"Hawker Typhoon being rebuilt" Topic

Only one Typhoon survives today, in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
However enough parts have been recovered to make a full restoration of Typhoon RB396 possible. 30 minute film below.

YouTube link

The 'Tiffie' was intended as an air-intercepter but it made its career as a ground attack aircraft over Normandy, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Rockets and bombs, plus 4 x 20mm cannon.

A good engine has been found from RAF Cranwell and, if I understand them correctly, this Tiffie may be being restored to flying condition.

Barry

I hope so. That is one of my favorite WWII aircraft.

Years ago when I saw it, I thought the one in the Mémorial de la Paix at Caen, France link the was an original, but Wikipedia says it is a replica! You can't tell.

The only complete survivor is at the RAF Museum and this only survived because it went to the US in wartime, then to the Smithsonian and finally the RAF swapped the Typhoon for something that the Americans wanted.

link

B

Another great story Warspite 1. Thanks!

I'd love to see a flying Typhoon, but I do have my doubts that I ever will!

The one at Hendon is a beautiful thing – a real brute of an aeroplane, but a stylish brute!

I can't believe that the Smithsonian swapped the only Typhoon in the world for a Hurricane IIC. I really like the Hurricane as well, but the RAF museum definitely got the best part of the deal!!

I love the Typhoon, and I'd love to see one (or more!) in flight. That said… it was a notorious pilot killer with all kinds of design and mechanical problems.

Restoring any aircraft is a dangerous proposition, because it's hard to find and fix all the problems caused by time and aging.

Restoring an aircraft that was dangerous even with fully trained pilots, ground crews, and factory support seems like asking for trouble.

- Ix

Quite concur, YA. This aircraft should remain safely on the ground, not only for the sake of over ambitious pilots, but also to preserve it for future generations … It is after all the last original example remaining on planet Earth.

B

I vaguely recall that the Typhoon was such a dog, in need of so many issue fixes, that once Hawker were done addressing these, they had near enough a whole new aircraft. They thought it would be smarter to introduce it to pilots as such, the Tempest, than to call it the Typhoon Mk II (or some such) and try to persuade them they'd solved its problems. The opposite seems to have happened with the Spitfire, late models of which had almost nothing in common with the early ones but whose name was a performance feature in itself.

The problem with veteran aircraft at airshows has often related more to "stunt" flying, even simple rolls and loops are to be avoided in the elderly.

Even then there have been mid air collisions and "simple" take off/ landing accidents too. I would let it taxi, but no more.

Another take on the Typhoon, the Tempest.

YouTube link