[youtube]https://youtu.be/JY-pv1Am2V4[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/w_Zn9NyQtxw[/youtube]
Oct 11, 2023 SYWELL AERODROME
Yesterday afternoon, a very special aircraft flew for the first time after a 34 year restoration. Hawker Tempest Mk.II MW763, registered as G-TEMT and painted as PR533 of 33 Squadron took to the skies at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. Experienced warbird pilot Pete Kynsey was at the controls for this historic flight and took her straight to her new home at IWM Duxford.

Huge congratulations to everyone involved, especially those at Air Leasing at Sywell who have put so much effort and time into this unique aircraft to get her back in the sky.

This is the Mark II variant of the Hawker Tempest, the only Mark to be fitted with a Bristol Centaurus engine. Six marks were designed, each with a different engine including the Napier Sabre (as used on the Hawker Typhoon), Rolls-Royce Griffon and the Centaurus. The Mk.II entered service too late to see action in World War II.

He left out the P-40
And several others

Yeah, would have liked to have seen numbers for the P-38.

Craig

Left out the P-38, P-39, P-40, P-63, Navy fighters F-4 Wildcat, F-4U Corsair, F-6 Hellcat.

Dan

I want to see a Sabre engine Typhoon or Tempest fly.

He has a great channel - highly recommended. He was specific about single engine aircraft, and that he just picked 5.

Fun video to watch though … but I don’t think it was intended as a comprehensive inventory and wasn’t represented as such if memory serves.

When I was living in Scottsdale, there was a formation fly by of 40+ Spitfires one Saturday at KSDL. IIRC, it was sometime in the late 1980's.

Spectacular, to say the least

Single seat aircraft, not single engine.

My list still holds.

Dan

Wondering after watching the video of that list how many flying airframes were built or reached service in WWII?

I would suspect almost all of the German and Japanese airframes except for a few German replicas built in Eastern Europe. Plus some Soviet replicas. Earlier Spitfires I believe most have some combat history.

American fighters were in such production at the end of the war I don't believe many were used. And of those how many now were rebuilt from spares or replica parts.

The good news is current restorations are replicating very complex extrusions, forgings and formed parts to keep the flying airplanes flying. New can be built from paperwork alone it just takes $$$.

I'm just as happy to see a WWII Warbird fly built from accurate new parts as an original one.
Leave the originals in a museum if very rare (last one, famous history etc.) The accurate replicas, rebuilds continue to fly. Some with S/N and paperwork from originals. Now as new airframes with reset fatigue life, modern corrosion control and hangared for care.

Step back a bit and keep the airshow acts a bit tame. They came to see them fly, no need to abuse them.

Tool up to build engine parts for support. Good engine accessories make a reliable airplane.
I wonder where things like condensers and magneto coils come from now? Carburetor gaskets and parts?