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Britain's Hawker Tempest fighter1,2,3
Hawker Tempest fighter:
Hawker Tempest fighter:
Hawker Tempest Mk V B fighter:
Hawker Tempest fighter. captured by Germans:
Design
The Hawker Tempest was to be an improved Hawker Typhoon.1 Sydney Camm designed the Tempest.2 It was to have a new wing and more powerful engine.1
Wings
The designer of the Hawker Tempest, Sydney Camm, said that he designed the Tempest's particular wing shape because of the RAF's fixation with the Spitfire.1 The wing was a thin elliptical, laminar flow design.1,3
Fuselage
The forward fuselage contained the Tempest's engine and fuel tanks.1,3 It also was formed from a rigid rectangular tubular structure.1 The rear fuselage was a monocoque structure with oval frames, longitudinal stringer, and stressed skin.1
Propeller
The four bladed propeller, a de Havilland Hydromatic constant speed, was on a large spinner.1
Cockpit
The cockpit was a single piece bubble canopy that had bulletproof glass.1 There was armor plating in front of and behind the pilot.1
Tail
The tail was a cantilever all metal unit with a dorsal fin extension.1 The rudder was fabric covered and the tail plane and fin were stress skin covered.1 All the control surfaces had trim tabs.1
Prototype
The first Hawker Tempest to fly, the Mk V, was converted from a Hawker Typhoon.1 The prototype first flew on September 2, 1942.2,3
Production
The first production Tempest flew in June 1943.3
- Tempest Mk II: 4523
- Tempest Mk V: 8053
- Tempest Mk VI: 1423
- Total: 8002, 1,4001, 1,4183
Variants
- Tempest Mk I: Sabre IV engine.3
- Tempest Mk II: Had Bristol Centaurus engine.1,2,3 Was intended to fight the Japanese, but the war ended before it was ready for operational use.1,2 Entered service in 1946.1
- Tempest Mk IV: Rolls-Royce Griffon.3
- Tempest Mk V: The first to be produced.1
- Tempest Mk V Series 1: Four long barrelled 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannons.2,3 First 100 produced.3
- Tempest Mk V Series 2: Four short barrelled 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannons.2,3
- Tempest Mk VI: Had a Sabre V engine and a bigger radiator for use in the tropics.1
Usage
Britain and New Zealand used the Tempest.3
Pilots said that the Tempest was maneuverable, pleasant to fly, with no major handling faults.1
It was found that the Tempest could take a lot of hits and would still be flyable.1
The top Tempest ace, with 11 aircraft kills, was the American D. C. Fairbanks who was a member of the RAF.1
Total aircraft kills for all Tempests were 240 German planes, 80 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, 115 Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, and 11 / 203 Messerschmitt Me 262s.1
Tempest were used for taking down German V-1 rockets and are credited with 638.1,2,3 On Tempest pilot shot down 60.1
First Use
The No 3 and No 486 Squadrons received the Tempests in April 1944.1,2
Squadrons
The Royal Air Force (RAF) had 113 / 12 squadrons equipped with Tempests.2
After War Use
The Tempest was in service with the RAF until July 1955, as target tugs.1
| Hawker Tempest Mk II1 | Hawker Tempest Mk V1,2,3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fighter1,2 Fighter-bomber1,2,3 |
|
| Crew | 11,2 | |
| Engine (Type) | Bristol Centaurus Mk V piston1 | Napier Sabre II piston2 Napier Sabre IIA/B "H" piston1 Napier Sabre IIA3 |
| OR | Napier Sabre IIB3 | |
| OR | Napier Sabre IIC3 | |
| Cylinders | 241 | Inline2 241 "H" 243 |
| Cooling | ||
| HP | 2,3661 | 2,1801,2 IIA: 2,1803 IIB: 2,2003 IIC: 2,2603 |
| Propeller blades | 41 | 41,3 |
| Dimensions | ||
| Span | 41'1,2,3 12.5 m1,2,3 |
|
| Length | 33' 8"2,3, 34'1 10.26 m1,2,3 |
|
| Height | 16'1, 16' 1"2,3 4.9 m1,2,3 |
|
| Wing area | 302 ft2 1,2 28.06 m2 1,2 |
|
| Weight | ||
| Empty | 8,980 lb1, 9,000 lb2, 9,250 lb3 4,082 kg1,2, 4,196 kg3 |
|
| Loaded | 13,412 lb1, 13,540 lb2, 13,640 lb3 6,142 kg1,2, 6,187 kg3 |
|
| Performance | ||
| Speed at sea level | 392 mph3 631 kph3 |
|
| Speed @ 4,600' / 1,400 m |
416 mph3 669 kph3 |
|
| Speed @ 17,000' / 5,182 m |
435 mph3 700 kph3 |
|
| Speed @ 18,500' / 5,640 m |
425 mph1 686 kph1 |
|
| Speed @ 18,500' / 5,660 m |
426 mph2 685 kph2 |
|
| Cruising speed | 210 mph3 338 kph3 |
|
| Climb | 4,700'/minute3 1,432 m/minute3 |
|
| Climb to 15,000' / 4,570 m |
5 minutes2 | |
| Climb to 20,000' / 6,096 m |
6.1 minutes3 | |
| Service ceiling | 36,000'3, 36,500'1, 38,000'2 10,973 m3, 11,125 m1, 11,580 m2 |
|
| Range | 740 miles1,2,3 1,190 km2,3, 1,191 km1 |
|
| Ferry range | 1,530 miles3 2,462 km3 |
|
| Armament | ||
| Wings | 4: 20 mm2,3 4: 20 mm Hispano Mk V1 |
|
| Bombs - wing racks | 2: 500 lb1 2: 227 kg1 |
|
| OR | 2: 1,000 lb1,2,3 2: 454 kg1,2,3 |
|
| OR | ||
| Rockets | 8: 60 lb1,2,3 8: 3"2 8: 27 kg1,2,3 3: 0.762 m2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
