Canadian Warplanes 5: Hawker Tempest Mk. II

Hawker Tempest Mk. II

(SDASM Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II prototype in flight in the UK, c1945.

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 Mk. 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 the Second World War, 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 in the ground attack role, 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. The further-developed Tempest Mk. II did not enter service until after the end of hostilities. It had several improvements, including being tropicalised for combat against Japan in South-East Asia as part of the Commonwealth Tiger Force. (Wikipedia)

As a result of the termination of the Tornado project, Sydney Camm and his design team transferred the alternative engine proposals for the Tornado to the more advanced Tempest. Thus, it was designed from the outset to use the Bristol Centaurus 18 cylinder radial engine as an alternative to the liquid cooled engines which were also proposed. A pair of Centaurus-powered Tempest Mk. II prototypes were completed. Apart from the new engine and cowling, the Tempest Mk. II prototypes were similar to early series Tempest Mk. Vs. The Centaurus engine was closely cowled and the exhaust stacks grouped behind and to either side of the engine: to the rear were air outlets with automatic sliding "gills". The carburettor air intakes were in the inner leading edges of both wings, an oil cooler and air intake were present in the inner starboard wing. The engine installation owed much to examinations of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and was clean and effective. On 28 June 1943, the first Tempest Mk. II, (Serial No. LA602), was flown powered by a Centaurus IV (2,520 hp/1,879 kW) driving a four-blade propeller. LA602 initially flew with a Typhoon-type fin and rudder unit. This was followed by the second, (Serial No. LA607), which was completed with the enlarged dorsal fin and first flew on 18 September 1943: LA607 was assigned to engine development.

The first major problem experienced during the first few flights was serious engine vibrations, which were cured by replacing the rigid, eight-point engine mountings with six-point rubber-packed shock mounts. In a further attempt to alleviate engine vibration, the four-blade propeller was replaced with a five-blade unit; eventually, a finely balanced four bladed unit was settled on. Problems were also experienced with engine overheating, poor crankshaft lubrication, exhaust malfunctions and reduction-gear seizures. Because of these problems, and because of the decision to "tropicalise" all Tempest Mk.IIs for service in the South-East Asian theatre, production was delayed.

Orders had been placed as early as September 1942 for 500 Tempest Mk.IIs to be built by Gloster but in 1943, because of priority being given to the Typhoon, a production contract of 330 Tempest Mk. IIs was allocated instead to Bristol, while Hawker were to build 1,800. This switch delayed production even more. On 4 October 1944, the first Tempest Mk. II was rolled off the line; the first six production aircraft soon joined the two prototypes for extensive trials and tests. With the end of the Second World War in sight, orders for the Tempest II were trimmed or cancelled; after 50 Tempest Mk. IIs had been built by the Bristol shadow factory near Banwell, production was stopped and shifted back to Hawker, which built a total of 402, in two production batches: 100 were built as fighters, and 302 were built as fighter-bombers (FB II) with reinforced wings and wing racks capable of carrying bombs of up to 1,000 lb.

Physically, the Tempest Mk. II was longer than the Tempest Mk. V (34 ft 5 in (10.49 m) versus 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m) and 3 in (76 mm) lower. The weight of the heavier Centaurus engine (2,695 pounds (1,222 kg) versus 2,360 pounds (1,070 kg) was offset by the absence of a heavy radiator unit, so that the Tempest II was only some 20 pounds (9.1 kg) heavier overall. Performance was improved; maximum speed was 442 mph (711 km/h) at 15,200 ft (4,600 m) and climb rate to the same altitude took four and a half minutes compared with five minutes for the Tempest Mk. V; the service ceiling was also increased to 37,500 ft (11,400 m). Tropicalising measures included the installation of an air filter and intake in the upper forward fuselage, just behind the engine cowling, and the replacement of the L-shaped pitot head under the outer port wing by a straight rod projecting from the port outer wing leading edge. All production aircraft were powered by a (2,590 hp (1,930 kW) Centaurus V driving a 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) diameter Rotol propeller. Tempest Mk. IIs produced during the war were intended for combat against Japan and would have formed part of Tiger Force, a proposed British and Commonwealth long-range bomber force based on Okinawa to attack the Japanese home islands. The Pacific War ended before they could be deployed. (Wikipedia)

(IWM Photo, COL 44)

Royal Air Force Hawker Tempest Mark II aircraft lined up beside the runway at the Hawker Aircraft Ltd factory at Langley, Berkshire, UK, c1945.

(Sledge9c195 Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Paulmaz Photo)

Hawker Tempest II (Serial No. PR536), preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum London, Hendon, London.

Hawker Tempest Restoration Projects

(Mike Siemens Photos)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW376) is being restored at Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia. Built in 1944, this ex-Indian Air Force Tempest is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 instead of the type's Bristol Centaurus. It is being made airworthy.

This Bristol-built Tempest served with the RAF as MW376, and was transferred to Hawkers in May 1948, along with 113 other Tempests. These were refurbished, fitted with long range fuel tanks, and sold to the Royal Indian Air Force in 1948 and delivered as HA564. It's thought to have served with No. 4 Squadron.

MW376 is one of seven ex-Indian Air Force Tempests recovered in 1979 by Doug Arnold and Warbirds of GB Ltd. It was transfered to Tangmere Flight, UK, in 1980, Chris Horslet in 1988 and to a syndicate in Stamford in 1990. Restoration work on this aircraft began in 1991 at Spanhoe, Lincolnshire, in the hands of Windmill Aviation, and the project was registered G-BSHW. Restoration work was halted in 1993, and it was then stored at Audley End. In 1996 it was sold to Phillipe Dennis, in Romans, France. In 2000 it was acquired by Jim Perry and was stored in France. In March 2012 MW376 was sold by Airborne Attitude to Eric Hertz, NZ, and was going to be restored to flying condition by Pioneer Aero NZ. But in late March 2013, Eric Hertz was killed in an airplane crash and the project was sold to KF Aerospace, Canada. The work now continues to get the MW376 back in the air.

(RAF Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. LA607).

(Author Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. LA607), Reg. No. N607LA, HF-T. Fantasy of Flight, Kermit Weeks Collection, 1400 Broadway Boulevard, S.E. Polk City, Florida.

(Author Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. LA607), Reg. No. N607LA, HF-T. Fantasy of Flight, Kermit Weeks Collection, 1400 Broadway Boulevard, S.E. Polk City, Florida.

LA607 was the second Mk. II prototype and first flew on 18 September 1943. It was used for Bristol Centaurus development during its active career. LA607 survived as an instructional airframe at RAF Cranfield, College Of Aeronautics, between 1955 - 1963. LA607 was aquired by Skyfame Museum, Staverton & Duxford, in 1967. When the collection was forced to relocate the Tempest was moved to Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambs, in 1980. Before the Tempest was transfered to the IWM, it was sold in April 1983 to Kermit Weeks, and was displayed at the Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n Fun, Lakeland, Florida. In summer of 2014 the Tempest was returned to Kermit Weeks and is at the moment in storage at Fantasy of Flight HQ, Polk City.

(RAF Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW404), built in 1945, and served with No. 247 Squadron RAF in Chilbolton in Hampshire, UK. After it had been in service for two years the plane was bought back by the manufacturer, refurbished and sold to the Indian Air Force (IAF), entering active duty in 1948. After the type was retired from front line service in 1954, MW404 was assigned to decoy duties at Poona Air Force Base, along with at least a dozen other Tempest Mk. IIs. In 1979 MV404 was bought by Doug Arnold, who had it shipped to the UK. MW404 was procured by Jim Horsley in UK in 1988 and remained in storage for years in UK. In 2012 Chris Miller, from Texas, bought MW404 and plans to restore the Tempest to an airworthy state.

(Sywell Aviation Museum Photo)

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW763), Reg. No. G-TEMT, Anglia Aircraft Restorations in the UK. On 10 October 2023 the first post restoration flight took place in the hands of Pete Kynsey when it flew from Sywell Aerodrome to the IWM Museum at Duxford. This was the first Tempest to fly in +50 years.

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW401), Reg. No. G-PEST, ex-IAF (Serial No. HA604), Anglia Aircraft Restorations in the UK.

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW758), ex-IAF (Serial No. HA580), H. Cooper & M Burg (South Wales Aviation Museum, UK), being restored to airworthy status.

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW810), ex-IAF (Serial No. HA591), Nelson Ezell, Texas, USA.

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. MW848), IAF (Serial No. HA623), preserved in the IAF Museum, Pallan AB, New Dehli, India.

Hawker Tempest Mk. II (Serial No. PR536), ex-IAF (Serial No. HA457), preserved in the RAF Museum, Cosford, UK.

Hawker Tempest Mk. V (Serial No. EJ693), Reg. No. N7027E, Kermit Weeks, Tamiami, Florida, USA. Currently with Air Leasing Ltd, being restored to airworthy status.

Hawker Tempest Mk. V (Serial No. JN768), Reg. No. G-TMPV, The Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group, UK.

Hawker Tempest TT.5 (Serial No. NV778), preserved in the RAF Museum, Hendon, UK.

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