The Hawker Typhoon (Tiffy in RAF slang) 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 engines. Its service introduction in mid-1941 was plagued with problems and for several months the aircraft faced a doubtful future.[3] When the Luftwaffe brought the formidable 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.
Reed moreCrew: 1
Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.741 m) [nb 21]
Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m) [nb 22]
Wing area: 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 2219; tip: NACA 2213[93]
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) [nb 23]
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[nb 24]
Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h; 76 kn) IAS with flaps up
Range: 510 mi (443 nmi; 821 km) [nb 25]
Service ceiling: 35,200 ft (10,700 m)
Rate of climb: 2,740 ft/min (13.9 m/s) [nb 26]
Wing loading: 40.9 lb/sq ft (200 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)
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