Warbird Information Exchange

The entire rear fuselage from aft of the pilots seat through to the rudder is the same on late mk Typhoons as on Tempests. Don't be fooled by the different look to the fin, this is simply a fillet fairing held on by a dozen of so screws to the Typhoon style fin which still lurkes below. Other than the Tempest having tailwhel doors fitted they are the same. I understand late Mk Typhoons even had the hinges fittings for these doors in the tail section, but the doors themselves were not fitted.

George

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BURMA! Sorry, I panicked

A friend of mine, sinced passed, was a company commander in the 175th Infantry, 29th Division in WWII. He made it to St Lo, about 45 days, and was the longest surviving company commander of the 29th Division. He told me one day about walking down a lane in a secured area that was close to the front, when he heard aircraft overhead. He looked up to see a Typhoon making a gliding bomb run against him! He blew the air raid whistle and everybody got down. He said his First Sergeant ducked into a small farmhouse and got down on the floor- he stayed out doors in the courtyard of the barn, hugging a wall. He counted 12 Typhoons that made bombing runs on him and the rest of the company. When the aircraft cleared, they started picking up the pieces (including a few killed), and that is when he noticed that the farmhouse had taken a hit. He and the First Sergeant had been friends since 1939, and he thought the worst. He ran over just in time to see his First Sergeant coming out of the doorway, which was nearly the only part standing. The top sergeant was covered head to toe in fine white powder, unhurt, from the disintegrating plaster on the interior of the house. He said that he laughed until he cried, and everybody around was just bawling, asking top if he wanted coffee with his doughnut.

He was wounded pretty seriously a few days later. Very interesting that he had nothing but praise for the fighter bombers. He said that it was a mistake and that they did so much good otherwise that he could forgive them. He said that after the first air support mission he witnessed, he stopped counting the German dead when he couldn't decide how much the percentage of a body should count for one casualty.

I'd like to see a Typhoon flying, if only to remind me of my friend, COL Robert F. Miller. A true gentleman and warrior.

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

Greg,
I haven't read "The Big Show" in quite a long time but I would venture an accurate statement regarding the Typhoon would likely be that they were prone to making emergency landings early on. I've not read anything to convey they didn't land well.

However, alighting on the water was a virtual death sentence -- the thick wings accounting for near instantaneous decelleration. Most assume the chin radiator digging in was the cause of such poor ditching qualities but the Tempest, with its thinner wing, did quite well and often floated for a considerable period before sinking.

A few other great reads: "Day of the Typhoon" by John Golley and "Typhoon Attack" by Norman Franks. Both easy to read and quite informative.

Graft a Griffon engine onto the sharp end of a mark1a Typhoon and the result is a Hawker Tornado.

This was one of the options when the origin basic airframe was being developed for, potentially, three different engines - Sabre, Griffon and Centaurus.

I think a few Tornadoes actually flew.

aviosaurus

Graft a Griffon engine onto the sharp end of a mark1a Typhoon and the result is a Hawker Tornado.

This was one of the options when the origin basic airframe was being developed for, potentially, three different engines - Sabre, Griffon and Centaurus.

I think a few Tornadoes actually flew.

aviosaurus

Three Tornados flew, two prototypes and the sole production example. All had Rolls-Royce Vultures which is what they were designed to use although one was later re-engined with a Centaurus.

The Griffon was one of the potential engines for the Tempest.

Edit: The Tempest III and IV were supposed to be Griffon powered but neither were completed. One later became one of the Fury prototypes.

Funny how it works around here sometimes. This is probably the best Typhoon/Tempest thread
we've had on WIX. One thread, IIRC someone suggested not to waste time on getting a Typhoon
flying because the tails would tear off like the originals..

Robbos and others great photos, some details I didn't know or forgot, some new info..which would
be greatly enhanced if Chippie can get permission to share some pics...Really a great thread!

I dunno if anyone has said it, but welcome to the WIX and thank-you for your service! I served during that
era, but I had a cushy billet with climate control. Of course it was a typical gub'ment operation, when I needed
cold..I got hot, needed dry..I got wet etc. and all vice versa.
But it beat the he11 out of dodging bugs and terminal lead poisoning!!!

The evolution of the Tornado/Typhoon/Tempest/Fury are a bit twisty and a bit confusing sometimes
add various engine developments stalls, starts and availability issues...oh yes..and there was a war, the subject
will keep you on your toes!

Here's a little online page that may help you with an overview of the aforementioned evolutions...
http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avcfury.html

Thanks to all for contributions to a great thread on this magnificent machine and the talented
people who made her happen, maintained her, flew her, sacrficed their all and those that survived the
war due to her existence! Fingers crossed we'll see a Tiffy fly one day with
that wonderous Napier H-24!!

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I'm somewhat glad I started this. I'm learing now that the Napier Sabre engine, in it's later version, developed over 4,000 hp. Should development been givin a chance, this engine could have exceeded the griffon and would be powering speed boats and whatever in the US now! But, too many moving parts and turbines were the direction everyone was headed. Still, we need to get one of these buggers in the air!

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tracers work both ways

Of course the Sabre was somewhat simple compared to the Nomad. Apparently Napier embraced complexity!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Nomad

Can't argue with that. Not an aircraft engine but try a Deltic for complexity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Deltic

Now I might just ruffle a few feathers, but it seems to me (from recolections) the Brits back then built a lot of their stuff "custom made". I believe Supermarine and Hawker were both guilty of this. And I would also add that they tended to over-engineer things a smite. (I had a 72 Trumph TR6 back in the late 70,s) whatever that's worth. I also understand the preasure they were under to get these Birds on the Continent. I think the later Tempest/Typhoons had mostly eliminated the teething problems. Also thanks for the web site showing a few Tempest's rottng into the ground in Poona, India. Somebody aughta grab them dudes before it's to late.
Greg Hawkins
Woodstock, Ga

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tracers work both ways

Why does it have to be an inline engine to get one back in the air? Cant a 3350 suffice as in the Seafuries?

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....

These Tempests are long gone. Several were recovered by Doug Arnold, and according to some reports he had the remainder bulldozed so no one else could secure them

Dave

You'd be trying to cheat physics.

The Sabre is 40 inches wide. The R-3350 has a diameter over 55 inches. The Tiffy's poor cowling would pop a button or two with that kind of stretch.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I think history has probably made the Sabre out to be a bigger piece of unreliable junk than was really the case. Obviously it was complicated and had it's share of problems, but if it was as bad as it's been suggested I doubt that there ever would have been a Typhoon or Tempest - period. What a pity that we'll probably never REALLY find out.

Dan