AIRFIX Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War Model A02110

Airfix Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War ModelDescription: An aircraft which has to be considered one of the finest aeroplanes of the Second World War the Hawker Tempest V could trace its design lineage back to the Hurricane fighters which proved so decisive during the Battle of Britain only two years earlier but would represent the absolute zenith of piston engined fighter design. Indeed when accomplished designer Sydney Camm was looking to produce his 'ËœSuper Hurricane'â„¢ replacement for the aviation saviour of the Battle of Britain the aircraft he surely had in mind was the Tempest V. As it was the Tempest is often confused with its predecessor in Royal Air Force service the Typhoon even though the two are very different aeroplanes.  The original fighter replacement for the Hawker Hurricane was the Typhoon an aircraft which attempted to combine the most powerful piston engine available at the time with a small yet strong and heavily armed airframe. Although intended as an interceptor fighter it became apparent during development that the new aircraft would not be able to fulfil this role as the thickness of the wing was not conducive to high performance at high altitude. In fact the Typhoon would endure quite a troubled development and service introduction to the point where cancellation of the programme was seriously considered at one time. Nevertheless the Typhoon would eventually go on to find its aviation niche as a hard-hitting ground attack aircraft and one which would come into its own during the time of the Allied invasion of Normandy.  Aware that their Typhoon had great potential but was in need of improvement the Hawker design team started work on a new fighter project one which incorporated many of the same philosophies as Typhoon but also several significant modifications. Indeed the new aircraft was initially referred to as the Typhoon Mark II but this was changed to Tempest as the prototype aircraft'â„¢s first flight approached. Although this was still a big aeroplane for a single engined fighter its airframe was light and it would be powered by the massively powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine a powerplant which would give the new fighter spectacular performance. Making its first flight on 2nd September 1942 the new Hawker Tempest featured a newly designed laminar flow wing which was much thinner than the wing used on its predecessor and allowed the new fighter to slip through the air at incredible speed.  At first glance the Typhoon and Tempest do share many similarities however if you know where to look it is not difficult to tell them apart. Without doubt the wing is the most obvious distinguishing feature as not only is this thinner than the one used on the Typhoon it is also a completely different shape. With a straighter leading edge and more elliptical trailing edge the Tempest'â„¢s wing was designed for speed even though it could still be used effectively in a ground attack role. Other Tempest design