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Hello, I’d like to suggest the first fighter jet used by the RCAF, the British Vampire. An aircraft whose service was short but impact was great.
History:
In January of 1941, Sir Henry Tizard would approach de Havilland Aircraft Company about designing a fighter around the new jet propulsion technology that was under development at that time. This would lead to the DH.100 which would have its first flight on the 20th of September 1943. Well, the order for the Vampire Mk I would be placed on the 13th of May 1944 but wouldn’t have its first flight until April of 1945. The Vampire Mk III would be built to address the need for greater range which would lead to drop tanks of 100/200 gallon capacities. It would also have other modifications like lowering the tailplane and reshaping the vertical surfaces of the tail. The wings would also be modified to help with low altitude performance, with the wing span reduced by 2ft and square-cut wing tips being adopted.
In 1946 Canada would receive a Vampire F.1 which they would use to evaluate in Edmonton at the Winter Experimental Establishment. This would lead to the Vamprie Mk III being selected as one of two types of operational fighters to enter service for the RCAF. The Vampire Mk III would first arrive in Canada on the 17th of January 1948 where it would be flown down to the Central Flying School where it would start as a training aircraft for RCAF Station in Trenton, Ontario. Canada would operate 86 Vampires Mk IIIs and it would be the first jet fighter to enter service with the RCAF with any significant numbers.
Well the Vampire would introduce Canadian pilots to jet propulsion, it also had the side effect of inducing them to other amenities. These would include cockpit pressurization and the tricycle landing gear setup. The Vampire would be a hit with the plots, with it being an easy aircraft to fly. It would gain the nickname “hot rod” due to its flight characteristics. The Vampire’s life in Canadian service would have it serve in both operational and reserve units, it would serve in these until the 1950s when they would be replaced with the Canadair-built Sabers. It would also serve the RCAF’s aerobatic team The Blue Devils who would fly airshows all over North America.
Specs:
Manufactured: 1949
Engine: One 3,100 lb thrust de Havilland Goblin D.Gn.2 turbojet
Maximum speed: 548 mph
Empty weight: 7,283 lb (3303 kg)
Maximum weight: 11,970 lb (5429 kg)
Span: 40 ft (12.2 m)
Length: 30 ft 9 in (9.4 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.6 m)
Wing area: 266 sq ft (24.7 sq m)
Armament:
Guns: 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannons.
Ordnance:
Rockets: 8 x 3 inch rockets
Bombs: 2 x 500 lb (225 kg)
Other: 2 x drop tanks
Sources
https://ingeniumcanada.org/aviation/artifact/de-havilland-dh100-vampire-3
DE HAVILLAND DH100 VAMPIRE F MK. III | The Hangar Flight Museum.
Canadian Warplanes 6: de Havilland DH.100 Vampire
https://canadianflight.org/content/de-havilland-vampire
https://caspir.warplane.com/asrc/acn/200001713/
de Havilland Vampire - Wikipedia
https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/de-havilland-vampire