Hawker Tempest Mk II S/N MW404

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:27 am

Everything has to be somewhere and Hawker Tempest Mk II S/N MW404 is now in Texas.

This former Indian Air Force Air Frame (Complete with Pakistani bullet holes) is being restored to airworthy by new owner Chris Miller.

His website is http://www.warbirdrebuild.com

Chris is looking for volunteers and donations. I volunteered to post this thread after a delightful afternoon of scrubbing dirt off of fasteners, spritzing penetrating oil on whatever looked like it was going to come off the airplane and even washing some genuine Indian dirt off of panels and the pilot's seat.

Contact Chris via the website information.

I will keep updates coming as time allows.

SPANNER the glutton for projects

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:34 am

Until my camera gets repaired I am going to have to snag some pictures from the webiste:

Stoney · **Posted:** Sun Dec 16, 2012 8:50 am

I see that the Brits never did learn how to weld, look at those tubing joints, just like the hurricane :lol:

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3328

Stoney wrote:

I see that the Brits never did learn how to weld, look at those tubing joints, just like the hurricane :lol:

Don't worry Stoney, as you and Chris well know, the answer is to just weld the joints! :wink:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1717&p=12167&hilit=Weld#p12167

HawkerTempestMKII · **Joined:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:01 am **Posts:** 54

Quote:

see that the Brits never did learn how to weld, look at those tubing joints, just like the hurricane

They had a "0 welds" policy.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

I have a zero weld policy as well. If you've even seen my welding you'd know why...

SeptRepair · **Joined:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:55 pm **Posts:** 58

Something just doesnt seem right. If talk is about an airworthy restoration and dis-assembly has begun, I see no holding fixtures let alone any equipment in the photos that even suggest that an airworthy restoration is capable. Are you cataloging parts removed by P/N and location so when ( and trust me it will happen) people leave the project , the next guy isnt scratching his head and spending countless hours trying to figure out where things go? Am I missing something? Do you even have any drawings/manuals that can help you locate and verify datum points? The assumption the airframe is straight (looking at the photos it appears to be), isnt a sound practice when restoring an aircraft. There was obvious enough money used to purchase this project, but please tell me there was at least enough more to fund the basic set up costs of a restoration?Do you even funding to do the basic of making an holding fixture? Do you even have a welder? ( I shudder when reading the talk about welding the tube structure on that previous thread). To start on a major restoration to AIRWORTHY condition the simple basics to me have not even been met yet. My personal experience that starting from ground zero you will need at least 100k before you should even start touching the plane with a tooth brush and soap. Please tell me there is more to this than meets the eye.

HawkerTempestMKII · **Joined:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:01 am **Posts:** 54

If it's at an airshow, it really will be there and not something painted up to look like it.

SeptRepair · **Joined:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:55 pm **Posts:** 58

That is your response? I take it you haven't got a clue what to do or how to go about doing this restoration do you?

marine air · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2012 5:45 pm

IT looks great. It takes a lot of of cujones' to purchase a warbird project. I'm no expert, but do have a couple of thoughts. Get in touch with Nelson Ezell and anyone else that has experience on these and Sea Furies. 2) get all the proper manuals for your exact type of Temepest. 3) Start building a "wanted list" of items missing or needed to get the airplane flyable. You may get lucky and find an aileron for example, cheaper than you can repair what's on the aircraft.
Last, please don't disassemble it into millions of unmarked, unlabeled pieces. This increases the difficulty immensely for a restoration artist and costs more time to study the blueprints and sometimes they aren't that clear.
Whatever, your skill level and budget, there's tons of easy stuff to get started on.
It will be a thrill to see this Tempest in the air!

51fixer · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2012 5:48 pm

bdk wrote:

I have a zero weld policy as well. If you've even seen my welding you'd know why...

If you just stay at a Holiday Inn Express I'm sure it would be just fine Brandon

HawkerTempestMKII · **Joined:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:01 am **Posts:** 54

Hey:

I really appreciate all the advice from the experts. When I sit down to watch a ball game I am an expert! I do my part! Especially with the popcorn!

PinecastleAAF · **Joined:** Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm **Posts:** 1027

That is a cool project my hat's off to you. I had no idea the Tempest had the tube frame construction like the Hurricane. Very rare aircraft. Was the Fury the first fighter Hawker built that moved past the tube frame style of construction? Best of luck with it.

SeptRepair · **Joined:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:55 pm **Posts:** 58

You will need it :roll:

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:15 pm

HawkerTempestMKII wrote:

Hey:

I really appreciate all the advice from the experts. When I sit down to watch a ball game I am an expert! I do my part! Especially with the popcorn!

Wow. That's an interesting response.

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