HAWKER TEMPEST MK.VI

The Hawker Typhoon did not perform well as a fighter plane, but later served as a bombing fighter, especially when it was equipped with rocket launchers. High-altitude flight performance and climb were unsatisfactory, and in 1941 an attempt was made to counter this by using a wing with a thinner profile and elliptical contour. The engine radiator was moved from under the engine itself to the edges of the wing root, and the Napier Saber C.107C engine was selected as the drive source. As the new wing had a smaller capacity, it became necessary to install additional fuel tanks in the fuselage of the aircraft. The introduced changes were so big that at the beginning of 1942 the plane was named Hawker Tempest. The Tempest prototype flew in February 1943 and soon achieved a speed of 750 km / h at an altitude of 7,470 meters. The service of Hawker Tempest aircraft in the RAF colors began in April 1944. The wing that had them in stock took part in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy. This was prevented by the first V-1 attack, which took place on June 13. Tempests have been directed to combat this new threat. The achieved success can be best judged by the number of bombs shot down. Between June 1944 and March 1945, 481 kills were recorded on the Hawker Tempest machines account. Until the end of the war, the machines operated in Europe to support land forces. Particularly noteworthy are the 20 kills recorded on the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighters. Throughout the war, the Hawker Tempest served in only three RAF squadrons: 3, 486 and 56. The only mass-produced version in the period 1943-1945 was the Mk.V model, interestingly two other versions (Mk.II and Mk.VI) entered production after 1945 and served until 1951. Technical data: length: 10.26m, wingspan: 12.49m, height: 4.9m, maximum speed: 695km / h, climb speed: 23.9m / s, maximum range: 1190km, maximum ceiling 11125m, armament: permanent - 4 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannons, sling - up to 454 kg of bombs or 8 RP-3 missiles.