Entering service with the Royal Air Force in January 1944, the Tempest was one of the fastest piston-engined aircraft of the Second World War. Extremely successful in combating the V-1 flying bomb,
it was also one of the few Allied aircraft able to combat the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. The Hawker Tempest would be used during Operation Overlord and Operation Market Garden.
Evolving out of a design study to improve the Hawker Typhoon, which although a successful low altitude interceptor
and fighter-bomber, it wasn't its intended role, which was that of a high altitude interceptor. Initial changes developed by Sydney Camm and his design team consisted of a thinner wing, due to this a new fuselage tank was need,
a 2,400-hp Napier Sabre EC.107C engine and the radiator under the engine being moved to the wing. The new design, refereed to as Typhoon Mk II, was submitted to the Air Ministry, leading to an order for two
prototypes on the 18th November 1941 under Specification F.10/41. Due to some more major changes to the aircraft, it was renamed the Hawker Tempest in January 1942.
Another four Tempest prototypes were produced, bringing the total to six. These were the Tempest Mk I, powered by the Napier Sabre EC.107C engine, two Tempest Mk IIs, powered by the 2,520-hp Bristol
Centaurs IV engine. The Tempest Mk III was powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB with the Tempest Mk IV installed with a Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine, whilst the Tempest Mk V was powered by the Napier Sabre
II engine.
An order was placed by the Air Ministry for the Tempest Mk I in August 1942, before any prototypes had flown, although the order would be transferred to other Tempest Mks. With Philip Lucas at the
controls, the prototype Tempest Mk I flew for the first time on the 24th February 1943, without the 'chin' that featured on the Typhoon. Despite reaching a maximum speed of 466 mph, whilst the
Napier Sabre IV's supercharger was in high gear, the Tempest Mk I was dropped due to problems with the engine program.
The Tempest Mk II underwent a number of changes and made its first flight on the 28th June 1943. When put into production it was powered by the 2,520-hp Bristol Centaurus Mk V
engine. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 440 mph, range of 800 miles with a service ceiling of 37,000 ft. Armament was four 20mm cannons whilst bomb load was either 2,000lb bombs or
rocket projectiles. The Tempest Mk II arrived to late to serve in the Second World War (1939 - 1945) with No. 54 Squadron, RAF Chilbolton, which had been reformed on the
15th November 1945, and No. 247 Squadron the only home based squadrons equipped. Although the Tempest Mk II served in Germany, Hong Kong, India and Malaya, it remained in operation in the Middle East until de
Havilland Vampires replaced them in 1949.
The Tempest Mk III followed and this would provide the basis for the Hawker Fury, however the Royal Air Force would cancel the Fury, but the Fleet Air Arm would develop a naval version known as the
Hawker Sea Fury. Next was the Hawker Tempest Mk IV, which was to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine,
but in February 1943 the project was cancelled before a prototype had been built.
The Tempest Mk V was the first prototype version to fly on the 2nd September 1942, piloted by Philip Lucas, this version retaining the chin radiator of its predecessor, the Typhoon, with the first
production version flown on the 21st June 1943 by Bill Humble. Powered by the 2,200-hp Napier Sabre IIB engine, the Tempest Mk V had a top speed of 442 mph, range of 820 miles with a service ceiling
of 32,200 ft. Armament was four 20mm cannons and either 1,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles.
The Tempest Mk V would be the first of the type to enter service when No. 486
Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force received some during January 1944, followed on the 29th February 1944 when No. 3 Squadron received their first aircraft. In both cases replacing the Typhoon.
These two squadrons would be bolstered by a third Tempest squadron, No. 56 with the Tempest Mk V replacing their Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXs.
They would operate within No. 150 Wing, Royal Air Force as part of No. 85 Group, Royal Air Force which was under the command of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, which was formed on the 12th May 1944
operating from RAF Newchurch. It would be on the 8th June 1944 when the Tempest Mk V scored its first aerial victory, when nine aircraft from No. 3 Squadron encountered five Messerschmitt Bf 109s,
shooting down three.
After D-Day, No. 150 Wing, Royal Air Force would be reassigned to help combat the V-1 flying bomb, nicknamed the doodlebug, after the first one fell on the UK, when Grove Road, London was hit on
the 13th June 1944, killing six people. The Tempest was to prove successful in this role performing anti-diver sorties as they shot down 638 out of 1,846 destroyed by Allied fighters, equating to
34%. As the Allied liberation of Europe progressed and more Tempests entered service they flew patrols to support ground forces and would be stationed on airfields in France, Belgium
and the Netherlands and would take part in Operation Market Garden (17th September 1944 - 25th September 1944). They also came up against the Luftwaffe's jet fighter the Messerschmitt Me 262,
attacking the aircraft as it came in to land, and by the time the war in Europe ended on the 8th May 1945 had claimed 20.
The last production version was the Hawker Tempest Mk F.VI powered by the 2,340-hp Napier Sabre V engine, which had originally been fitted to the Tempest Mk V prototype. This flew for the first time with
this engine on the 9th May 1944. The Tempest Mk F.VI had a top speed of 438 mph, range of 740 miles and a service ceiling of 37,000 ft. Armament was four 20mm cannons with a bomb load of either
2,000lb bombs or rocket projectiles. Like the Tempest Mk II the Tempest Mk F.VI was too late to see service in the Second World War, although it was used by squadrons in Germany and the
Middle East.
Two target tug variants were also produced, these were the Tempest TT.5, which were converted Tempest Mk Vs, with the prototype flying for the first time during May 1947, and the Tempest TT.6,
which were converted Tempest Mk VIs.
By the time production had ended 1,702 Tempests had been built.