The Tallmantz Vampire (N6878D)

[Lon Moer]

This is from an old Warbirds International article called "Before Warbirds"........

The stage name was actually "Johnny Skyrocket"....

[marine air]

I think the gold John Travolta Vampire later went to Dr. Bill Harrison of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After he sold it he told them not to fly it because it didn't have enough weight in the nose to correct the aft C.G. problem from removing the guns. Anyway, they did and died. That airplane is gone. Also, Dr. Harrison was one of the "money Guys" behind Red Stevenson the aircraft broker that kept about 100 airplanes for sale , was a cash buyer , and would take any other airplane on trade. SO, Red Stevenson was probably also an owner of the Travolta DH Vampire.

[JohnB]

Holligan2 and Paul..
Thanks for the link.
Great to know I didn't imagine that project. I recall the 1968 version and was surprised when it (and Morgan) came back for another try in the '80s.

Coincidentally, I was talking about the Vampire biz-jet concept, earlier this week. I was at the excellent de Havilland museum at London Colney and while examining a Vampire mentioned the project to my host, a former RAF airframe/avionics fitter who has an interest in warbirds and extensive experience with military attack/fighter aircraft.
As you might suspect, he thought the plan was madness.

One similar plan the Canadian magazine did not mention was a plan to adapt the Douglas F3D/F-10 Skyknight into a bizjet.
I have seen it briefly mentioned in just a couple of sources, but it is not mentioned in my many Douglas books nor in Heinemann's autobiography.
I can't recall if it would have used existing or new airframes.
If nothing else, I could see the Navy having some interest as a mini-COD (or a carrier capable VIP or EW) ship.
Lacking more information on it, I suspect the project didn't go very far.

[Chris Brame]

Sister ship to Morgan's Vampire T.35, the almost-identical N11932 (A79-654):

Apparently a survivor?

[aerovin]

Croton-on-Hudson, not Corton. I live in that area.

Corrected...

Scott, just had a look at the Tallmantz Vampire page. Just wondering about the red & white P-51 on the "derelicts row" at Orange Co. Was it N5451V?

No info on the red and white P-51 that long sat at the south end of Orange County...eventually moved to the north end...and eventually flown out. You would think I would have gotten a photo of it at some point but never did.

[Lon Moer]

Sister ship to Morgan's Vampire T.35, the almost-identical N11932 (A79-654):

Apparently a survivor?

I don't now anything about the "Mystery Jet" operation...

N11925

N11932

[bdk]

Curiously, JetCraft was building the Vampire Biz-Jet at Chino Airport in the early 1980s. They were in an open field just south of where Yanks is now. They had a few containers with some tarps between them for shade. The fuselage structure did look quite substantial, but the concept seemed a bit ridiculous to me.

[H.Finn]

Here is N6878D at Fort Lauderdale Executive in September 1996

[H.Finn]

1-dh100n6878d.jpg

Here is N6878D at Fort Lauderdale Executive in September 1996

[aerovin]

I just updated my Tallmantz Vampire page.

https://www.aerovintage.com/tallmantz-aviation/tallmantz-projects/

JD Davis located the Kraft Suspense Series The Kamchatka Incident on YouTube so I was able to add some screenshots of the Vampire and an unidentified (as yet) DC-7 in air-to-air filming near the Channel Islands off of southern California at some point in 1964. Also seen in the episode are possibly some background shots at Litchfield Park (seen out the window during the DC-7 takeoff)...perhaps outtakes from the earlier filming of Lady Takes a Flyer?

The exterior shots of the DC-7 takeoff itself looks to me like a northbound departure (Runway 3 then) from Orange County Airport (Santa Ana) where Tallmantz was based but that's just a guess. Note the DC-7 is offset well left of centerline to allow the following B-25 cameraship to use the right side of the runway for filming the takeoff...the same technique used by Paul Mantz to film the B-36 takeoff in Strategic Air Command.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/TsEDUYbmZEA?si=x2TDpfFzcn4oaftJ

[jdvoss]

Scott:
FYI,

I was reviewing this file on the Tallmantz Vampires i ran across one of 'my photos' taken at Orange County airport. It's the all white N6885D parked in front of a hangar. There was another identical marked aircraft just beyond. I still have the original 35 mm color slide....

johnV

[aerovin]

This one? If so, you already generously gave his to me.