Aviation art print of the Royal Air
Force Hawker Tempest by David Pentland. Aviation art prints available from
Cranston Fine Arts.
Tribute to Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks by Ivan Berryman.
Whilst flying with other Hawker Tempests of 274 Sqn on 11th February 1945, Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks spotted a lone Arado Ar234 of the Kommando Sperling 1 (F) / 123 flown by Hauptmann Hans Felde returning to its base at Rheine. A desperate chase commenced through the cloudbase until the German jet prepared to land, whereupon Fairbanks sent 4U+DH down in flames after a single short burst of his four 20mm cannon.
Item Code : B0525
Tribute to Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Wing Commander Roland Beamont in his personal Tempest V, intercepted and downed his first V1 Buzzbomb on the night of June 22nd, 1944, over south east England. As Commander of 150 wing and others he went on to shoot down a total of 30 V1 flying bombs, 8 enemy aircraft and 35 locomotives destroyed plus one minesweeper sunk.
Item Code : DHM0577
A Buzz for Beamont by David Pentland. - Editions Available
Equipped with the experimental Monica IIIE detection device, Hawker Tempest EJ535 was deployed to the Fighter Interception Unit at Newchurch for evaluation in July 1944. Originally developed as the AN/APS 13, Monica had been intended as a rear-looking device to warn crews of attacks from behind. Now modified to face forward, it became a valuable aid in the battle against Hitler's terror weapons, notably the V-1 Flying Bomb. In the hands of the Fighter Interception Unit's then Commanding Officer Joseph Berry, this became a winning combination with no fewer than 52 Doodlebugs falling to Berry's guns on one occasion, seven V1s being shot down by Berry in a single night.
Tribute to Flt Lt Pierre Clostermann by Ivan Berryman.
One of the most notable pilots of 3 Squadron was the Frenchman Pierre Clostermann who enjoyed much success flying Spitfires with the Free French 341 Alsace Squadron before moving to 602 and 274 Squadrons RAF. Once on the strength of 3 Squadron, however, he quickly got to grips with the mighty Hawker Tempest V in which he downed two Focke-Wulf Fw.190D-9s on 20th April 1945, just two of the confirmed 12 aircraft destroyed whilst flying the Tempest, plus 6 shared and two probables. He is shown here flying Tempest V NV724, bearing the legend Le Grand Charles and the Squadron badge on the tailfin.
Item Code : B0457
Tribute to Flt Lt Pierre Clostermann by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Hawker Typhoon and Tempest - two aircraft types with widely differing reputations. The former was a technical nightmare redeemed as a ground attack machine, whilst the latter proved to be the most superlative low and medium level fighter to see service with the RAF, and arguably any air force, during the latter stages of World War 2. With 246 enemy aircraft destroyed by the Typhoon and 239 by the Tempest, over 40 aces flew one or both types in combat, and men like Foob Fairbanks and Johnny Baldwin attained double-figure scores with the Hawker fighters.
Item Code : OSAA0027
Typhoon and Tempest Aces of World War Two. - Editions Available
By mid-1941 it was clear that Hitlers plans to invade Britain were in disarray. The RAF had fought the Luftwaffe to a standoff, and many of Germanys top pilots had been killed or captured. Not willing to admit defeat in his campaign against Britain, Hitler approved the development of a pilotless terror weapon, the VF-1 Vergeltungswaffe (retaliation weapon). Designed by the Feiseler Company, the small pilotless Fi-103 was at times referred to in Britain as the doodlebug, buzz bomb, or farting fury. These flying bombs were inexpensive to build and were capable of carrying an 1870-pound warhead. The Fi-103 was powered by a ram-jet engine, and utilized three air driven gyroscopes to orient the aircraft. A rudimentary pre-set propeller device was utilized to determine when the VF-1 would land. Lacking the accuracy necessary to make it an effective weapon against military targets these doodlebugs were primarily targeted at large population centers. Therefore, they were primarily used as ci.........
Three 501 Sqn Hawker Tempests roar low across the North Sea outbound from Bradwell Bay, Essex, on their way to attack a German airfield at Bad Zwischehhan and nearby rail yards on the night of 2nd October 1944. The trio comprised of Sqn Ldr Joseph Berry, flying EJ600 (SD-F), Flt Lt E L 'Willy' Williams (SD-L) and Flt Lt C A 'Horry' Hansen. Berry was to lose his life on this mission, his aircraft being hit by ground fire from soldiers manning a radar station east of Veendam.
Item Code : B0517
Tempest Moon by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Foob Fairbanks - The Terror of the Rhine by Ivan Berryman.
Flying his last mission with his old mount, Hawker Tempest EJ762, fresh from repair after being damaged by flak, David Fairbanks found himself embroiled in a fierce battle with Messerschmitt Bf109s on 17th December 1944. In the course of the combat, Fairbanks shot down two of the enemy aircraft and damaged another before returning safely.
Item Code : DHM6091
Foob Fairbanks - The Terror of the Rhine by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Developed from the hawker Typhoon, the first hawker Tempest MkV took to the air during September 1942 and immediately showed great promise as a most versatile aircraft. During the build up to Overlord in 1944, tempests raged across northern France softening up the enemy defenses and blocking or destroying arterial supply routes. This Hawker Tempest V is engaged in knocking out a German train as part of Roland Beamonts No.3 Squadron operations prior to D - Day.
Item Code : B0007
Raging Tempest by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
With all his ammunition spent on other interceptions, Wing Commander Beamont in his Hawker Tempest MKV tips a German flying VI bomb to its destruction with his wingtip during the summer of 1944.
Item Code : DHM2419
Overturning the Odds by Keith Woodcock - Editions Available
Aircraft History: JN751 was built at Hawkers Langley factory and delivered to No. 20 MU at Aston Down 20th February 1944. Delivered to No.486 (NZ) Squadron initially, and subsequently received by No.3 Squadron, it became the personal aircraft of Wing Commander R P Beamont. On 8th June 1944, it became the first Tempest to shoot down and enemy aircraft (Bf109G-6, JN751 was hit in the starboard wing by a cannon shell in this combat) and during June/August it shot down over 30 V-1 flying bombs. On 1st September, following an engine failure on take-off, JN751 made a forced landing at Langley. Repaired 2nd September, Wing Commander Beamont collected the aircraft from Langley on 5th September and returned to Newchurch - this was his last flight in JN751. Returned to No.20 MU on 3rd October 1944, it was delivered to No.287 Squadron at Hornchurch on anti aircraft co-operation duties. On 18th May 1945, whilst trying to avoid a fog bank JN751 crashed on the Isle of Sheppey, killing the pilot, Fl.........
Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 30cm)
none
£14.00
The Hawker Tempest was a much improved
development of the Typhoon and first flew in June 1943. and started service
with the RAF in April 1944. mainly serving in the attack role in Europe
against ground targets including the V1 Flying Bomb installations. It
remained in service after the war until 1949 when it was eventually
replaced by the Jet Aircraft. but continued for another 4 years in the
Indian and Pakistan air forces. In total no less than 1395 Hawker
Tempests were built. Speed: 426mph at 18,500 feet,
Crew One. Range 800 miles. Armament: Four 20mm Hispano cannons
mounted in the wings and a bomb payload of upto 2,000 lbs.
A Buzz for Beaumont by David Pentland Wing Commander Roland Beaumont in his personal Tempest V, intercepted
and downed his first V1 "Buzzbomb" on the night of June 22nd,
1944, over south east England. As Commander of 150 wing and others he
went on to shoot down a total of 30 V1 flying bombs, 8 enemy aircraft
and 35 locomotives destroyed (plus one minesweeper sunk).
Overturning the Odds by Keith Woodcock With all his ammunition spent on other interceptions, Wing Commander
Beamont in his Hawker Tempest MKV tips a German flying VI bomb to its
destruction with his wingtip during the summer of 1944.
Lull Before the Storm by Keith Aspinall
Hawker Tempest fighter.
of Wing Commander Roland Beaumont DSO and Bar DFC and Bar, June 1944
Aircraft side view by M A Kinnear Hawker Tempest Mk V JN751 R-B.
Aircraft History: JN751
was built at Hawker's Langley factory and delivered to No. 20 MU at Aston
Down 20th February 1944. Delivered to No.486 (NZ) Squadron initially, and
subsequently received by No.3 Squadron, it became the personal aircraft of
Wing Commander R P Beamont. On 8th June 1944, it became the first Tempest
to shoot down and enemy aircraft (Bf109G-6, JN751 was hit in the starboard
wing by a cannon shell in this combat), and during June/August it shot
down over 30 V-1 flying bombs. On 1st September, following an engine
failure on take-off, JN751 made a forced landing at Langley. Repaired 2nd
September, Wing Commander Beamont collected the aircraft from Langley on
5th September and returned to Newchurch - this was his last flight in
JN751. Returned to No.20 MU on 3rd October 1944, it was delivered to
No.287 Squadron at Hornchurch on anti aircraft co-operation duties. On
18th May 1945, whilst trying to avoid a fog bank JN751 crashed on the Isle
of Sheppey, killing the pilot, Flight Sergeant P.C.A. Redstone.
Wing
Commander Roland P Beamont, CBE, DSO and bar, DFC and bar, DFC (USA), DL:
Born
on 10th August 1920, Roland Beamont joined No87. Squadron in France during
November 1939. Returning to England 20th May 1940 (having destroyed a Do17
and an Me109) he went on to destroy a further three enemy aircraft during
the Battle of Britain. In June 1941 he was posted to No79 Squadron as a
Flight Commander. In December 1941, he went to Hawker Aircraft Limited as
a Service test pilot flying Hurricanes. On 29th June 1942, he was posted
as Flight Commander to Hawker Typhoon equipped No.609 (WR) squadron at
Duxford, and took command of the squadron in October. He returned to
Hawker Aircraft during May 1943, to test fly the Tempest. In February
1944, he was tasked with forming the first Tempest Wing, No.150 at Castle
Camps and later Newchurch. When leader of the five squadron Tempest Wing
No.122 over Germany on 12th October 1944, Roland Beamont was shot down by
ground fire, and became a POW. During his time with No's 150 and 122 Wings
he destroyed one Bf109, one Fw190, one Ju88 on the ground and thirty two
V1 flying bombs. After the war Roland Beamont became Chief Test Pilot for
English Electric, test flying the Canberra, P1, Lightning and TSR2
aircraft. He was the first British pilot to fly a British aircraft at Mach
1 in level flight, and later at Mach 2. After serving as Director of
Flight operations for the Tornado test programme he retired and became a
respected author.
150 Wing, 2nd T.A.F., Royal Air
Force:
In February 1944, Wing Commander R.P.
Beamont was tasked with forming the first Tempest Wing (No.150). The wing
initially comprised of two Typhoon Squadrons which were transferred from
Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), No.s 3 and 486 (New Zealand), which
received their Tempests in March, and then flew to Ayr in Scotland for
weapons training. They moved to No.B60 (ALG) airfield at Newchurch later
in the month and were joined by No.56 Squadron, who, because of a shortage
of Tempests, exchanged their Hawker Typhoons temporarily for MK V
Spitfires. Under the leadership of Wing Commander Beamont, the wing was
tasked with providing air cover for the Normandy beachhead during the
D-Day landings. On 8th June, Wing Commander Beamont led No.3 and No.486
(NZ) squadrons on the third Tempest patrol over the beachhead area and
during this sortie, the squadrons attacked five enemy Bf109G-6 aircraft
east of Rouen. Beamont shot down one, with two more being accounted for by
No.3 squadron pilots. These were the first enemy aircraft shot down by
Hawker Tempests. On 18th June, still at Newchurch, the Wing, because of
the Tempest's high speed, was tasked with the interception of the V1
flying bombs (under the control of ADGB). It was to be a further three
months (during which time No.56 squadron received their Tempests) before
the V1 threat was reduced enough to allow the former No.150 Wing to return
to operations over Europe, having the highest wing score of V1's
destroyed, 632. No.'s 3, 486 (NZ) and 56 squadrons (still under the
command of Wing Commander Beamont) flew to Belgium in September where they
replaced the Mustang Mk III equipped squadrons of No.122 Wing (No.'s 19,
65 and 122 who returned to the UK to reform No.150 Wing). The original
squadrons of No.150 now formed the nucleus of No.122 Wing, which with the
addition of No.'s 80 and 274 squadrons on 7th October 1944, became the
first five Tempest squadron Wing. Following several movements in Germany,
and ending as one of the two top scoring Wings in the 2nd T.A.F. (No.122
Wing had finally reached Copenhagen Kastrup in Denmark when hostilities
ended in Europe), No.150 Wing was finally disbanded on 8th March 1945.
Because of the short period of time it existed, No.150 Wing did not have a
badge. Consequently the badge which is depicted on the print is of the 2nd
Tactical Air Force, of which No.150 Wing was part.
(matted)
