British Beast II: Hawker's Tempest

Welcome back, Warbirders!

Today we continue our journey through Hawker’s Stormbirds—the evolutionary line of British fighters named after the wildest weather: Hurricane, Tornado, Typhoon… and now the mighty Hawker Tempest.

The Tempest didn’t just replace the Typhoon—it FIXED it. This episode dives into the design evolution from the Typhoon’s thick wing, chin scoop drag, vibration issues and tail failures, to the Tempest’s sleek laminar-flow wing, cleaner profile, strengthened structure, and vastly improved handling.

We’ll explore all planned prototypes, why only one became the combat workhorse, and how the Tempest V emerged as one of the most feared low-altitude fighters of WWII. From chasing V-1 flying bombs at breakneck speeds, to fighter sweeps deep into Nazi-occupied Europe, to tangling with Fw 190s, Bf 109s, He 162s and even the Me 262 jet—Tempest pilots pushed the edge of piston-engine performance.

You’ll also meet the rare Mk II radial-powered Tempest, its postwar career in India and Pakistan, and the survivors still flying today—including the newly restored MW763.

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**Chapters:**
0:00 Intro
0:45 From Typhoon to Tempest
2:40 The Engine Gamble: Six Prototypes
5:10 Why Most Tempest Variants Were Cancelled
7:20 The Tempest Mk V Takes Flight
10:05 Operational Debut
12:00 Hunting V-1 Flying Bombs
14:20 Facing the Luftwaffe: 109s, 190s & Jets
17:30 Tempest Mk II – The Radial Outsider
20:50 Survivors & Restorations
23:00 Final Thoughts

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**#HawkerTempest #WW2Aviation #Warbirds #HawkerAircraft #AviationHistory #RAF #NapierSabre #TempestV #Warbirders**