.110
Link to Website Index: 
De Havilland DH.110
Unbuilt Protoype -
FROG 1955 issue -
The DH.110 was de Havilland's last twin boom design. Beset by development problems at the start, the RAF abandoned it in favour of the (even more troublesome) Gloster Javelin. However, the Fleet Air Arm recognised its potential for carrier operations and adopted it, as the superb Sea Vixen.
Development of the DH110 started in 1949 and it first flew 2 years later. In September 1952 at the Farnborough Air Show, whilst maneuvering hard at the end of a supersonic run toward the crowd, the first DH110 prototype disintegrated in the air, killing pilot John Derry and test observer Anthony Richards instantly. As the airframe broke up, the DH110's engines and cockpit section continued into the crowd, killing 29 spectators and injuring over 60. In the wake of the disaster, strict airshow rules were introduced for all British Air Shows to prevent aircraft flying toward the crowd.
After a redesign of the wing structure, flight testing resumed in 1954; XF828, the
first semi-
Refurbishing the 1955 FROG DH.110 Kit
This kit is a definite mish-
The decals give the serial number as XF830, which is a non-
Since I already have a representation of XF828, this left me with a choice; complete
it unchanged as the imaginary XF830 (as FROG intended), or backdate it to WG240,
either in the naval colour scheme, or even the all-
As with the Venom, the existing paint came off very easily, and most of the inappropriate rivets were removed at the same time. Some of the rough looking joints turned out to be very sound once sanded back, such that I avoided needing much filler beyond a smear of Tippex on the port nose.
The undercarriage was long gone, albeit that the outer gear doors were still attached. However, this is no problem because FROG didn't provide any undercarriage bays, so "wheels up" it is.
The canopy was a bit more of a conundrum -
Paint, as always is hand-
As with the Venom, this has been a fun refurbishment of an historic and genuinely
antique kit from days gone by. It’s not as nice a kit as the Venom -
I wonder what December’s Flea Market will bring?
This is the 2nd of my £1 Flea Market Bargains, an original 1955 mould FROG De Havilland DH110 kit. As with last month's Venom, it seems to have been built and painted to a reasonable standard, but is showing the ravages of its 50 years of existence. As before, I wouldn't dare build an original one, but this was ripe for refurbishment and TLC !
This FROG kit was a bit luckier than the Venom as it continued to be released up until 1968, with the "new" Sea Vixen kit replacing it in 1976, just before FROG folded. No news of the whereabouts of its mould, but since the last issue was in New Zealand, from where a number of moulds were alleged to have been lost at sea on their way to Hong Kong, I think its fair to assume that this one no longer exists!
.
Link to Website Index:
Link to many more experimental aircraft models on my Research Pages
For more Sea Vixen/DH.110 models, have a look at my Flight Deck Pages
Above -
Below -
Above -
