Warbird Information Exchange

Hey everyone... Seeing the awesome photos of Peter Vacher's Hurricane R4118I got me thinking, has anyone ever thought of bringing to life a Typhoon? I know the only complete one is at the RAF Museum Hendon. I don't even know if it's airworty of just static. And from my understanding the Brooklands Museum and the Imperial War Museum Duxford have parts of three other Typhoons. So would the big hurdle be just that there aren't enough part out there? Or is there more stuff out there and it just hasn't been done yet?[/img]

The HUGE obstacle in the way of a Typhoon restoration is the acquisition of a Sabre engine. They are exceedingly rare, and even harder to maintain. However, in my opinion, that shouldn't stop the dedicated collector. It'll happen one day, but when is a huge question.

Cheers,
Richard

I figured it was something like that... either the hard to find parts or lack of the correct parts. I'm not a mechanic and I don't mean to offend anyone who is into "by the book" restoration, but would there be another possible powerplant avalible?

The Sabre was a monster engine; an H-section 24 cylinder sleave valve powerplant. There are no other applicable alternatives, unlike the later Hawker Tempest, which did have variants with the radial Centaurus, and inline Griphon engines (as well as others I believe).

Cheers,
Richard

Hello Gentlemen,

I "think" that Kermit Weeks has a Typhoon in restoration for his Fantasy of Flight in Florida. But I agree with you, the Sabre engine would be most difficult to find, rebuild, and maintain if such a plane would or rather could be made airworthy

Hi there... actually Kermit's aircraft is a Tempest Mk.V, and it is being restored to flight-worthy condition in England. One of the formerly-regular contributors here is actually working on her. It is made up of a Tempest V fuselage from the Delft technical college, and the wings of a former IAF Tempest II. Apparently they have a couple of potentially useable sabre engines in the collection of parts, but I am unsure whether they will actually fly the beast.

Cheers,
Richard

The WEEKS airplane is a TEMPEST, its the older brother to the TYPHOON. It has been said that the airplane is being restored to flyable condition, but the SABRE engine will be the deciding factor. Its serial # is EJ693. Its easy to find pics of it with a GOOGLE search

By the time a Typhoon is ready to take to the air, the insurance premiums and political bulls**t will have killed the entire warbird community!

T J

You can always send them across the pond.

They way the US$ is going we'll be paying you all to come over and visit.

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Gentlemen,
a chap by the name of Roger Marley is slowly on the way to creating a Typhoon 1b at

http://www.internationalcockpitclub.org.uk/gallery.php

Go half way down the page.

Regards

Pete,
Thanks buddy! Its great to see someone trying to something different and something that there is not a lot of. Do you know how he is coming currently?

Hi,
forget flying one, the tail will probably fall off ... according to old pilots they never cured it , just retired it fast in 1945..
But a ground run or taxy of a typhoon and it's sabre that would be something to hear& see.
cheers
Jerry

Well, If the tail only came off in dives or high g maneuvers, you can still fly one with self imposed restrictions.

How about a Tempest? It was a better design anyway. and not too much difference.

COTS,
the Typhoon now has a fuselage attached to the cockpit section. Hopefully I'll hear from Roger within the next couple of days and be able to inform you and other interested parties of the current status of this huge endeavour.

A question for you COTS. Why the interest in the Typhoon when obviously your affiliation is with the P-51?

Regards

I agree with Harvard on this..without the "war-kit loads" imposed on the
airframe and judicious care..the Typhoon wouldn't have those kind of
stresses imposed on it. As I understand it, the Tempest had a "faster"
(thinner) wing as well as strengthening mods and longer fuselage. Correct
me if I'm wrong..but don't few, if any warbirds encounter the loads
imposed upon them in their operational days?

As for the Sabre..One would think that with the current level of knowledge
metallurgy and engineering, it would be possible to get a Sabre in flying
shape. But of course, doesn't that always come down to "will to do so"..
i.e....$$$

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