Hawker Aircraft Limited
Hawker Tempest
Introduction date 11 September 1941
First flight 24 February 1940
Number built 1,702
Hawker Aircraft Limited Hawker Tempest
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| General information | |
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| Type | Fighter aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft |
| Primary users | Royal Air ForceIndian Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force Pakistan Air Force |
| Number built | 1,702 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | January 1944 |
| First flight | 2 September 1942 |
| Retired | 1953 |
| Developed from | Hawker Typhoon |
| Developed into | Hawker Sea Fury |
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History Hawker Aircraft Limited
Hawker Tempest
Introduction date 11 September 1941 First flight 24 February 1940
The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the Typhoon II, was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to address the Typhoon's unexpected deterioration in performance at high altitude by replacing its wing with a thinner laminar flow design. Since it had diverged considerably from the Typhoon, it was renamed Tempest. The Tempest emerged as one of the most powerful fighters of World War II and at low altitude was the fastest single-engine propeller-driven aircraft of the war. Upon entering service in 1944, the Tempest performed low-level interception, particularly against the V-1 flying bomb threat, and ground attack supporting major invasions like Operation Market Garden. Later, it successfully targeted the rail infrastructure in Germany and Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground, as well as countering similar attacks by German fighters. The Tempest was effective in the low-level interception role, including against newly developed jet-propelled aircraft like the Messerschmitt Me 262.
Design and development
During development of the earlier Hawker Typhoon, the design team, under the leadership of Sydney Camm, had already planned out a series of design improvements; these improvements culminated in the Hawker P. 1012, otherwise known as the Typhoon II or "Thin-Wing Typhoon". Although the Typhoon was generally considered to be a good design, Camm and his design team were disappointed with the performance of its wing, which had proved to be too thick in its cross section, and thus created airflow problems which inhibited flight performance, especially at higher altitudes and speeds where it was affected by compressibility. The Typhoon's wing, which used a NACA 4 digit series wing section, had a maximum thickness-to-chord ratio of 19.5 per cent (root) to 12 per cent (tip), in comparison to the Supermarine Spitfire's 13.2 per cent tapering to 6 per cent at the tip, the thinner design being deliberately chosen to reduce drag. In addition, there had been other issues experienced with the Typhoon, such as engine unreliability, insufficient structural integrity, and the inability to perform high altitude interception duties.
Variants
- Tempest Mk. I
- Prototype fitted with the Napier Sabre Mk. IV inline piston engine with oil coolers and radiators placed in the wing to reduce drag, one aircraft built.
- Tempest Mk. II
- Single-seat fighter aircraft for the RAF, fitted with the Bristol Centaurus Mk. V engine, the short-barrelled Hispano Mk. V cannons and the standard Mk. V tail-unit. The guns on the Tempest Mk. II had fewer cartridges compared to the Tempest Mk. V and Mk. VI (162 inboard and 152 outboard). 402 built by Hawker at Langley and 50 by Bristol Aeroplane Company, Banwell.
- Tempest F. Mk. II – (F.2) – Initial fighter version of the Tempest Mk. II. 100 built by Hawker and 50 by Bristol. Later upgraded to FB standard.
- Tempest F.B. Mk. II – (FB.2) – Later fighter-bomber version of the Tempest Mk. II with strengthened wings and underwing hardpoints for bomb and rocket pylons, among other smaller changes. 302 built by Hawke
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Photo Gallery
Hawker Aircraft Limited
Hawker Tempest
Introduction date 11 September 1941 First flight 24 February 1940
Hawker Siddeley Aircraft
Hawker Tempest
Introduction date 11 September 1941 First flight 24 February 1940
General Info
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- Crew: One
- Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.741 m)
- Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
- Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
- Wing area: 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
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Powerplant
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- Empty weight: 8,840 lb (4,010 kg)
- Gross weight: 11,400 lb (5,171 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 13,250 lb (6,010 kg) with two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
- Powerplant: 1 × Napier Sabre IIA, IIB or IIC H-24 liquid-cooled sleeve-valve piston engine, 2,180 hp (1,630 kW)
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- Sabre IIB: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW)
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Performance
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- Maximum speed: 422 mph (679 km/h, 367 kn) at 12,500 ft (3,800 m) with Sabre IIA & 4-bladed propeller
- Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
- Range: 510 mi (820 km, 440 nmi) with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs; 690 mi (1,110 km) "clean"; 1,090 mi (1,750 km) with two 45 imp gal (200 L; 54 US gal) drop tanks.
- Service ceiling: 31,800 ft (9,700 m)
Armament
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- Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk II cannon
- Rockets: 8 × RP-3 unguided air-to-ground rockets.
- Bombs: 2 × 500 lb (230 kg) or 2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
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Links to Youtube & Others
Only one complete Hawker Typhoon still survives: serial number MN235. Originally on display at the National Air and Space Museum (part of the Smithsonian Institution) in the United States, it was presented to the RAF Museum in Hendon
Hawker aircraft
Hawker Typhoon
Rather a large aircraft shall we say, for a single-engine fighter. Terrific power. Quite something to control.
Youtube Link
She roared, screamed, groaned and whined, but apart from being rather heavy on the controls at high speeds she came through her tests with flying colours
Read more in Hawker Siddeley Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer.
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