Hawker Tempest Mk.V – David C. Fairbanks, 274 Sqn RAF., Netherlands, November 1944

Sky Max 1/72 scale SM4009: Hawker Tempest Mk.V EJ762 of 274 Sqn RAF, as flown by F/Lt. David C. Fairbanks, Netherlands, November 1944. Production run of 500 models.

Length 5.75 inches Wingspan 6.75 inches

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used in the war. The Tempest was originally labelled Typhoon II but since it was such an improvement over the Typhoon it was renamed Tempest. The Tempest had a thinner laminar wing and much better performance at high altitudes. The Tempest became WWII?s fastest single-engine propeller-driven aircraft at low altitudes.

Hawker Tempest Mk.V EJ762/JJ-F was assigned to No.274 Squadron, F/L D. C. Fairbanks at Volkel, the Netherlands. On October 19, 1944 EJ762 was hit in the port wing fuel tank and burned off the port tail plane paint and damaged the fabric skin. Fairbanks managed to return to base and the aircraft was eventually repaired. On November 19, 1944 Fairbanks EJ762 was hit by flak and once again repaired. Fairbanks ended WWII with 12.5 kills. In February 1945 EJ762 was shot down and pilot Flt. Lt. G. J. Bruce became a POW.