Hawker Tempest V - RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK
N 51° 35.845 W 000° 14.263
30U E 691311 N 5719878
This Hawker Tempest V aircraft is located in the "Milestones of Flight" hall at the RAF Museum and is one of the aircraft suspended from the roof. It was built in November 1944.
Waymark Code: WMNFV2
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/08/2015
Views: 5
The RAF Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with admission being free. Car parking is available but there is a charge. The nearest underground station is Colindale about a 10-15 minute walk away or a number 303 bus passes both the tube station and museum. The co-ordinates posted are for the entrance to the "Milestones of Flight" hall/exhibition entrance.
The museum's website tells us about the Hawker Tempest V:
The Tempest was one of the most powerful high performance fighters to see operational service in World War Two and extended the boundaries of piston-engined powered flight. Built on lessons learned earlier in the conflict it was designed to be a fast, manoeuvrable, heavily armed, high altitude interceptor. By the time it came into service, towards the end of the war, the German fighter forces had been decimated and it became a highly successful adversary of enemy ground troops and V1 Flying Bombs.
This particular aircraft was too late for active service and spent its operational life towing targets for air-to-air gunnery practice. The undersides are painted with black and yellow stripes to make it obvious that it was the tug not the target!
What makes this a Milestone Aircraft?
The Tempest was one of the last piston-engined front line fighters demonstrating the maximum performance that could be achieved with a piston engine and propeller combination.
A history of the aircraft can be seen here.