Hawker Tempest II to fly again

[Nick]

There's a bunch of clever chaps in British Columbia who have advanced beyond being lumberjacks.... they've rebuilt a Hawker Tempest and she should be flying this year 

KF Aero in Kelowna have taken the parts of Tempest MW376 from a hangar in New Zealand and put her back together again. Many of the original parts had to be remade and some even reinvented. The main difference is they chose not to use the unreliable Bristol Centaurus engine and went for a P&W R2800.

MW376 went to the Indian Air Force in 1948 and was recovered from there in 1979. She then spent 35 years bouncing between several restoration groups until today.
https://www.hawkertempest.se/index.php/survivors/2015-01-19-19-22-20/mw3762

https://www.kfaero.ca/into-the-craft/why-and-how-kf-is-restoring-a-warplane/

https://www.facebook.com/KFhawker  Watch the rollout video here, no need to login.

[NARSES2]

Possibly my favourite aircraft, so  to them.

[rickshaw]

First time I've ever heard that the Centaurus was "unreliable".  I think the main problem would be lack of spare parts for it...   

[zenrat]

So it's a 1:1 whiff then.

I wonder how much putty they needed to get their cowlings to fit?

[NARSES2]

I wonder how much putty they needed to get their cowlings to fit?

My thoughts exactly 

[sandiego89]

First time I've ever heard that the Centaurus was "unreliable".  I think the main problem would be lack of spare parts for it...   

Perhaps a bit of both.  Almost all of the Sea Furys on display (and as racers) have used other engines.  I recall Centaurus reliability was a significant concern in in the Air Racing circuit- and running them at obscene manifold pressures surely did not help. 

[PR19_Kit]

The Centaurus is a sleeve valve engine and almost all the races for those Sea Furies were in the USA.

Nothing else needs be said. 

(and I bet THAT produces some comments........)

[Nick]

First time I've ever heard that the Centaurus was "unreliable".  I think the main problem would be lack of spare parts for it...   

A little Google suggests that the oil that it needs is no longer made - Aeroshell 100 U. Using other oils led to the engine breaking down earlier. This leads to the idea that the Centaurus is a 'bad engine'.
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/1441-the-notorious-centaurus

[PR19_Kit]

It doesn't surprise me they don't make it any more, all the basic components required are extinct I expect!

My Dad's opinion of the Centaurus, compared to a Hercules, was that '.....it has 1000 more cu. ins. capacity, 1000 more horsepower, and a MILLION more oil leaks!' 

[Old Wombat]

As a former maintainer of military radial-engined aircraft, all I can say is "If it isn't leaking, it isn't working!"

[perttime]

According to Aeroplane Monthly, "The long awaited first post restoration flight of Hawker Tempest Mk.II G-TEMT took place today in the hands of renowned warbird pilot Pete Kynsey..."
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=806039704859021&set=a.709921424470850

You cannot view this attachment.

There's an online article - for subscribers: https://www.key.aero/article/world-exclusive-hawker-tempest-makes-first-post-restoration

[PR19_Kit]

About time too. 

So I wonder what that was I saw chuntering about nr Sywell a couple of weeks ago?

[Leading Observer]

According to Aeroplane Monthly, "The long awaited first post restoration flight of Hawker Tempest Mk.II G-TEMT took place today in the hands of renowned warbird pilot Pete Kynsey..."
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=806039704859021&set=a.709921424470850

You cannot view this attachment.

There's an online article - for subscribers: https://www.key.aero/article/world-exclusive-hawker-tempest-makes-first-post-restoration

Lets get that Fw190 replica back and have a real comparison test

[KiwiZac]

It's worth noting this and the Canuckistani Tempest have confusingly close serial numbers - the UK one is MW763, and the one at Kelowna is MW376!! The silver machine flies with a Centaurus.

[PR19_Kit]

That's decidedly WIERD!