Hawker Tornado prototypes

[72modeler]

Found this just now. Very interesting photos and descriptions of the three prototypes and one production aircraft. I had never seen or read about the lone production  example and was amazed to see it had  contra-rotating props. Probably old hat to @Chris Thomas, but thought some of you would find this of interest. IIRC, I have a resin conversion to do the Centaurus powered prototype. Very handsome beast!

Mike

 

https://oldmachinepress.com/2020/12/20/hawker-tornado-fighter/

[Graham Boak]

The thing to watch for is that the Tornado had a different underside to the Typhoon, so check that this is allowed for in the conversion.  I forget the exact details but this was because the Vulture was mounted at a slightly different position to the Sabre and hence the wing was slightly higher (IIRC - or perhaps lower?).   I think that there is at least one good photo which has been posted on this forum some time back.

[MDriskill]

Very interesting, thanks! I am fascinated by this "family" of designs and their amazing engines...the contra-prop job would be an attention-grabbing model for sure.

 

Graham, this may be the thread you are recalling - it has those interesting underside comparison photos of the Typhoon and Tornado from beneath anyhow. The Vulture was somewhat taller than the Sabre, and thus the Tornado's wing was mounted lower than the Typhoon's.

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by MDriskill

[Graham Boak]

Thanks, it was indeed.  The wing centre-section goes straight across the bottom of the aircraft with no under-fuselage fairing present.  There is a good article on the Typhoon in the latest Aeroplane Monthly, with a different take on the tail failures.   It states that compressibility-induced flutter was not enough in itself (an interesting qualification!  Flutter is usually quite sufficient in itself to break aircraft) and vibration analysis from a suspended aircraft showed a maximum resonance node in front of the tail.  An increase in the weight of the ballast on the elevator mass balance and an inertia weight below the control column were introduced to dampen the resonance.  The high level of vibration itself was blamed on mounting the engine directly onto the main spar, something later eased by rubber mountings and the 4-blade prop.  This reads like a more sophisticated account than the flutter alone version I'm familiar with, but there's a glaring clue in that the aft weight was not attached to the fuselage but to the elevator mass balance.  Which is definitely an anti-flutter device.

 

The magazine includes a photo of the Centaurus Tornado used for contra-prop trials.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Tornado, sources agree three prototypes, P5219, P5224 and HG641, the latter fitted with a Centaurus engine.  Most sources indicate one or two production versions, however the RAF delivery logs say three, all Taken on Charge on 13 September 1941, R7936 CRD AAEE, R7937 CRD Hawker and R7938 CRD Rolls Royce.  There is an RAF history card for R7938 only.   It is possible R7937 became HG641.  AIR 22/420 Aircraft Stocks and Movements reports three Tornado in possession of the Ministry of Aircraft Production as of 1 July 1942, the last report with Tornado listed is on 28 January 1943, under the Current Operational Types and Marks heading.

[Space Ranger]

I have a Tornado conversion article from an old Airfix Magazine (April 1967) if anyone is interested. Send me a PM with your email address.