In the early days of the jet era, the aviation engineers at de Havilland came up with a remarkable type, second only to the renowned Gloster Meteor: the Vampire. The iconic aircraft was not only the second jet fighter to join the ranks of the Royal Air Force, but it was also the very first to be powered by a single jet engine.

Back in May of 1944, the RAF made the decision to produce the Vampire as an interceptor aircraft, and within two years, it was already in operational service.

With its sleek twinboom design and powerful single engine, the Vampire quickly made a name for itself in the aviation world as it took off to the skies, ready to achieve numerous aviation firsts and break several records.



Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, topsecret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.