Hawker Tempest II (PR536) [@ RAF Hendon]
Late in 1941 it became clear to the Hawker design team that a number of radical improvements to the basic design of the Hawker Typhoon would be necessary if the aircraft were to fulfil its primary role, which was still considered to be interception at all altitudes. Three main areas were isolated. First, cockpit visibility required drastic improvement; secondly, the wing would have to be redesigned to improve performance at altitudes above 6100m (20,000ft) and in high-speed dives; and thirdly, increased fuel tanks would have to be provided to improve the Typhoon's endurance, which was restricted to about an hour and a half.
The modified design, designated Hawker P.1012, was tendered
to Air Ministry Specification F.10/41 and on 18th November 1941 Hawker Aircraft
Ltd received a contract to build two prototypes, to be
known as the Typhoon II. However, such were the differences, particularly in
external appearance, between the Typhoon and the new design, that, before the
prototype had flown, the type was renamed Tempest in August 1942. The
prototype Tempest I flew
on 2nd September 1942 and
an initial contract called for 400 Tempest Is, powered by the Napier Sabre IV
engine, but this was cancelled and the contract amended in favour of the Centaurus-powered Tempest
II. Delays in the
production of this engine, however, and the cancellation of the projected
Tempest III and
IV,
meant that the first variant to enter production was the Tempest
V, powered by the Napier Sabre II. (Sabre II
engine - left). The Sabre was intended to exceed 2000 hp. Liquid-cooled
sleeve valves and a 24-cylinder flat "H" configuration were adopted by Frank
Halford, the designer, to keep the engine compact. However, it proved complex
and troublesome to develop.
The Tempest II entered service with 54 Squadron RAF in November 1945. The type equipped eight squadrons in all, serving in India, Malaya or with 2nd TAF in Germany. 33 Squadron used the Tempest II against terrorists in Malaya before converting to Hornets in 1951. The large stocks of Tempest II allowed eighty-nine of these aircraft to be supplied to the newly independent Indian Air Force in 1947. The following year twenty-four Tempest IIs were delivered to Pakistan.
When the Tempest Mk V entered service with Squadron RAF and 486 Squadron RNZAF (the two squadrons combining to form 150 Wing) in April 1944 it was the fastest and most powerful fighter in the world. After some early sorties across the English Channel the Tempest squadrons were assigned to the air defence of Great Britain, operating against the V1 flying bombs that were now being launched against London. The Tempest's high speed made it the ideal interceptor in this new role; 3 Squadron was the top-scoring unit, with 258 VIs destroyed, while 486 Squadron claimed 223. The Tempest squadrons subsequently moved to the Continent with 2nd TAF and became a potent addition to the Allies' striking power during the closing months of the war. Eleven squadrons were eventually armed with the Tempest V and five with the VI, which had a 2700hp Sabre VA engine. Total Tempest V production was 805 aircraft.
PR536 was built at Langley by Hawker and served with 5 Squadron of the RAF, based at Poona, India in 1946. Handed over to the Indian Air Force on 25th September 1947 PR536 remained in service until 1969 and was then used as an aircraft decoy at Poona. Shipped to the UK in 1979, PR536 was rebuilt from parts recovered from India and required a two-year programme to full static restoration. On display since 1990, PR536 is shown in the photograph in 5 Squadron's colours when based in India in 1946.
