Book Review of Hawker Typhoon
The RAF’s Ground-breaking Fighter Bomber
Author: Tony Buttler
Key Books
ISBN: 978-1-913870-90-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-913870-90-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and it never completely satisfied this requirement.
The Typhoon was originally designed to mount twelve .303 inch (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns and be powered by the latest 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) engines. Its service introduction in mid-1941 was plagued with problems and for several months the aircraft faced a doubtful future.
When the Luftwaffe brought the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 into service in 1941, the Typhoon was the only RAF fighter capable of catching it at low altitudes; as a result it secured a new role as a low-altitude interceptor.
The Typhoon became established in roles such as night-time intruder and long-range fighter. From late 1942 the Typhoon was equipped with bombs and from late 1943 RP-3 rockets were added to its armoury. With those weapons and its four 20mm Hispano autocannons, the Typhoon became one of the Second World War's most successful ground-attack aircraft.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.741 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Wing area: 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 2219; tip: NACA 2213
Empty weight: 8,840 lb (4,010 kg)
Gross weight: 11,400 lb (5,171 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 13,250 lb (6,010 kg) with two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
Powerplant: 1 × Napier Sabre IIA, IIB or IIC H-24 liquid-cooled sleeve-valve piston engine, 2,180 hp (1,630 kW)
Sabre IIB: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW)
Sabre IIC: 2,260 hp (1,690 kW)
Propellers: 3 or 4-bladed de Havilland or Rotol constant-speed propeller
Maximum speed: 412 mph (663 km/h, 358 kn) at 19,000 ft (5,800 m) with Sabre IIB & 4-bladed propeller
Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
Range: 510 mi (820 km, 440 nmi) with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs; 690 mi (1,110 km) "clean"; 1,090 mi (1,750 km) with two 45 imp gal (200 l; 54 US gal) drop tanks.
Service ceiling: 35,200 ft (10,700 m)
Rate of climb: 2,740 ft/min (13.9 m/s) F.S supercharger at 3,700 rpm and 14,300 ft (4,400 m)
Wing loading: 40.9 lb/sq ft (200 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)
Armament
Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk II cannon
Rockets: 8 × RP-3 unguided air-to-ground rockets.
Bombs: 2 × 500 lb (230 kg) or 2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
THE BOOK:
Key Books is based in the UK.
This book is i of soft cover of 128 pages in 6 ¾” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Hawker Typhoon in flight. The back cover shows 5 of them in flight formation.
The book contains 186 black and white photos and 5 color ones (including the covers).
One of the color photos shows a built up model of a twin-engined Supermarine type 327 proposal.
One black and white photo is of Sydney Camm, the designer of the Typhoon.
Five black and white photos are of the engine.
Eight black and white photos are of the Hawker Tornado.
Two black and white photos show Hawker workers.
Four black and white photos show the cockpit interior.
There is a black and white illustration of the Typhoon as a cut-away.
There are 3 black and white photos of bombs and rockets mounted under the wings of a Typhoon.
The book ends with a 2 page Glossary and the Bibliography.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Typhoon and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Key Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and it never completely satisfied this requirement.
The Typhoon was originally designed to mount twelve .303 inch (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns and be powered by the latest 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) engines. Its service introduction in mid-1941 was plagued with problems and for several months the aircraft faced a doubtful future.
When the Luftwaffe brought the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 into service in 1941, the Typhoon was the only RAF fighter capable of catching it at low altitudes; as a result it secured a new role as a low-altitude interceptor.
The Typhoon became established in roles such as night-time intruder and long-range fighter. From late 1942 the Typhoon was equipped with bombs and from late 1943 RP-3 rockets were added to its armoury. With those weapons and its four 20mm Hispano autocannons, the Typhoon became one of the Second World War's most successful ground-attack aircraft.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.741 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Wing area: 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 2219; tip: NACA 2213
Empty weight: 8,840 lb (4,010 kg)
Gross weight: 11,400 lb (5,171 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 13,250 lb (6,010 kg) with two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
Powerplant: 1 × Napier Sabre IIA, IIB or IIC H-24 liquid-cooled sleeve-valve piston engine, 2,180 hp (1,630 kW)
Sabre IIB: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW)
Sabre IIC: 2,260 hp (1,690 kW)
Propellers: 3 or 4-bladed de Havilland or Rotol constant-speed propeller
Maximum speed: 412 mph (663 km/h, 358 kn) at 19,000 ft (5,800 m) with Sabre IIB & 4-bladed propeller
Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
Range: 510 mi (820 km, 440 nmi) with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs; 690 mi (1,110 km) "clean"; 1,090 mi (1,750 km) with two 45 imp gal (200 l; 54 US gal) drop tanks.
Service ceiling: 35,200 ft (10,700 m)
Rate of climb: 2,740 ft/min (13.9 m/s) F.S supercharger at 3,700 rpm and 14,300 ft (4,400 m)
Wing loading: 40.9 lb/sq ft (200 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)
Armament
Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk II cannon
Rockets: 8 × RP-3 unguided air-to-ground rockets.
Bombs: 2 × 500 lb (230 kg) or 2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
THE BOOK:
Key Books is based in the UK.
This book is i of soft cover of 128 pages in 6 ¾” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Hawker Typhoon in flight. The back cover shows 5 of them in flight formation.
The book contains 186 black and white photos and 5 color ones (including the covers).
One of the color photos shows a built up model of a twin-engined Supermarine type 327 proposal.
One black and white photo is of Sydney Camm, the designer of the Typhoon.
Five black and white photos are of the engine.
Eight black and white photos are of the Hawker Tornado.
Two black and white photos show Hawker workers.
Four black and white photos show the cockpit interior.
There is a black and white illustration of the Typhoon as a cut-away.
There are 3 black and white photos of bombs and rockets mounted under the wings of a Typhoon.
The book ends with a 2 page Glossary and the Bibliography.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Typhoon and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Key Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly Recommended.