Tempest Mk V - CFS3
V4.00.164

This aircraft was built by  GregoryP using the Version 4.00.164 AvHistory 1% Assembly Line process. It is based on the stock CFS3 Tempest Mk V visual created by Microsoft and painted by Will Hunter, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. 



It is painted in the livery of 'JF-E' NV784’ a Tempest Mk V flown by W/C Pierre Clostermann, commander of 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force 1944-45.  W/C Clostermann was a Free French pilot flying with the RAF from 1942 through the end of the war.  Clostermann had 23 confirmed aerial kills and 9 "probables" and "ground kills".  Clostermann's final score in Tempest is at least 12 destroyed, 6 shared and 2 probables.



He was awarded the DSO and DFC and Bar in addition to French, Belgian and American decorations.

The Tempest began life as an intended improvement in the Typhoon.  Based on studies to improve high altitude performance, Hawker decided to change the wing to a much thinner laminar-flow wing with an elliptic planform.  The maximum depth of the new wing occurred farther back, at 37.5 % chord, while the thickness/chord ratio reduced to 14,5 % at the root tapering to 10 % at the tip.  The power plant was to be the new Napier Sabre IV.

Fuel had to be moved from the thinner wing to a fuselage Tank which was made possible by an extendion that moved the engine 51 cm forward.  A dorsal fin was also added. The plane was to be named as Typhoon II, but there were so many changes that in the beginning of 1942 the fighter was renamed Tempest.   

The Tempest was initially designed with six different engines to forestall the engine problems that had plagued the Typhoon. The first Tempest to be completed was equipped with the Napier Sabre II and designated the Mk V. The first flight of the prototype was in September 1942. The first Hawker Tempest Mk V serial production plane flew its maden flight in June 1943 at Langley.  From the initial production batch (Series 1) 100 aircraft were fitted with 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannons, whose barrels protruded from the leading-edge of the wing. The remaining Tempest Vs had short-barreled Mk V cannon, completely contained in the wings.

The first RAF squadrons to be formed with the Tempest were former Typhoon units. It was felt that since the two aircraft were similar in handling characteristics, re-equipping former Typhoon units would speed up the introduction of the Tempest. During January of 1944, No 486 Squadron received its first aircraft at Tangmere, later passing these aircraft to No 3 Squadron. As more Tempests were delivered, both units became fully equipped and were declared operational during late April of 1944.   

After initially being held in reserve during the D-Days landings, Wing Commander Beamont led nine No 3 Squadron Tempests over the beaches on 8 June. During the patrol the squadron engaged five Bf 109Gs near Rounen, shooting down three without loss. While this was the first of an impressive total of air-to-air kills for the new fighter it was initially deployed to counter the threat posed by the V-1 flying bombs. In this role, the Tempest truly excelled.  By the end of the V-1 campaign, Tempest pilots had claimed a total of some 800 V-1s destroyed. No less than 55 pilots had become Divers (V-1) aces. The top scorer was Squadron Leader J. Berry of the Fighter Interception Unit and No 501 Squadron, with a total of sixty and one-third destroyed.

Released from its V-1 chasing chores, the Tempests were quickly deployed for air superiority.  On 25 August 1944, No 56 Squadron conducted a fighter sweep across the channel to Cassel and Tempests were once more back in action over the continent.  Nos 274 and 80 Squadrons quickly joined in attacks against targets in France.  On 13 October Tempest of No 3 Squadron destroyed its first German jet aircraft, a Me262.   The Tempest went on to score several vistories against the Me262 and Arado 234.  A Tempest is also credited with the first downing of a He 162 rocket jet.  By the end of the war, the seven squadrons of Tempests in 2nd TAF had accounted for 240 enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat, plus thirteen probably destroyed. 

As the Allied forces swept on towards the German borders during the winter of 1944-45, the Tempest also established itself as one of the most successful ground attack in the European theatre. Its speed, controllability, weapons accuracy and superior all-round and attack vision proved invaluable in this role.  As an example, during February 1944, 122 Wing accounted for a record total of 484 German locomotives, 32 aircraft, 485 road vehicles, 118 barges and 650 railway trucks.

BEAR
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