Hawker Tempest

When the Hawker "Typhoon" demonstrated to be inadequate for an interception role, in 1941 it was decided to create a version of that plane to that role, initially called "Typhoon" Mk.II. At the beginning of 1942 this project was renamed "Tempest" and took advantage for the aborting of the "Tornado" project because it recieved the engines destinated to the development of that project. The "Tempest" Mk.I flew on 24 February 1943, but some problems with the Sabre IV engine convinced the developers to utilize the Sabre II on the "Tempest" Mk.V ; the first plane of this model (805 built) flew on 21 June 1943. This version was followed by Mk.II with Centaurus engine and a new aereodynamic profile in the nose. This plane was mainly utilized after the war (as F Mk.2 ) and remained in service until 1951. India and Pakistan bought respectively 89 and 24 exemplars in 1947-48.


	The Internet Museum of World War II Aviation \| home Great Britain \| Blackburn Roc \| Firebrand \| Defiant \| Beaufighter \| Mosquito \| Fairey Firefly \| Fairey Fulmar \| Gladiator \| Gloster Meteor \| Hawker Hurricane \| Hawker Tempest \| Hawker Typhoon \| Spitfire Hawker Tempest When the Hawker "Typhoon" demonstrated to be inadequate for an interception role, in 1941 it was decided to create a version of that plane to that role, initially called "Typhoon" Mk.II. At the beginning of 1942 this project was renamed "Tempest" and took advantage for the aborting of the "Tornado" project because it recieved the engines destinated to the development of that project. The "Tempest" Mk.I flew on 24 February 1943, but some problems with the Sabre IV engine convinced the developers to utilize the Sabre II on the "Tempest" Mk.V ; the first plane of this model (805 built) flew on 21 June 1943. This version was followed by Mk.II with Centaurus engine and a new aereodynamic profile in the nose. This plane was mainly utilized after the war (as F Mk.2 ) and remained in service until 1951. India and Pakistan bought respectively 89 and 24 exemplars in 1947-48.