Hawker Tempest Mk.I
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.I
The Tempest Mk.I featured a clean single-piece sliding canopy in place of the car-door framed canopy, and it used wing radiators instead of a “chin” radiator. Due to development difficulties with the Sabre IV engine and its wing radiators, the completion of the Mk.I prototype, HM599, was delayed, and thus it was the Mk.V prototype, HM595, that would fly first.
Development issues with the Napier Sabre engine and the end of the Second World War led to all contracts for the Tempest Mk.I being cancelled. Only the prototype Mk.I was completed and no production was undertaken.
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 with original canopy 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 with original canopy 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 with original canopy 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 
Hawker Tempest Mk.I HM599 
Hawker Tempest Mk. I 
Hawker Tempest Mk. I Line-Drawing 
Hawker Tempest Mk. I Line-Drawing