Hawker Tempest Mk.III

Originally envisaged as the Hawker Typhoon Mk.II, the Tempest was developed as a series of six prototypes, each powered by a different engine. This was undertaken, so that if development problems arose with one engine, development still continued with the others.

The six prototypes built were as follows:

One Tempest Mk.I (serial number HM599), equipped with the Napier Sabre Mk.IV engine
Two Tempest Mk.II (serial numbers LA602 and LA607), equipped with the Bristol Centaurus Mk.IV engine (LA607 later receiving a Centaurus Mk.V)
One Tempest Mk.III (serial number LA610), equipped with the Rolls-Royce Griffon 85 engine (originally planned for the Griffon IIB)
One Tempest Mk.IV (serial number LA614), which was never completed but planned to be equipped with a Griffon 61 engine
One Tempest Mk.V (serial number HM595), equipped with the Napier Sabre Mk.II engine

Hawker Tempest Mk.III

The Hawker Tempest Mk.III was planned to be powered by the Rolls Royce Griffon 85 driving two three-bladed propellers. First flying on 27 November 1944, development was abandoned soon after when priority for the Griffon engine was given to Spitfires.

Hawker converted LA610 into a Fury prototype powered by a Sabre Mk VIII driving a four-bladed propeller.