Tempest Mk II
This page is about the British fighter Tempest Mk II. For other versions, see Tempest (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Tempest Mk II was a British fighter developed alongside the Tempest Mk V during WWII after cancellation of Hawker Tornado. Unlike the Tempest Mk V, the Mk II was powered with a Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine. The engine installation, cowling, and exhausts were inspired by a captured Fw 190. The first Centaurus-powered Tempest Mk II flew on 28th June 1943, the first prototype was using the rudder and tail fin of a Typhoon. The second prototype flew on 18th September 1943, and featured the enlarged rudder and tail later used on the Tempest. The prototypes experienced issues with engine vibrations which were fixed with different engine mountings and the plane also experienced overheating and some other issues. Due to this, as well as the decision to tropicalize all the planes for service in South-East Asia, the production was delayed. In September 1942, an order was placed for 500 Tempest Mk IIs to be built by Gloster, but in 1943 priority to the Typhoon was given and the contract was given to Bristol instead, while Hawker was to build another 1,800. The first production Tempest Mk II rolled off the line on 4th October 1944. As the war was nearing the end, only 50 Tempests were built by Bristol with 402 built by Hawker. A total of 100 were built as fighters and 302 were built as fighter bomber versions with reinforced wings and wing bomb racks capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg. The Tempest Mk II was intended for combat against Japan, however the war ended before they were deployed.
The Tempest Mk II has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. The Tempest Mk II is faster than the Mk V, however the engine performance drops significantly above 4,000 m. The Mk II is best utilized for Boom and Zoom tactics, as the plane itself is not very manoeuvrable in the horizontal, however the superior acceleration and dive speed could be utilized to either escape or regain energy again.
General info
Flight performance
The Tempest Mk II is the last propeller-driven aircraft in the Hawker line and is a fitting send-off. With its sleek airframe, extremely powerful Centaurus engine and heavy weight, it holds one of the highest top speeds of any traditional prop aircraft in the game and acceleration to match. However, it only keeps these advantages below 3,000 m, as above that the engine will asphyxiate and you will notice a drastic decrease in performance.
Boom & Zoom is this aircraft's forté, and is the main way you should fly it. It can easily abuse its brutal speed and acceleration combined with the amazing dive speed and powerful weaponry to blitz any aircraft that it sets its sights on. On the flip side, the heavy weight means it fares very poorly in manoeuvre fights as most propeller aircraft (and some jet-powered ones) will easily turn circles around it.
Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 3,658 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
Stock | 668 | 653 | 11800 | 22.4 | 23.2 | 17.2 | 17.2 | 452 |
Upgraded | 821 | 723 | 20.1 | 21.0 | 36.8 | 23.9 |
Details
Features | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
Limits | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
879 | 361 | 412 | 389 | 270 | ~14 | ~7 |
Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
< 440 | < 430 | < 530 | > 337 |
Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
---|---|---|
Setting 1 | ||
Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
950 m | 2,300 hp | 2,829 hp |
Setting 2 | ||
Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
4,330 m | 1,950 hp | 2,398 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 16.9 mm Steel - Armour plate behind pilot's seat and headrest
- 44.5 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Tempest Mk II is armed with:
- 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, wing-mounted (156 rpg outer + 162 rpg inner = 636 total)
Suspended armament
The Tempest Mk II can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 2 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (500 lb total)
- 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
- 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)
- 8 x RP-3 rockets
Usage in battles
The main tactic for the Tempest II is high-speed combat. With a weight of over 5,000 kg, and a peak WEP power of 2,500 hp it can accelerate very fast in a dive. This means that less altitude is traded for the same gain in speed compared to other props.
The second main benefit from the extra weight is that the plane can hold the speed gained from a dive for a long time. Additionally, the plane has a very sleek airframe, which means that its top speed is one of the highest of any prop in the game. Considering this data, the plane should be flown in high-speed shallow manoeuvres.
Against jets, the tactics are reversed. Jets are faster and heavier, thus shallow angles should be avoided. Steep angle energy fighting and turn fighting should be applied. Few exceptions against jets should be made. The Ho 229 will out turn the Tempest II, but upwards spirals at high speed are an effective way to burn away the 229's energy and they are easily trapped.
The second exception is the Meteor F Mk.3. This plane outperforms or is on par in every aspect except for, hilariously enough, top speed on the deck.
The third and last are the Yak-15/17. They turn better, but their diving speed is a lot lower than the Tempest II's.
Versus the Tempest:
There's not much one can do while a Tempest II is diving on your aircraft, as it'll blitz you before you know it and will be gone just as fast. Most smart Tempest pilots stay around 2,500-3,500 m so they can keep their engine performance and have the ability to abuse their dive speed. If you are able to catch a Tempest mid-turn or if it's unaware of your presence, it becomes significantly easier to take down considering most aircraft at the tier can turn circles around it. Try to catch them in a manoeuvre trap and force them to bleed their speed for an easy kill.
Manual Engine Control
MEC elements | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
Oil | Water | Type | ||||
Not controllable | Controllable Auto control available |
Controllable Auto control available |
Controllable Auto control available |
Separate | Controllable 2 gears |
Not controllable |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong engine providing excellent performance below 3,000 m (9,840 ft)
- Excellent climb rate and acceleration up to 3,500 m
- Dives very well (low parasitic drag)
- Reasonably decent roll rate
- Very agile at moderate speeds
- Very high speed in level flight for a propeller-driven aircraft: can maintain a speed of 670 km/h at sea level
- Solid firepower
- Can land on carriers if absolutely necessary
Cons:
- Poor performance at high altitudes
- Often gets matches with early rank 5 aircraft (early jets)
- Sub-par turning radius
- Difficult to aim at high speed
- Doesn't climb as well as its German or Italian counterparts
History
The creation of this plane also came with an older counterpart, the Tempest Mk V. The Mk II has a different engine than the Mk V which is why they seem different. The Mk II's were used later in the war than the Mk V's.
Archive of the in-game description | |
---|---|
The Hawker Tempest Mk.II was a single seat fighter powered by a single Bristol Centaurus radial engine. After the Hawker Typhoon had proved unsatisfactory in its originally intended role as an interceptor, Hawker continued their work on viable options for a replacement aircraft. The Hawker Tornado project had been run with two separate engine options concurrently; after the Tornado was cancelled the idea of trialing two separate engines was applied to Hawker's new venture, then entitled the Typhoon II. After major design changes and with a perceived lack of confidence in the Typhoon name, the aircraft was designated the Tempest. The original prototypes were planned as the Tempest I with the Sabre IV engine and the Tempest V with the Sabre II. Shortly after this, two Tempest Mk.IIs were ordered with the 18 cylinder Bristol Centaurus engine, rated at 2520 hp. An order for 500 Tempest IIs was placed in October 1942, before the prototype had even first taken to the air. The first flight occurred in June 1943 before the Bristol Aeroplane Company began production, completing construction of its first example in October 1944, joining the two prototypes to continue trials. After delays in the Tempest II program the aircraft type was originally intended for use against the Japanese in the Far East but entered service just too late for the operations in the Second World War. The first two Tempest II squadrons were No.54 and No.247 in autumn 1945. Only two squadrons of Tempest IIs operated from the UK mainland itself. With the war's end the demand for high numbers of Hawker's new fighter no longer remained and aircraft contracts were reduced significantly. Whilst 'Tiger Force' – the planned force for the Far East – had been cancelled, the RAF still opted to deploy 180 Tempest IIs to the Far East between 1946 and 1947. Four squadrons were stood up in British India and used in policing actions in the local area before the aircraft were handed over to the Royal Indian Air Force and the Royal Pakistan Air Force. The Tempest II was also used as part of the British Forces of Occupation in Germany until July 1949. Only 552 Tempest IIs were built, serving with the RAF, India and Pakistan. |
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
- Typhoon (Family) - the aircraft the Tempest evolved from
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
Hawker Aircraft Limited | |
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Biplane fighters | |
Fury | Fury Mk I · Fury Mk II |
Nimrod | Nimrod Mk I · Nimrod Mk II |
Scout plane | Osprey Mk IV |
Piston fighters | |
Hurricane | Hurricane Mk I/L · Hurricane Mk.I/L FAA M · Sea Hurricane Mk IB · Sea Hurricane Mk IC · Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop · Hurricane Mk IV |
Typhoon | Typhoon Mk Ia · Typhoon Mk Ib · Typhoon Mk Ib/L |
Tempest | Tempest Mk V · Tempest Mk V (Vickers P) · Tempest Mk II |
Fury | Sea Fury FB 11 |
Jet fighters | |
Hunter | Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9 |
Sea Hawk | Sea Hawk FGA.6 |
Harrier | Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3 |
Export | ▄Hurricane Mk I/L · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ▄Sea Fury FB 51 |
▄Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◄Sea Hawk Mk.100 · ◘Hunter F.6 · ◌Hunter F.58 · J34 · AV-8A · AV-8C | |
Captured | ▀Tempest Mk V |
See Also | Fokker |