Hawker HeroesWelcome to Hawker Heroes - a compilation of four of the finest aircraft ever to be designed by the legendary Sir Sydney Camm and the Hawker design team. Included in this compilation are the Hawker Fury, the legendary Hawker Hurricane, the Typhoon and Tempest. Each of these aircraft played a major role in aviation history and the history of 20th Century warfare.Assembled together for the first time in this package, these stalwarts of the skies are the ultimate simulation homage to these remarkable aircraft and the heroes that flew them.

“I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin . . Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”– Sir Winston Churchill, June 1940

ultimate simulation homage to these remarkable aircraft and the heroes that flew them.

“I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin . . Let us therefore brace ourselves to our

Missions:Hawker Heroes has two missions included with this package, both utilising the Hawker Fury. These missions can be accessed from the missions menu on the FSX start screen. Just select Missions and change the category to Hawker Heroes. You can then fly these missions.Note: before flying this mission we recommend you switch on the Mission captioning feature in FSX by selecting Settings then General and in the Missions area ticking Show captioning and selecting Compass/Pointer. For all aircraft variants to be visible in the FSX aircraft menu, please ensure that the box marked “show all variants” is ticked. Each aircraft can be accessed from the FSX aircraft menu.

“As the speedo needle was winding up towards the 450 mph mark, I pulled her up into a loop and rolled off the top. We did ever-increasing tight turns until she blacked me out. We slow-rolled and barrel-rolled as I thrashed her about the sky for a full half hour.” - Squadron Leader Des Scott 486 (NZ) Typhoon Squadron

Hawker Fury Mk1 The Hawker Fury was a British biplane fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in the 1930s. The Fury was the RAF’s first operational fighter aircraft to be able to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h) in level flight. It had highly sensitive controls which gave it superb aerobatic performance. It was designed partly for the fast interception of bombers and to that end it had a climb rate of almost 2,400 ft/min.

- K1938, 43 Sqn RAF, c.1932 - K2065, ‘B’ Flight, 1 Sqn RAF, c.1932- K3731, 43 sqn RAF, c.1934- K3736, 5th FTS, c.1938- K217, 43 Sqn SAAF, c.1942

Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIDThe Hurricane IID went into action at the Battle of Bir Hakim in North Africa on 6 June 1942. The Mark IID proved devastatingly effective, though its increased weight and the drag of the underwing cannon did impose a performance penalty, Designed by Sydney Camm in the mid-1930s and flown by the RAF in the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane achieved the highest number of RAF victories in this vital aerial conflict. The construction of the Hawker Hurricane, using tubular metal alloy and fabric covering the fuselage, made it relatively easy to repair and resistant to damage in battle. Although its speed could not match that of its contemporary fighters, the Hurricane’s turning ability, stable gun platform and versatility meant it saw action in most major theatres of war during WWII, including Europe, Russia, North Africa and Burma.

JV-Z, BP188, 6 Sqn RAF, c.1942G, KW871, 20 Sqn RAF, c.1944BN795, ‘Our John’, c.1944KX248, ‘White 21’, 25th ZIAP, c.1944KX248, ‘White 21’, 25th ZIAP, c.1944

Hawker TyphoonWhilst the Hurricane was rolling off the production line, Sir Sydney Camm and the Hawker Company were already planning the replacement aircraft, the Hawker Typhoon. The Typhoon, powered by Napier Sabre engine, became one of the most formidable ground attack aircraft of World War 2. By the end of the war the RAF were operating 18 Typhoon squadrons equipped with deadly rockets. Pressed into service on D-Day to turn back the tide of armour on the Normandy beaches the Typhoon (RAF nickname “Tiffy”) was instrumental in the liberation of Europe

DJ-S, c. 1943PR-A c.1944 D-Day (with rockets)

Hawker TempestThe Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the conflict. Some of the assets of the Tempest V were its high cruising speed (nearly 400 mph using 1,420 hp), good acceleration, excellent climbing and diving speeds, especially at low to medium altitudes

nickname “Tiffy”) was instrumental in the liberation of Europe

DJ-S, c. 1943

R-B, JN751, 150 Wing, RAF, c.1944.SD-Y, EJ555, 501 Sqn RAuxAF, c.1944.SA-E, EJ627, 486 Sqn RNZAF, c.1944.J5-H, SN330, 3 Sqn RAF, c.1948.W2-X, EJ705, 80 Sqn RAF, c.1945.US-T, SN254, 56 Sqn RAF, c.1945.

Technical Support & TroubleshootingKeep posted to www.firstclass-simulations.com for the latest info on Hawker Heroes including any updates that may be released. If your problem has not been addressed, or if you want to send any comments on Hawker Heroes, send an e-mail to support@exalibur-publishing.com and our support team will respond as soon as possible.

R-B, JN751, 150 Wing, RAF, c.1944.

CreditsTempest, Fury & Hurricane: Firebug Studios LimitedAll Flight Dynamics & Typhoon Gauges: David ChesterTyphoon model: Gary WardSounds: Mike HamblyInstall: Richard DonaldsonDocumentation & Missions: Jane-Rachel Whittaker

“Thanks to its 2,400 hp engine it had a considerable margin of excess power and its acceleration was phenomenal. It was pretty tricky to fly, but its performance more than made up for it...” - Pierre Clostermann, 274 Squad on (Tempest) RAF

THE HISTORY of theHawker Fury The Hawker Fury was the mainstay of British air defences during the early 1930’s. The aircraft took its fi rst test fl ight in 1929, although at that time the aircraft was dubbed the “Hawker Hornet”. The British Air Ministry requested that the aircraft be renamed with a title that suggested military aggression and power so the Hornet became the Fury with only the prototype retaining the original designation.Certainly, the aircraft was something of a hybrid of First World War and Second World War styles, as one might expect of an aircraft designed and entering service in the years between both confl icts. The basic design was a single engine bi-plane with superfi cial visual comparison to the aircraft in use during the earlier confl ict. Yet, this initial impression is misleading. A closer inspection of the fuselage reveals an uncanny resemblance to the Hawker Hurricane which was to follow in the later war years, albeit with the dual wing confi guration. The aircraft was designed utilising the latest in technology, offering a tubular steel and aluminium fuselage with dumb-bell wing spars. This would become something of a trademark for Sydney Camm and his Hawker company in the development of later aircraft throughout the war years.The Fury was built for speed and the 520hp Rolls Royce Kestrel engine offered

outstanding performance making the aircraft the fi rst operational fi ghter ever designed to exceed 200 MPH in level fl ight. With a climb rate of 2400ft per minute and excellent handling

capabilities the aircraft was the marvel of its day. In fact, such was the aerobatic performance of the aircraft that it was rapidly pressed into service with air display teams. A Fury Mk1 was to win a prestigious military speed prize at a competition, fl ying over a triangular course during an event in Zurich. The aircraft also appeared before crowds in Canada in 1934, being fl own out by the RAF to take part in Canadian centennial celebrations.This was an aircraft that offered superior handling prowess in the air compared to other fi ghters in service which helped ensure success in one-to-one dogfi ght scenarios. The exceptional speed and manoeuvrability also proved useful in the role of interdicting hostile bombers.In May 1931 the Fury entered full service with the RAF and equipped 43 Squadron initially with two other squadrons following shortly thereafter. The updated Fury II entered service in 1936. The aircraft remained in front line service with the RAF until 1939 being replaced

primarily by the Hawker Hurricane with many of the remaining aircraft being relegated to training duties. In all 118 aircraft served with the RAF.Whilst the Fury was not used in anger by the RAF, the story does not end there. This successful little fi ghter was exported to a number of countries. The Kestrel engine so beloved in RAF fl ight was replaced for export by a range of options, including an Armstrong Siddeley engine (used in a single Norwegian aircraft), Hispano-Suiza engines and Pratt and Whitney equipped aircraft.In 1933 Sydney Camm had plans to create a Fury monoplane powered by a Rolls Royce Goshawk engine that would offer superior performance in a fi ghter role. Original plans were to retain much of the Fury design, including a fi xed undercarriage. However, Rolls Royce unveiled their plans for a new Merlin engine and the Fury monoplane design was re-worked by Camm to take advantage of the Merlin powerplant. The resulting aircraft became the iconic Hawker Hurricane!

In CombatThe Spanish adopted the aircraft where it fl ew in combat during the Spanish Civil War, at one point fl ying for both protagonists in the confl ict!On the 6th April 1941 a squadron of Yugoslav Fury aircraft took to the air to defend their country against German Messerschmitt 109 and 110 aircraft. Unfortunately, against superior German odds 10 of the Furies were immediately destroyed but not before 7 German aircraft were taken down, one by a brave Yugoslav pilot physically ramming his adversary! The other squadron in Yugoslav service was used in bombing and strafi ng advancing lines of German tanks. The South African airforce also deployed their Fury aircraft in combat during 1941 in attacks against Italian forces in East Africa. They were successful in infl icting spectacular damage in ground attack runs against Italian held airfi elds.

VariantsHawker Hornet Single-seat fi ghter prototype. Powered by a Rolls Royce F.XIA and later by a 480 hp (358 kW) F.XIS. Only one was built. This aircraft was slightly smaller and lighter than the Fury and considered by Hawkers as a separate type.[citation needed]

Fury Mk I Single-seat fi ghter version. Powered by a 525 hp (391 kW) Rolls Royce Kestrel IIs piston engine.

Intermediate Fury Single-seat fi ghter prototype.

High Speed Fury Single-seat prototype which was developed into the Fury Mk II.

Fury Mk II Single-seat fi ghter version. Powered by a 640 hp (477 kW) Rolls Royce Kestrel VI piston engine.[9]

Yugoslav Fury Single-seat fi ghter made in Yugoslavia. Powered by a 500 hp (373 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12 NB or a 720 hp (537 kW) Lorraine Petrel HFrs.

Persian Fury Single-seat fi ghter for Persia (now Iran). 16 aircraft powered by a Pratt & Whitney Hornet S2B1g radial driving a three-bladed propeller ordered in January 1933.[10] A further six aircraft powered by a 550 hp (410 kW) Bristol Mercury VISP radial with two-bladed propeller ordered in May 1934, with several Hornet powered Furys re-engined.[11]

Norwegian Fury A trial aircraft for Norway. Powered by a 530 hp (395 kW) Armstrong-Siddeley Panther IIIA radial.

OperatorsHellenic Air Force Norway Norwegian Air Force (operated one aircraft only) Persia (now Iran)Portugal South Africa Spain United Kingdom United Kingdom - Royal Air Force :-No. 1 Squadron RAF No. 25 Squadron RAF No. 41 Squadron RAF No. 43 Squadron RAF No. 73 Squadron RAF No. 87 Squadron RAF Yugoslavia

SpecificationsCrew: One Length: 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m) Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m) Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) Wing area: 250 ft² (23.2 m²) Empty weight: 2,734 lb (1,240 kg) Loaded weight: 3,609 lb (1,637 kg) Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Kestrel IV V12 engine, 640 hp (477 kW) Maximum speed: 223 mph at 16,500 ft (360 km/h at 5,030 m) Range: 270 mi (435 km) Service ceiling: 29,500 ft (8,990 m) Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13.2 m/s) Wing loading: 14.4 lb/ft² (21.5 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.177 hp/lb (0.291kW/kg)

ArmamentGuns: 2 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers Mk IV machine guns.Provision for light bomb racks under the wings.

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THE HISTORY of theHawker HurricaneMK IID Development of the Hawker Hurricane had commenced some fi ve years before the onset of hostilities of World War 2, as a replacement for the Hawker Fury biplane that became the mainstay of the RAF Fighter Command. On the winters day of November 6th 1935 the prototype aircraft made a fi rst successful fl ight at the Brooklands racing circuit in Weybridge Surrey, home to the Hawker Research Team. Little did anyone realise that the storm clouds of war were brewing and the aptly named Hurricane would be pivotal to the defence of Britain and the liberation of the world from Nazi tyranny. In fact, during these early days the aircraft had yet to be given a name but was already turning heads with its outstanding performance.

In Februrary 1936 the still unnamed prototype was demonstrated to the military at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath. The prototype attained a speed of 315MPH at an altitude of 16200ft and had an estimated service ceiling of 35,400ft. Suitably impressed, after further demonstrations the Air Ministry made an order for

600 aircraft in July 1936 aiming for delivery by March 1939. The Hurricane had earned the accolade of the fi rst monoplane to exceed 300MPH in level fl ight, the fi rst enclosed cockpit and

retractable landing gear also rounded out the accolades. Squadron Leader J.W. Gillan iced the cake by fl ying the aircraft from Edinburgh to Northolt at an average speed of 408MPH on February 10th 1938.

Not surprisingly, the RAF was keen to press these remarkable aircraft into service. However, the delivery of the aircraft in these numbers was delayed by some six months, due to issues with the Merlin engine, which was resolved by the introduction of an improved Merlin G, offering greater reliability and a redesign of the troublesome cockpit canopy. This delay of six months pushed delivery to September 1939, the very month that hostilities with Germany erupted pushing Great Britain and the world into war after the German invasion of Poland. Despite the delay in delivering all 600 aircraft, by the 27th of September the RAF had taken delivery of 497 Hurricanes. Despite the delay in delivering the requested 600 aircraft

to the RAF Hawker had also managed to export 15 aircraft to Turkey, 15 to Finland, 12 to Romania, and 1 to the ill-fated country of Poland.

By early 1940 Hawker had manufactured a phenomenal 1,924 Hurricane aircraft. In an effort to boost production even further the Gloster Aircraft Company, working to the original Hawker blueprint had assembled 1,850 aircraft.

By the summer of 1940 the Battle of Britain raged and Hurricane crews found themselves fi ghting a sterling defence of the realm. The Hurricane was the primary response to the massive German onslaught of 3500 bomber and fi ghter aircraft. In the air were 32 Hurricane squadrons as compared to only 19 squadrons of the Spitfi re. Over 3/5 of all the aircraft at the disposal of Fighter Command were Hawker Hurricanes. Despite being massively outnumbered the formidable Hurricane and her valiant pilots were to give the Luftwaffe a bloody nose in Britain’s fi nest hour.

Yet, the British military were continually pressed by the might of German armour. The Panzer divisions of the German Afrika Corps were seemingly invincible, being resistant to much of what the allies could aim at these elite tanks. Such was the despair that even fl atbed trucks were hastily modifi ed to carry a large gun and sent against the Panzers! The RAF came to the rescue with the Hurricane Mk IID being rushed into service. This version of the Hurricane had a very simple role, that of tank killer! The aircraft was initially equipped with 40mm Rolls Royce guns but these were superseded by a devastating pair of high capacity 40mm Vickers guns. Two Browning .303 guns were fi tted for aiming purposes.

This left the aircraft overly heavy and to that end a large portion of the aircraft’s defensive armour plating was removed creating an aircraft with impressive fi re power but relatively weak defences. This led to a standard tactic of attacking swiftly swooping on enemy armour from a high altitude, diving from 5000ft

and accelerating to 254MPH, using the Brownings to fi nd the target before unleashing the Vickers to deadly effect. The 40mm Vickers gun was able to destroy an enemy Panzer tank with just two direct hits, dramatically helping to turn the tide of war against the Axis powers. So effective was the aircraft against armour that they were dubbed “The Flying Can Openers” by the RAF!

In CombatThe Mk IID was allocated to 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force which became

the fi rst combat operator of the aircraft. The results of equipping 6 Squadron was immediately impressive. On the 26th October 1942 the aircraft of the squadron were to destroy 16 of Rommel’s Panzer tanks. This was followed on the 22nd March 1943 with the destruction of 32 tanks in just 3 hours!This success led to the operations of this remarkable version of the Hawker Hurricane being expanded. It saw service in Burma during the latter years of the war, infl icting heavy damage against Japanese vehicles and even was operated by the Russian Air Force against Axis ground vehicles.

Service Date: September 1941 Primary Guns: 2x Browning 0.303” (7.7mm) machine guns with 334 rpg in wings Secondary Guns: 2x Vickers ‘Class S’ 40mm cannon with 15 rpg in wings Ordnance: none Engine(s): 1x Rolls-Royce Merlin XX in-line rated for 1,460 hp at sea level (1,535 hp with WEP) Int Fuel Capacity: 698 lbs (317 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: none Maximum Speeds: 254 mph (409 kph) at sea level, 290 mph (467 kph) at 12,000 ft (3,658 m), 316 mph (509 kph) at 19,000 ft (5,791 m) Ceiling: 33,500 ft (10,210 m) Loaded Weight: 8,100 lbs (3,674 kg) Wing Area: 257.5 sq ft (23.9 sq m) Wing Loading: 31.5 lbs/sq ft (153.7 kg/sq m)

Specifications Mk IID

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THE HISTORY of theHawker Tempest Mk VThe Hawker Typhoon had proved itself to be an able fi ghter aircraft but Sidney Camm and his design team felt that a revision of the design would push performance even further.

Impressed by the new laminar wing design that had recently been introduced in the USA with the P-51 Mustang a group of Hawker engineers under the leadership of Camm investigated the potential for adding this technology to the Typhoon. Research and development tests found that it was possible to fi t a new wing to the aircraft that was substantially thinner. This new aircraft was to become the Typhoon 2, but was re-designated the Tempest.

The mindset of treating the Tempest as a whole new aircraft allowed the Hawker team to add further enhancements. One such enhancement was a new landing gear. This had the dual advantage of offering greater stability on landing and raising the body of the aircraft to accommodate a new four blade propeller design. The thinning of the wing also required the fi tting of a new style of much thinner tyre.

By October 1941 the new design was

fi nalised and the Air Ministry awarded a contract for two initial prototypes. At the time with factories working non-stop to keep pace with the war effort there was serious concern about the availability

of aircraft engines. The initial two prototypes ordered were stretched to six, with a different engine in each! This gave the Mk I (aircraft HM599) with a Sabre IV, two Mk IIs (LA602 and LA607) with the Centaurus IV, MK III (LA610) with a Griffon IIB, Mk IV (LA614) with a Griffon 61 and the Mk V (HM595) with the Sabre II.

The MK V prototype was actually the fi rst to fl y on September 2nd 1942. The framed canopy of the original Typhoon was retained but this was later to be amended to a new bubble canopy. The predicted diffi culties in securing powerplants led to the MK V becoming the production model with Sabre II engines. On the 21 June 1943 the aircraft went into full production with the fi rst example rolling off the line.

Certainly, the constant tinkering with the design had created a whole new aircraft in the Tempest, leaving behind much of the Typhoon legacy. The results were

impressive, with the Tempest offering signifi cantly enhanced performance. However, pilots of the day soon found that the Typhoon was something of a wild stallion that needed taming. Yet, the sheer power and vitality of the aircraft quickly won over fi ghter pilots. “Thanks to its 2,400 hp engine it had a considerable margin of excess power and its acceleration was phenomenal. It was pretty tricky to fl y, but its performance more than made up for it” said Pierre Clostermann a French fi ghter ace fl ying with the RAF.

That performance translated to a cruising speed of nearly 400 MPH, good acceleration and impressive rates of climb and dive. This made the Tempest an adept fi ghter, but the design extended much further than that with the aircraft being an able performer in ground attack roles. The aircraft was equipped to carry up to 2000lb of ordnance, including 500lb and 1000lb bombs and rockets. Hawker also developed a custom 45 gallon drop tank that extended the penetrative range of the aircraft on combat missions.Further combat capability was achieved by a re-working of the aircraft windows, offering much greater visibility during combat. Interestingly, the design was

based on that used in captured enemy FW-190 aircraft that Hawker had been able to evaluate.

In CombatThe Tempest had a distinguished combat history, being initially deployed to 3 and 56 Squadrons RAF and 486 New Zealand Squadron (the only non-RAF operator). By the end of 1944 the British aircraft were based at RAF Newchurch, under the command of Wing Commander Roland Beamont.

Initially these aircraft were used for high altitude fi ghter sweeps but were soon assigned to “Ranger” operations. These daring missions took the Tempest deep into enemy territory in attacks against ground vehicles and long range anti-shipping operations.

The initial role of the Tempest was to change dramatically when Hitler launched a devastating wave of attacks utilising the V1 fl ying bomb. The V1 rocket was to create havoc on British shores creating signifi cant loss of life and sapping morale. The excellent handling characteristics of the Tempest saw the

aircraft rushed into service against this new menace. The skill and bravery of the pilots coupled to the incredible capabilities of the Tempest proved highly successful. Often a V1 would be nudged in-fl ight by the Tempest to divert the rocket harmlessly into the sea in an amazing feat of airmanship. It was also found that attacking these fl ying bombs at a distance of 300 yards would shield the aircraft from the effects of the explosion. In a single day 13 were destroyed.

The Germans decided to launch more V1 rockets during the hours of darkness to overcome the daylight attacks by the Tempest pilots. Roland Beamont devised an unusual method of dealing with this diffi culty. He advised his crews to fl y behind the V1 rocket and gently climb from below until the Tempest was in the rocket slipstream. The V1 jet exhaust at the rear of the rocket would then shine brightly to the Tempest pilot who could immediately open fi re for a kill. It is believed that this technique developed by Beamont saved many civilians from becoming casualties of this deadly rocket. In fact, 800 of the 1,846 V1 rockets destroyed during the War were credited to Tempest pilots! Tempest pilot Squadron Leader J Berry found himself the V1 ace with sixty destroyed!

The Tempest crews found themselves in support of Operation Market Garden in 1944 helping the allies secure a bridgehead in the Netherlands. At the commencement of the operation the aircraft would fl y from forward air bases in the UK but as the campaign continued RAF squadrons were relocated to bases in the Netherlands itself. The successes were staggering, with 52 German fi ghters and 89 trains destroyed in the December 1944. Axis regrouping in January 1945 took a heavy toll on the Tempest with 47 crew lost in that month.

The German Luftwaffe introduced the new jet powered Messerschmitt ME-262 and this was to form dangerous prey for the Tempest. Hubert Lange, a ME-262 pilot, said: “the Messerschmitt ME-262’s most dangerous opponent was the British Hawker Tempest — extremely fast at low altitudes, highly-manoeuvrable and heavily-armed”

The Tempest pilots referred to the attacks on the ME-262 as the “Rat Scramble”. Rather than attack the powerful jets in traditional dog fi ghts into the air a new tactic was employed. The RAF crews would allow the ME-262 to remain airborne and would fl y their Tempest aircraft to the operating base of the German jet at Rheine-Hopsten

airfi eld. When the jet was in fi nal approach for landing and at its most vulnerable the Tempests would open fi re and destroy the aircraft. The Germans, naturally, responded with a massive array of ground to air fortifi cations at Rheine-Hopsten with over 150 guns to protect the runway approaches! This led to the loss of 7 Tempest aircraft in a single week. The RAF imposed a policy of discontinuing ground attacks but this was overturned only a few days later.On 12th October 1944 Beamont was shot down and sat out the remainder of the war as a German POW, with the control of the Tempest squadrons being handed to Wing Commander J.B Wray. Wray led the aircraft in intensive air superiority missions which would be the mainstay of the Tempest for the remaining days of World War 2.

Ironically as the war drew to a close Rheine-Hopsten airfi eld would fall into allied hands in April 1945 and would itself become the base for Tempest operations. On the 19th of April one of these aircraft with F/O Walkington at the controls shot down a hitherto unknown aircraft. This later turned out to be one of the few He-162 aircraft to take to the air. One of the Luftwaffe’s secret jets had been destroyed further cementing the reputation of the Tempest.

SpecificationsCrew: One Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m) Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.49 m) Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m (tail down)) Wing area: 302 ft² (28 m²) Empty weight: 9,250 lb (4,195 kg) Loaded weight: 11,400 lb (5,176 kg) Max takeoff weight: 13,640 lb (6,190 kg) Powerplant: 1× Napier Sabre IIA or IIB or IIC liquid-cooled H-24 sleeve-valve engine:, 2,180 hp (1,625 kW) Sabre IIA at + 9 lb/in² boost at 7,000 ft (2,133 m), 4,000 rpm [25] Propellers: Four-bladed Rotol or de Havilland propeller

PerformanceMaximum speed: 432 mph (695 km/h) Sabre IIA at 18,400 ft (5,608 m), Sabre IIB 435 mph at 19,000 ft (700 km/h at 5,791 m) Range: 740 mi (1,190 km)1,530 mi (2,462 km) with 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks Service ceiling: 36,500 ft (11,125 m) Rate of climb: 4,700 ft/min (23.9 m/s) Wing loading: 37.75 lb/ft² (184.86 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.21 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)

Armament4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Mark II Hispano cannons, 200 rpg 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs 8 × 3 in (76.2 mm) RP-3 rockets (post-Second World War) Provision for 2 × 45 gal (205 l) or 2 × 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks.ft (153.7 kg/sq m)

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THE HISTORY of theHawker TYPHOONEven before the Hawker Hurricane had taken to the air, Sydney Camm and the Hawker Company were already spending much of 1937 considering the replacement aircraft. The aim was to create a massive new fi ghter, which would in fact be the heaviest and most powerful single seat warplane yet built. In January 1938, two months after the debut of the Hurricane, Hawker received a formal specifi cation from the Air Ministry. They were looking for a fi ghter with at least 20% performance improvement over the Hurricane. Camm had envisaged powering the aircraft with the Napier Sabre engine but the Air Ministry requested that a prototype also be equipped with the Rolls Royce Vulture engine. As such, the aircraft design started to come to fruition based around two prototypes utilising each engine type. The tenders were formally accepted on April 22nd 1938 and on August 30th both variants were offi cially ordered. The Sabre equipped and Vulture equipped aircraft became known as the “Type N” and “Type R” respectively.

Despite the differences the team at Hawker aimed for as much uniformity as possible, with both versions of the aircraft being remarkably similar. The

major difference was that the Vulture powered aircraft employed a ventral radiator whilst the Sabre aircraft utilised a “chin” radiator. The aircraft were developed in parallel but the simpler

design of the “Type R” aircraft ensured that it was the aircraft that was fi rst ready to fl y. Originally dubbed the “Tornado” the aircraft took its maiden fl ight in October 1939. The “Type R” aircraft soon ran into trouble during fl ight tests experiencing compressibility effects. The root of the problem was diagnosed as the ventral radiator so development continued only with the “Type N” aircraft and the Rolls Royce prototype aircraft was destroyed.

The fi rst production Typhoon with the Napier 2200hp engine was completed and fl own on May 21 1941. The aircraft was rushed into full production and entered squadron service in September 1941 to counter the menace of the German Focke-Wulf 190. Unfortunately, the aircraft was not properly completed before being entering service and early examples suffered a wide range of teething troubles. In the fi rst nine months of combat more Typhoons were lost to structural failures than to enemy

action! At one point it was estimated that for every sortie one Typhoon would be lost due to aircraft failure. This was especially prevalent in the tail structure which was not withstanding the stresses of high performance manoeuvring especially during steep dives. Often the entire tail section would shear under the stresses and detach from the rest of the aircraft. An immediate strengthening program was started by Hawker but it took some time before the problem was eradicated.

Despite these initial diffi culties the Typhoon rapidly acquitted itself with distinction in combat.

In CombatThe Typhoon was initially based at RAF Manston in an effort to counter the FW-190 raids into the UK. Spitfi re aircraft had proved only marginally successful but the Typhoon soon made its impact felt. On a single day fi ve FW-190 aircraft were downed by in a single sortie by Typhoon pilots.

Yet, for the aims of Hawker and the Air Ministry to utilise the Typhoon as

an air interception fi ghter the aircraft was to fi nd its niche in an altogether unexpected quarter. On November 17th 1942 Wing Commander Roland Beament (later to command Tempest Squadrons) led an audacious night-time raid using the Typhoon against enemy targets in Northern France. It was immediately found that the aircraft excelled in a ground attack role, strafi ng enemy airfi elds, shipping and ground transport.

This led to trials with 2x250lb bombs, then 2x500lb bombs and fi nally to carrying 2x1000lb bombs for offensive operations against ground targets. After the success of these trials it was determined that the Typhoon would be equipped with 8 rockets, 4 on each wing. The aircraft suddenly found its niche, proving to be incredibly potent in this confi guration.

During the D-Day landings and the subsequent Battle of Normandy the aircraft would make repeated runs against Axis armour and vehicles. At Avranches 137 tanks were destroyed by the Typhoon helping the Allies secure their push into France and Belgium. Unfortunately, from some angles the Typhoon would resemble the German Focke-Wulf 190 and suffered friendly

fi re losses. This was resolved by painting black and white stripes under the wings leading to all Allied aircraft fl ying over Normandy to carry this recognition.

The rocket equipped Typhoons would often be called into combat to assist ground forces in one of the fi rst examples of well coordinated support. RAF personnel would travel with the army on the ground and would direct Typhoon fi re using a direct radio link. The technique was referred to as operating a “cab rank” as Typhoons would wait in line to be called into action by ground forces.

This system worked well and on the 7 August 1944 the German counter attack at Mortaine was repulsed by Typhoons, resulting in the loss or damage of 81 enemy vehicles and allowing Patton’s army to move forward. In the Vire region where the British Army was under sustained assault 294 sorties were fl own by Typhoons in a single day. The Typhoons fi red a massive 2,088 rockets

and 80 tons of bombs during those sorties.

On the 24th November 1944 Typhoons took part in an attack against a building in Dordrecht where senior members of the German 15th Army were meeting. The attack was a success for the allies with 17 staff offi cers and 55 other offi cers killed. Dwight D Eisenhower credited the RAF Typhoon contribution as the deciding factor in the success.

The Typhoon also undertook numerous rocket attacks against enemy maritime forces. On the 3rd May 1945 the Cap Arcona, Thielbek and Deutschland were sunk in 4 separate attacks by RAF Typhoons.

Despite initially being designed for air-to-air combat and enduring a raft of teething troubles the Hawker Typhoon had matured into one of the most formidable ground attack aircraft ever to take to the skies!

SpecificationsCrew: One Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.73 m) Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m) Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.66 m) Wing area: 249 ft² (23.13 m²) Empty weight: 9,800 lb (4,445 kg) Loaded weight: 11,400 lb (5,170 kg) Max takeoff weight: 13,980 lb (6,340 kg) Powerplant: 1× Napier Sabre IIC liquid-cooled H-24, 2,260 hp (1,685 kW)

PerformanceMaximum speed: 405 mph (650 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,485 m) Stall speed: 88 mph () IAS with fl aps up Range: 610 mi (980 km) Service ceiling: 34,000 ft (10,400 m) Rate of climb: 2,630 ft/min (13.4 m/s) Wing loading: 45.8 lb/ft² (223.5 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)

Armament4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannons 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs 8 × RP-3 (60 lb/27 kg) unguided air-to-ground rockets

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