Tempest II to fly soon

[Graham T]

News to me but Anglia Aircraft Restorations are just waiting a few Centaurus parts before Tempest II MW763 G-TEMT takes to the air at Sywell.  I had no idea that a Tempest existed ANYwhere let alone a flying example! https://www.facebook.com/SywellAviationMuseum/

[pigsty]

After all we've heard about the Centaurus and the last Sea Fury prang, that's remarkably brave.  Still, better that than some American lump - I might finally get to hear a Centaurus in action.

[Graham Boak]

The last Sea Fury prang wasn't a Centaurus.

[alt-92]

On 5/24/2021 at 9:21 PM, Graham Boak said:

The last Sea Fury prang wasn't a Centaurus.

And the one before that neither.

[Hamden]

On 5/24/2021 at 8:21 PM, Graham Boak said:

The last Sea Fury prang wasn't a Centaurus.

 

I was under the impression that the Navy Wings Sea Fury T20 was Centaurus powered and that the ex TFC T20 was P&W powered

 

    Stay safe             Roger

[Graham Boak]

The last posting I saw, after some ill-informed criticism of the Centaurus, stated that the most recent Sea Fury crash was of a P&W-engined-example.  This was not denied, so I assumed it was correct.  Is this not so?

[Scimitar F1]

I am looking forward to seeing a Tempest in the air more than anything since the Vulcan in 2007.

[Agent K]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

The last posting I saw, after some ill-informed criticism of the Centaurus, stated that the most recent Sea Fury crash was of a P&W-engined-example.  This was not denied, so I assumed it was correct.  Is this not so?

No, the DUX example was P&W, the RNHF/Fly Navy ones(s) are original and Centaurus equipped.

[phat trev]

The only other Tempest, in the UK at least, is in the RAF Museum. I can’t think of any either more (apart from a Mk.V in the USA? which might fly one day, although someone might be able to correct me on this).

[Don149]

I wonder what happened to the Tempest II which was at Duxford many years back ? . That one looked complete .

[PhantomBigStu]

2 minutes ago, Don149 said:

I wonder what happened to the Tempest II which was at Duxford many years back ? . That one looked complete .

Duxford have had two, LA607 (the second prototype) which was sold to the States in 1983, and PR536 that was move to Hendon in 1991 and now lives at Cosford 

[bentwaters81tfw]

LA607 was last reported with Kermit Weeks

[Bozothenutter]

One of the guys at cliosport.net (one of my other hobbies) did the paintwork on that.

[Hornchurch]

On 31/05/2021 at 12:40, Don149 said:

I wonder what happened to the Tempest II which was at Duxford many years back ? . That one looked complete .

 

As the other two lads (here in the thread, above me) have said, it went 'stateside'

 

Yeah, Kermit Weeks bought it "at auction"

 

It went for £85,000 (back then), but it also had a 'cracked-wing'spar' 

 

I did see a You Tube video (fairly recent), around 2016 of it in his hangar(s)

 

It had been painted in some stange looking Olive Green primer (seemingly so)

 

I couldn't help thinking - It's like his Short Sunderland - (Ex Edward Hulton)

 

In other words, "there" but it'll sit "there" forever & a day - (The 'jaded-cynic' in me !)

 

I took an interest in LA607 as a teenager, because it was still at Duxford (then)

 

Every time I went (around 1979/early 1980), it was parked next to "Big Beautiful Doll" (P.51)

 

No-one knew at the time that "it" (LA607) was going up for sale, nor 'stateside'

 

It's like, you turn-up (Dux') & expect it to (still) be there, naturally !

 

Glad I took some pix of it, when "she" was still resident, back then.

 

It was (formerly) painted-up, in an R.A.F.G scheme, with the White (lip) cowling.

 

Still view it as a big loss (for the U.K), but of course, money-talks (sadly)

 

Same went for the Strathallan Mosquito

[Don149]

Yes Hornchurch , my wife and I visited Strathallan many years ago , saw the Mosquito and the Lancaster which was parked in the open . still have 

pics of them , somewhere . A great shame what happened to the Lanc .

                                                                                                                 Don .

[k5054nz]

On 1/8/2022 at 4:09 PM, Hornchurch said:

Yeah, Kermit Weeks bought it "at auction"

It went for £85,000 (back then), but it also had a 'cracked-wing'spar' 

I did see a You Tube video (fairly recent), around 2016 of it in his hangar(s)

It had been painted in some stange looking Olive Green primer (seemingly so)

I couldn't help thinking - It's like his Short Sunderland - (Ex Edward Hulton)

In other words, "there" but it'll sit "there" forever & a day - (The 'jaded-cynic' in me !)

The Tempest Mk.II has remained in the same paint. It's the Tempest Mk.V - which was being actively worked on until Andy Salter retired - that's in primer. Video from Kermit filmed in 2019 when Richard Grace visited Fantasy of Flight to get some info for MW763's restoration.

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by k5054nz