Hawker Typhoon

During World War 2, England desperately needed a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane fighter to maintain aerial superiority over the English Channel. Without such an advantage, it would be impossible to set the stage for D-day and the eventual liberation of France.
Although the aircraft was fitted with one of the mightiest engines of its time, the initial results were highly disappointing. Then, as it made it to the battlefront to conduct its first operations, it further disheartened the Allied leaders.
The aircraft turned out to be very difficult and risky to operate, displaying a much higher probability of being taken down or even bursting into flames on its own than other fighters.
Soon, Allied pilots started to dread the prospect of flying it, going as far as considering it a suicide mission.
But just as Germany deployed its fastest and more powerful fighter to date, the Focke-Wulf FW 190, and the prospects of maintaining air superiority over the English Channel appeared bleaker by the minute, the Hawker Typhoon and its daring pilots stepped up to meet the threat eye to eye.
Then, almost by mistake, the faulty and hazardous Typhoon was given a different role, completely changing the course of the war...
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

[@Marcosdriver1]

At 06:44 in the video, it shows my father, P/O Roy Payne landing his 609 Squadron RAF Typhoon PR-H at Biggin Hill, with the wheels up. He had previously suffered a puncture during takeoff. Dated 30 October 1942

[@patrickfreeman8816]

Nicely done wheels up landing. My thanks to your Father for taking on this brute and deliberately diving INTO flak (to silence it) as part of his mission.

[@kennethdodge3779]

Awesome.

[@clunkCA]

I personally knew a Typhoon pilot, F/Lt Jack H Hilton, RCAF. So many great stories from him. Rest easy sir, you are missed. 🇨🇦

[@DavidLee-df888]

I love the Hawker company for it's contribution to aerospace history. Sir Sydney Camm had a part to play in many of the finest British aircraft ever made including the Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest, Sea Fury, Hunter, and my personal favourite the Harrier. That the Typhoon made a transition from a dangerous untrusted fighter plane to a versatile, liked fighter-bomber is a remarkable story in itself.

[@rosiehawtrey]

I'd not mention the word "liked" and the word "typhoon" in the same sentence to a ground crew vet if I was you. If you're lucky you'll just get a tirade of expletives.

[@MrDaiseymay]

As the man said, it was desperate times, they had to produce the right answers very quickly. Unfortunately, unlike in peacetime, Chances and risques, had to be made, at high human cost.

[@Marin3r101]

Indeed David.

[@DavidLee-df888]

@@rosiehawtrey Maybe not so much "liked" but more "respected for it's capabilities". My respect for the Hawker company as a whole still stands though

[@lukeskywalker3329]

Ah ! The harrier jump jet ! The yanks had the right idea making a larger 2 seat version for their marines . Do they still make them ? I can't see how they could go out of date ? Or not up graded . High accident rate though on the British original . During the Falklands. The ladies of the RAF jumped up and down and screamed until they got a medal for the epic flight and refuelling of the obsolete Vulcan leave a huge crater not even effecting the runway . Great propaganda . The quiet achievers in the harriers repeatedly straddled the runway with craters and mines. No recognition. RAF is a bunch of princesses .

[@rippenburn]

Sooo much better now you have slowed down the narration - thank you!

[@shawnr771]

Yes. He has gotten much better.

[@yellowboy1866]

My dad flew one in ww2, he loved it and its rockets and its speed.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Looks and sounds like a flying 'Pit Bull Terrier''.

[@patrickfreeman8816]

@@MrDaiseymay Great description! Thick and brutish with b@lls of iron. I absolutely love this aircraft.

[@patrickfreeman8816]

Much respect to your father! Deliberately flying straight at a flak position, right down its throat, takes a rare type of bravery and commitment.

[@johnlansing2902]

Many a brave young man helped save the world in that plane …….. Thank you .

[@samcoon6699]

Always loved the Typhoon and the Tempest. That huge scoop under the engine always looked so cool to me when I was a kid.

[@patrickfreeman8816]

Built thick, brutish, and with that pugnacious chin - well, German aircraft were frightening with their swift rapier-like attacks, but the Typhoon waded in like a barroom brawler. I'm very impressed at how the CAS and ground attacks crippled the Germans. My Dad was a crew chief in a Lightning squadron, so I loved the Lightning, but I can't like the Lightning near as much as I like the Typhoon.

[@HammerJammer81]

Didnt realize these planes were such stinkers in the beginning. Love their design and glad it all worked out.

[@rokuth]

Only about 100 Typhoons had 12 machineguns. The remaining 3,000+ that were produced had 4 20mm cannons. It should be noted that the Typhoon was developed into the Tempest. The MkV Tempest had the same engine as the Typhoon, a stretched fuselage and a new laminar flow wing. These improvements brought up the top speed to about 440mph.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Yep, as the man said, they were hard times, demanding continuous improvements, with very tight time schedules to acheive it in.

[@aaronboucher629]

Tempest V engine was slightly revised from the typhoon. More powerful. Different Carburettor and ran on 150 octane

[@seagriffon1016]

@@aaronboucher629 The important revision was improving the manufacture of the sleeve valves, this was the major problem with the Napier Sabre, their quality control was not up to par and Bristol took on the task of showing them how to while using a more suitable metal alloy for them. This is why the Sabre became more reliable and went on to produce a reliable 3,500hp in the Sabre VII. 🙂

[@michaelpielorz9283]

Ihope you be aware of every working wing has to be a laminar flow wing (:-)

[@rokuth]

@@michaelpielorz9283 : Not quite true. In this case the "Laminar Flow" wing is in reference to the wing cross section that was pioneered by the P-51 Mustang. Then there are wings with vortex generators over the top of the wing... that are there to create vortices over the top of the wing by disrupting the laminar flow over that section of the wing...

[@wetzel1628]

The refined version of this, the tempest V, was an extremely successful fighter. Had even better performance at low-medium altitude than the mustang

[@frankhu8692]

have they fixed the issue of engine unable to start safely?

[@wetzel1628]

@@frankhu8692 yes they fixed all the major issues the typhoon had while giving it more power and better aerodynamics

[@Steelbackuk]

The wing design was altered to a laminaner flow one

[@MothaLuva]

@@frankhu8692 Yep, like about 75 years ago.

[@davidelliott5843]

The later Tempest became the Hawker Fury the fastest piston engine plane of its time. The Alison Mustang was very fast at low and medium altitudes. Rolls Royce test pilot spotted its potential for high altitude use with the (then new) two staff Merlin 61.

[@boston7704]

It’s amazing seeing the Tempest II/Sea Fury and P47Ns - stunningly capable airplanes with the pinnacle of radial engines.

[@arrindaley3714]

If I recall correctly Roland Beaumont's book discusses the tail failures typically in power dives, and the cause being air compressibility against the tail surfaces, basically in a power dive the aircraft was getting closer to the speed of sound and air was behaving more like a liquid, I seem to remember problems with prop shafts breaking as well for similar reasons. These effects were unknown until the typhoon so it puts it in a different light than a faulty design... they were discovering things that would assist with later super sonic aircraft development. I seem to remember the typhoon was quite successful against the V1 buzz bombs as well.

[@mach533x]

aerodynamic compression is totally different than the tail snapping off lol

[@MrLunithy]

@@mach533x Do explain..............................lol -__-

[@bigsmoke6189]

The tail fault was cured by installing internal mass balance weights ,the failure was caused by an aerodynamic flutter that matched the resonant frequency of rear fuselage causing it to fail. A difficult problem to analyze in those pre computer modelling times.

[@gogogeedus]

@@bigsmoke6189 That's true and Kermit Weeks does a good job of explaining the problem and how they cured it,the GB which he flies had a similar issue originally.

[@bigsmoke6189]

@@gogogeedus I can't believe he wants to fly that lethal GB It's such an uncompromising design ,seems like it's just waiting to kill someone .

[@jimstanga6390]

The real problem with the Typhoon was the wing (NACA-22 Series). The chord-width was too wide and at speeds over 400 mph experienced compressibility effects. During dives approaching 500 mph, a very sharp increase in drag was experienced and the aerodynamics changed which affected pitch and made the machine nose-heavy. The wing section that was eventually adopted for development had its point of maximum thickness at 37.5% of the chord. The thickness/chord ratio was 14.5% at the root and 10% at the tip making the new wing 5 inches thinner at the root than the original. The wing area was increased and an elliptical planform was adopted. The thinner wing was more efficient at high speeds, but had far less space for fuel, so a fuselage tank was added which extended the length of the aircraft by 21 inches ahead of the c.g. The inevitable compensation for this was a scalloped larger fin and tail plane, which improved stability. This series of modifications resulted in a faster, much lighter handling and responsive aircraft. Initially called the Typhoon II, it eventually was renamed the Tempest - an aircraft that realized the potential and the promised performance of the design.

[@camsmeltzer9388]

It’s incredible how many different aircraft took part and how quickly they were manufactured during this period!

[@Bonzman]

There was an old story about a spitfire pilot who after completing a sortie landed back at the airfield only to complain to the ground crew about a knocking noise coming from the rear of the aircraft. The mechanics checked it out, it's ok sir it's just a factory girl finishing off the aircraft 🤣🤣🤣

[@g8ymw]

The thing is, if you are not on the bleeding edge of R'n'D, you lose

[@foleymark4563]

I am the proud son of Flying Officer Brian Leonard John Foley, who flew with the 609 and 175 Squadrons RAF. He flew the Hurricane and the 'Tiffy" on various sorties including 'D' Day and was shot down on the 27th August 1944, after a successful attack with 5 other pilots on German logistics. He remained a POW until the Russian forces swept through in 45, and released all those amazing souls. He passed away in 2011, and i miss him so dearly. What a wonderful and courageous man as were the other 'Unsung heroes!' God bless them all!

[@foleymark4563]

And further to, he was reported missing, presumed to have force landed ( Log book entry from Squadron leader Ingle Finch 175 Squadron) on the 27th August 44, until located in Luft Stalag 1 some 6 weeks later!

[@shimshonbendan8730]

I love the playing of "HaTikvah" during the video. Well done and interesting video.

[@sonnyd.6777]

I built 1/72 and 1/48 scale Typhoons. They were one of my fav ww2 planes

[@LittleNala]

The Typhoon was one of my favourites when I was building Airfix kits in the mid 60's. They were so brutal! Never read about all these initial faults in the potted histories you'd find in the instructions for those kits, so this documentary was very interesting.

[@Togidubnus]

Before plastic kits, my father carved a Typhoon out of wood, at about 1/72 scale. It's beautifully painted and detailed, although it's a bit scuffed and bashed now but I still have it. Everyone used to call it Dad's Spitfire, but I knew better. I enjoyed this documentary but I feel it rather over-states the Typhoon's initial problems, which were quickly rectified. Many of the issues could not have been foreseen, and some were due to its shear power and speed putting the airframe into the realms of the transonic, a completely unknown area at the time. The Hawker Sea Fury was an indirect descendant of the Typhoon and retained the massive propellor. Imagine trying to land one of those on a carrier deck.

[@fireteammichael1777]

I've been building my 1/48 aircraft collection and just finally moved to RAF airframes, having finally got spitfire just the other day. But definitely always loved the typhoons and will be getting asap.

[@Xyzabc998]

Pierre Closterman's book is superb regarding the Typhoon and Tempest during the final years of the war. Dark Skies seem to over labour the drawbacks of the Typhoon and the reluctance of pilots to fly it. Both the Typhoon and Tempest were used to great success after D Day and through to the surrender in Europe. being used as far north as Denmark.

[@stephengamble9388]

"Le Grande Charles." Fabulous book, read it years ago.

[@bonidle726]

Despite its initial problems, it ended up as an extremely effective ground attack aircraft and the use of the “cab rank” system for calling in CAS was the pioneer of what has become a crucial warfighting tactic to this day. It was armed with 4 x 20mm cannons, which are more effective than .50bmg ....even 8 of them, (don’t agree? Look up Project GunVal to see why no American fighter was ever armed with .50’s after the end of the Korean War in 1953) and 8 x 60lb rockets do a damn sight more damage than 6 x 3.5 bazookas tied together in three’s. The systematic destruction of German armour and infantry in the Falaise pocket is a grim testament as to just how effective the Typhoon was.

[@tricosteryl]

@@R.U.1.2. confirmes but this was not inrended as the definitive armament, it was a transition

[@bonidle726]

@@R.U.1.2. it was initially designed with .303’s in accordance with RAF doctrine at the time, and because the early 20mm Hispano cannons were notoriously unreliable. The early cannons had been tried on the Mk2b Spitfire in one Squadron during the Battle of Britain and had been so prone to jamming that they were taken off line within a couple of weeks and the Squadron’s .303 armed Spitfires returned. But by 1941 the design had been modified and they were now reliable. Thus the main production model, the Typhoon Mk1B, had 4 x 20mm cannons. I didn’t say it had .50’s, but that cannons are more effective that .50bmg.

[@tricosteryl]

@@bonidle726 Canon had a better range, projectiles were far more destructive, but the rate of fire was much lower and the amount of rounds available per arm was low. so the probability to hit was lower, but if successful the probability to shoot down a single seater was very high. Germans had conducted a study about the efficiency of shells against aircrafts. and the results were something like that : (I dont remember the exact figures, but this may be close to the following) To shot down a 4 engine bomber 20 impacts of 20mm 5 impacts of 30mm Hundreds of impacts of 13mm To shot down a fighter 5 impacts of 20mm 1-2 impacts of 30mm This seems quite in favour of the canons, yes. But.... Statistically they've found that the average pilot was able to put only 3-5% of shells on a 4 engine target. That means that an average pilot needed to fire roughly 400-500 20mm shells to a bomber to shot it down... Considering the ammo present on a fighter, statistically it required more than one fighter to shot down a bomber, firing all their ammo at the same target !

[@lawrencejeffrey9245]

And who do you think let those Tiiffies roam the Falaise Pocket without worry? The spit IXs up above controlling the skies.

[@dogsnads5634]

@@tricosteryl Whats often ignored is that the arrival of cannon armed fighters in numbers also coincided with superior gunsights. The UK started to use Gyro gunsights, in effect an early type of HUD, with the Mk1 arriving in late 41 and Mk2 arriving in late 43. This enabled even average pilots to dramatically increase the hit rate against moving targets, with lead being calculated automatically. The UK passed the tech over to the US which also produced the Mk2 as the Sperry K-14. The German's didn't manage to get their EZ series of gyro sights into service, in very limited numbers, until late 44. By then the war in the air was lost for them.

[@elliottprice6084]

The Hawker Typhoon is one of my all time favourite aircraft. As a ground attack aircraft it was in a class of its own. It looked good too

[@pacalvotan3380]

I'm pretty sure that the title of the first true fighter-bomber in the world belongs to the De Havilland Mosquito, which entered full service in the summer of 1941. It too was fitted with AG missiles (along with four .303 machine guns and four 20mm cannons in the nose, plus the ability to carry a 4,000 lb load), and it was tasked (along with many other roles, such as a night-fighter) to attack ground-based targets, such as enemy radar installations, airfields, and eventually V-1 launch sites along the coast. In fact, at the time the Mosquito was one of the few aircraft capable of chasing down V-1s en route to London, having claimed about 632 of the during their months of operation. The Mosquito frustrated the Germans to no end as the Luftwaffe found it almost impossible to catch and shoot down, even by the dreaded Focke Wulf FW 190. When the Mosquito entered service it was the fastest plane in the world and remained as such until early 1944.

[@stephengamble9388]

WW1 Fighters routinely carried bombs.

[@petergaskin1811]

Mosquito, the original Multi-role Combat Aircraft.

[@Petriefied0246]

The terms English and British are not interchangeable and haven't been for 300+ years, thanks.

[@nickcalnephone]

Or indeed ever.

[@daveking351]

The propeller from my uncle's typhoon is part of a war memorial in the dutch town of Sevenum. He belly landed the plane in Germany in Oct 1944 and made his way back to base safely via Dutch Resistance. He was shot down a few months later near Osnabruck and murdered by the German Home Guard. WO Frederick William 'Billy' Cuthbertson. Brave young men!!

[@stephanemusset5919]

We dont never forget all these brave and young men ! 🇬🇧 🇫🇷

[@toxicclown3035]

I don't want to hear any more blasphemy about the 'British Channel'. It's the English Channel. Thanks.

[@Penster-Elle]

And (because I'm a proud British Army Veteran, and a pedant) it wasn't English Armed Forces, or English Air Force, or English Army. British Armed Forces, Royal Air Force and British Army.

[@Penster-Elle]

@@perfumedmanatee6235 NEVER!!

[@leiaorgana5098]

King of the who... Britons... well we’re all Britons.

[@duncanwilson3672]

It is also called La Manche

[@carlosandleon]

Are you talking about the German straight?

[@bukster1]

Dark Skies should do one on the Fairey Swordfish. It may have been outdated by the time WW2 came along but its achievements such as the Taranto raid and it's part in sinking the Bismark are amazing stories. It was the little plane that punched way above its weight.

[@raypurchase801]

Agreed. It was known as a Stringbag, not because of its wires but because of its capacity to carry almost anything needed.

[@paulsnell534]

The RAF and other Allied Air Forces struggled to make something better as a Torpedo bomber than the Swordfish throughout WW2. The Swordfish in my mind redefined the meaning of obsolescent. Same as the Gloster Gladiator. If your plane can still perform well and outperform it's opponents in the conditions and environment it is fighting in. It is no obsolescent.

[@raypurchase801]

@@paulsnell534 Agreed. The B52 and the .50 cal machine gun are good examples. Don't fix what ain't broke.

[@bukster1]

@@paulsnell534 I've read that the Swordfish's speed was lower than most WW2 aircraft but it worked to their advantage. The Bismark's anti aircraft guns were calibrated for faster aircraft so the shells exploded too early when shooting Swordfish. Being too slow also worked for the Polikarpov and Super Tweet aircraft in WW2 and Vietnam. Both were hard to lock onto as they were too slow.

[@youraveragescotsman7119]

@@raypurchase801 We're gonna still be using M2s made in 1941 when we fight on Mars. Mark my words.

[@NeuKrofta]

The first fighter-bomber in the world? That's a bold claim... gonna have to call BS on that one chief. Reggiane 2001's were being used as fighter-bombers as early as 1941.

[@foleymark4563]

Amazing aircraft, with the amazing men that flew this near 500 mph monster! My father, Flying Officer Brian Leonard John Foley RAF 175 Squadron, 414398 flew the 'Tiffy' during the Europe campaign, including 'D' day. He was shot down 27th August 1944, remained missing for several weeks, until located by the Red Cross. He previously flew Hurricanes, but raved about the 2400 hp Tiffy, and the men that flew same! God bless them all!

[@dukecraig2402]

Ken Adam, the production designer for all the James Bond movies from the first one all the way through the Rodger Moore era movies, flew the Typhoon in the war, he gives a great interview in a documentary on the Typhoon that's here on KZbin.

[@MrSensible2]

After spending WWII on his Royal Navy destroyer, my late father stayed on after the war to ferry surrendered U-Boats from their pens in Norway to Scapa Flow. There, the crewless submarines were used as targets for rocket firing Typhoons. He said it was quite a spectacle.

[@chopsandarchie7015]

the FW 190 entered service in 1941. The Typhoon didn't "completely change the course of the war", but was a really useful aeroplane once the initial problems were solved.

[@jimstanga6390]

It proved itself to be the ‘winged Panzer killer from Hell’ at the Falaise Pocket. The German 7th Army basically ceased to exist after that….

[@kelvinfoote9897]

I know. Much of what 'Dark Skies ' says is incorrect or a great exaggeration. Its engine was not twice as powerful as any other fighter engine of the time. What utter rubbish he spouts!

[@colz848]

@@kelvinfoote9897 the quality of this channel has been going downhill a while, god knows who they get to do the research on these vids, but this one was probably the worst I have seen, lucky KZbin has done away with people seeing how many down votes something gets

[@gogogeedus]

@@kelvinfoote9897 it was the only aircraft of it's time that could catch up with and shoot down the FW190,without this aircraft and the tempest the war would have been a different story, no doubt. the engine in the tempest and typhoon was 1000 more hp than a Spitfire Mk5.

[@billycaspersghost7528]

@@colz848 Got to say that although I`m not a regular watcher ,the stuff said in this was weird and poorly researched. "First fighter bomber in the world" would probably be my pick as most questionable.

[@richardsawyer5428]

Sir Sydney Camm was a genius. Anyone not familiar with his work may wish to marvel at his biplanes, monoplane and jets. Was the Typhoon the first "fighter bomber"? Many others such as the Sopwith Camel, Snipe and Westland Whirlwind could claim that title. My favourite aeroplane, the Hawker Hurricane lead the way for many of the ground attack methods employed by the allies. Let's also not forget the Typhoon's successor the Tempest, that was a beast.

[@BasicModelling]

The Typhoon was not first, the Hurribomber (Hurricane Mk.IIb ) was a very good fighterbomber as well.. Not to mention the P-47 Thunderbolt..

[@danbenson7587]

The Napier Sabre was probably the most complicated engine to reach service, including the P&W 4360. Napier was 24 cylinder, sleeve valve, H configuration all running in formation.

[@SoloRenegade]

"first fighter-bomber in the world" is a bold and likely false statement. Lots of fighters were fitted with all manner of ground attack weapons (guns, bombs, or rockets) long before the Typhoon started doing it.

[@billycaspersghost7528]

Ironically including the Hawker Hurricane in all its many variants as it became obsolescent for the air superiority fighter role .

[@gort8203]

It's just one more in a long series of absurd statements from Dark Skies.

[@keithwhite4485]

@@gort8203 Like how without the Typhoon the War would have taken a different turn. Absolute bollocks.

[@stephengamble9388]

Dark Skies lots of inaccuracies, and false statements. WW1 fighters routinely flew with bombs.

[@bryanpalmer9660]

I love watching the Dark Skies docs,they are well presented and documented and always keep you interested-the hawker typhoon had it's faults but it eventually became an excellent ground attack aircraft

[@bryandavies6074]

The British 'deficit' over the Channel lasted approximately a year. The FW 190 started appearing in small numbers from summer 1941 and in mass from Operation Cerberus and completely outclassed the Spitfire V. The Spitfire IX appeared in mass at the Dieppe raid in August 1942 and could more than hold its own with the FW190. The subsequent Spitfire XIV could out dogfight any piston engined aircraft of any nation during WWII

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

The Mk XIV needs more supporters like you.

[@jacktattis]

Yes even the bloody P47D

[@englishpassport6590]

The narrow width undercarriage killed a lot of Griffon Spitfire pilots

[@bryandavies6074]

@@englishpassport6590 How many? During what period? And which models? Can you please cite the numbers and your sources.

[@jacktattis]

@@englishpassport6590 Did they how many ask Wilbur how manyP51 were lost due to accidents

[@awol354]

Great improvment from earlier videos regarding speed of presentation. Clear, cohesive and to the point. Keep up the good work.

[@nateweter4012]

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the Typhoon. It just has such an aesthetic that screams “Power”. Anytime I see it now, I always associate it with Normandy and helping close the page on that campaign. Our British brothers did so much damage in these over at the Falaise Gap. They were masters at spotting and swarming the horse carts, tractors and trucks falling back and from Vire, Falaise and Argentan. The aircraft was the perfect 20mm Hispano platform and delivered glowing hot metal shot glasses with devastating authority.

[@richardadams4928]

I've always thought it was that prominent chin radiator that gave it a pugnacious look, almost coincidentally borne out by the aircraft's actual abilities.

[@50043211]

Regarding 11:00 No, the war could never taken a very different turn from the moment the USSR and USA were involved, from that moment onwards it all became a question of how much time and how much blood would be spilled until the end.

[@billycaspersghost7528]

Pretty much true .People can argue over the details but from a certain point the Third Reich had lost the war and everything it did after that was just one long death rattle. The FW190 raids on southern England ,the Typhoon combatted, were pinpricks and just plain pointless in any sense. You could argue the RAF would have been better staying on the ground and conserving resource for the main event ,whilst letting the Nazi`s burn off fuel and expend munitions. Not acceptable politically or morally but the point remains. I`ve noticed on many channels an over eagerness to ascribe great responsibility to individual events and equipment that "shortened the war by 6 months /12months blah blah" If you add them all up you finish back in the mid `30s somewhere.

[@vascoribeiro69]

Then refined in to the Tempest V, Tempest II and finally the Sea Fury

[@frosty3693]

The Tempest used a thinner cord wing that was faster. They were also fast enough to catch up with V-1s. They could shoot them down but the V-1 often blew up putting the fighters at risk. They then learned to fly next to the V-1 put a wingtip under the wing of the V-1 and then roll. This would flip the V-1s upside down where their autopilots would fail and they would crash.

[@fredsmith5473]

Part of the problem was the Napier Sabre, which was an aero engineer's wet dream but not suited to war time production. The design worked well with the Bristol Centaurus radial engine.

[@lukeskywalker3329]

@@frosty3693 yes well documented .

[@stephenbesley3177]

Sea Fury use to fly past our school when I was a lot younger. The fastest thing I have ever see with a propeller and has long left an impression. Equally as impressive was the English Electric lightning. Seeing that baby nose up and disappear into the heavens will never be forgotten

[@vascoribeiro69]

@@stephenbesley3177 I saw Seafuries in a couple of airshows and they were just impressive. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to see the electrifying English Electric Lightning flying and rocketing upwards! Greetings from Portugal!

[@richwilcox9564]

In my youth, building model airplanes was my passion. The Hawker Typhoon was one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing this but I would love to hear more about this plane.

[@johnhagemeyer8578]

I bought the current car I have because to me the bottom of the grill looks like the scoop on the Typhoon...no kidding one of my flying faves

[@lukeskywalker3329]

😅😆😁😆😅

[@billywindsock9597]

There is a Typhoon being constructed and returned to the sky to remember the brave crews that flew and serviced these incredible aircraft. RB396 is the main donor, but as with all vintage aircraft, much of it will be new.

[@oxcart4172]

There are 2! JP843 in Canada is slowly being rebuilt as well

[@dogsnads5634]

@@oxcart4172 It's going to be interesting when they fire up a Sabre for the first time in 70 odd years. Don't think one has run since then 1950 at the latest.

[@oxcart4172]

@@dogsnads5634 No kidding! I just hope it's reliable. They seem to have a lot of trouble with sleeve valve engines

[@dogsnads5634]

@@oxcart4172 A lot of the issues with the Sabre's sleeve valves were resolved in service, Napier just didn't have the engineering size and scope to develop it sufficiently, RR were eventually brought in and sorted it out.

[@oxcart4172]

@@dogsnads5634 I was referring to the amount of Sea Furys that have crashed/force landed with sleeve valve engine trouble in the last few years

[@davidgifford8112]

Another superb aircraft review. Many thanks.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Best heard a 75% speed.

[@johne7100]

"Ma Vlast" playing in the background was almost a distraction from your narration. Loved it.

[@wbertie2604]

Some inaccuracies: 1. The Fw-190 was used as a Channel fighter bomber from 1942, not 1943. 2. The Typhoon was not the first fighter bomber (see 1, for one example). It wasn't even Hawker's first monoplane fighter bomber, which was the Hurricane as 'Hurribomber' as Mark II and IV. 3. Typhoons did not 'exchange MGs for rockets'. For one thing, they were all armed with cannon by that point. Secondly the fit was rockets or bombs, cannon always present. 4. The Sabre was not 2500 hp initially, nor in any production version used on the Typhoon, with 2200 hp being the usual value, depending on subversion of Sabre and fuel quality.

[@ianhill1624]

Great short documentary on one of the most overlooked British fighters of WW2. Some interesting facts that I was unaware of too. Thanks.

[@ihsanamsal2947]

fw190 really had a great impact on allied warbirds development

[@russkinter3000]

This was the best video of yours I have seen to date.

[@stephenland9361]

When I finished training and finally started working as a family doc back in 1984, one of my older colleagues was a fellow who had flown the Hawker Typhoon in WWII with 440 Squadron RCAF, part of No. 143 Wing RCAF. I learned from other veterans that the guy was known as one of the more daring or "risk insensitive" pilots who was known to wait until the last possible second to unleash the RP-3 rockets against ground targets, thus ensuring hits and destroyed targets. After getting to know the guy a bit, I asked him about that reputation. "Well", he said with a wry smile, "I never expected to survive the war, especially flying that bloody thing".

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Excellent video, i had NO IDEA the typhoon had so many problems, I heard of the wing problems but nothing else.. Germany had the 210, Britain had the Typhoon .. Prototypes always essential.

[@arniewilliamson1767]

My father fought in Europe in the infantry. He would tell of just having the Typhoons show up would cause pandemonium on the German side. He recalled how they were being stopped by 2 German Panther tanks. The Typhoons dove down rocketed the tanks and when done one of them waged his wings to them. The Canadian infantry loved the Typhoon pilots.

[@harrysilverwater6419]

Really good presentation- excellent narration. One of the best KZbin channels - very professional and always informative and entertaining

[@richardclowes6123]

Never really knew about this aircraft and the history behind it. This was a very informative video and I thank you for that. Seems I will have to buy a model of this and add it to my collection. Glad it found it's place where it excelled. Well documented. Cheers

[@andywhite40]

Another great video!! A great example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the troubled initial service and how those issues were overcome and then the switch to a highly successful fighter bomber contrast sharply with the Germans and aircraft such as the Messerschmitt 210 and Hienkel he177. Another fine example of British ingenuity from world war 2.

[@chrishay8385]

A wonderful brute of a plane.what wasnt mentioned was its 4 .20mm cannon which proved devastating in combat,and the aircrafts ability to absorb ridiculous amounts of punishment. Hail the mighty typhoon!

[@scotteilers5626]

Great episode. Very well done.

[@happyhome41]

Interesting, with such a significant aircraft, so few remain. Excellent video.

[@amihaifreed8622]

I love watching these videos and learning about all these aircraft. It's amazing how much influence a few minor changes can have on an aircraft's capabilities. If it were up to me, I would have reduced the size of the engine, and reinforced the tail better. But maybe then it would not have become a capable strike aircraft. PS: Interesting choice of background music.

[@alanrudolph8880]

I think much of it is Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.

[@stephengamble9388]

I am yet to watch a Dark Skies that is 100% accurate. Some clips are very good. A lot of the facts are incorrect.

[@therealmrfishpaste]

The major issue with the Typhoon, which is completely omitted in this video, was that its wing design led to a profound drop off in performance at altitude. Hence, it couldn't really perform as a fighter. However, it performed exceptionally well at low altitude, which is why it made such a good ground-attack plane.

[@dogsnads5634]

Hence why it got a new wing and became the Tempest.

[@flybobbie1449]

That thick wing probably made it a very stable platform for firing the rockets. One assumes no recoil.

[@jacktattis]

The best plane at low level

[@seeky907]

I never really knew or cared about the Typhoon until I player IL2 Sturmovik: Normandy. The Typhoon flies like a jet with the acceleration and climb rate. I bought the game for the Mosquito but the Typhoon is by far my favorite plane in the game.

[@jamesfrost7465]

The narrators voice and cadence is spot on. Damn good job. Proud subscriber.

[@bruced1429]

at last the admission that the RAF had the fastest fighter of the war. 500 mph at low level is astounding , not in a dive as many others could be in level low level flight , now the Hawker tempest was another fast fighter used in ground attacks as well, but my favorite is still the Mosquito.

[@Simon_Hawkshaw]

Despite its challenges, this fighter still remains my favourite European theater fighter of WWII

[@richardadams4928]

I built the Guillow's balsa and tissue, rubber band powered model of the Typhoon, decades ago as a teenager. It was GREAT, a rock-steady flyer, durable, and awesome looking. Still a favorite

[@eddybetanya]

One of my favourite Airfix/Frog models of the sixties, brilliant.

[@williamsmith7340]

The Typhoon’s successor was the Tempest which featured a redesigned tail and a new main wing which turned it into one of the best fighters of the war. It was the speedier Tempest that was actually used to chase down V-1 buzz bombs as well as the Spitfire Mk XIV. It is also debatable whether the Napier-Sabre was more powerful than The Bristol Centaurus radial engine or the R.R. Griffon.

[@allangibson2408]

The Napier Sabre was technically a turbo The Sabre led to the Napier Nomad diesel and then the Napier turboprop engines. The Nomad was the most fuel efficient aero engine ever built (a title it still holds 75 years later). The Napier company are still around making turbochargers.

[@thomasmaloney843]

Dad actually saw Tempests shoot and flip buzz bombs over England.

[@somebloke13]

The Sabre was making 3000bhp within the first year of service, and over 5000bhp at the end of its development. It was way more powerful than the Griffon, and, depending on version, more powerful than the Centaurus.

[@lawrieflowers8314]

@@somebloke13 The Sabre certainly churned out huge power, but I’m not sure which of the quoted figures are accurate. It seems to have eventually been giving 3500hp shortly after the war, and there are reports of 4000hp with a one-off water-injection system. I’ve heard the 5000hp figure previously, and it is an extraordinary one, but I’m not sure how solidly-based it is?

[@jacktattis]

@@lawrieflowers8314 Napier Sabre page some years ago It may still be up

[@rob5944]

Nice video, I never knew about the engine fires or the monoxide poisoning before. Merry Christmas 🌲👍

[@frosty3693]

The Spitfires and Hurricanes were prone to coolant leaks (gylcol) that would make the pilots pass out. It was serious enough that if a pilot suspected a leak they were to bail out rather than try to make it back to the field.

[@rob5944]

@@frosty3693 how about opening the canopy?

[@xvsj5833]

Fascinating Intel 👍 thank you for sharing

[@chuckcawthon3370]

Outstanding coverage of a great plane. Well Done Sir.

[@Binkygetsby]

Another great video, thanks. BTW, the RAF pilot you mention as an "Officer Pilot" would be actually a "Pilot Officer" kind of like saying Colonel-Lieutenant instead of Lieutenant-Colonel. Cheers!

[@bogusmogus9551]

I remember talking to an old man who swore he was a Sergeant Colonel. He said it was a rank higher than Sergeant Major.

[@Bigsky1991]

Once the Typhoons (and USAAF P47s) were equipped with rockets, this is what broke the back of the German Panzer Divisions as they tried to retreat out of the Normandy and Caen AOs. Asking German Panzer and Grenadiere about their Normandy experiences, almost to a man they said "when the weather was clear and the "JABOS" appeared we found out just how dangerous it was for us". ("JABO" is an Abkürzung or abbreviation of the German word "Jagdbomber" or Fighter bomber...their name for Allied ground attack planes)

[@roybennett9284]

Yes stats say not many tanks were destroyed..but with no ammo, fuel, personal,etc. And fear.not a good day out for the Germans

[@markpaul8178]

Outstanding and superb video,DARK DOCS!

[@Thebonesoftrees]

This channel gets better and better. Sweet.

[@06colkurtz]

OF its kind. LOL Despite its considerable mass, the P-47’s 18-cylinder, 2,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine (the same power plant used by the Vought Corsair and Grumman Hellcat) enabled the unwieldy Jug to keep pace with the Mustang. Both had a top speed of around 440 mph (700 km/h).

[@lukeskywalker3329]

An excellent list there sir 👍

[@shawnr771]

P47 is a workhorse of an aircraft.

[@06colkurtz]

I like this channel but he plays fast and loose with the facts. And there was no need for the false claims he made. The vid was great without them

[@ricardobeltranmonribot3182]

So in the long run, Hawker was the better aircraft manufacturer in the war, over Supermarine, since it was Hawker who developed the Harrier, the last best British aircraft fighter

[@lukeskywalker3329]

Do the Americans still make the larger version of the AV8 ? I guess the A10 thunderbolt took over that roll ?

[@M4xPower]

@@lukeskywalker3329 The AV8B is a light attack aircraft serving with the Navy and Marines. It first flew in 1981 and is being phased out for the F-35 B. The A10 is a usaf cas platform that first flew in 1972.

[@lukeskywalker3329]

@@M4xPower Gee ! I did not know the A10 was that old 👍. What do you think about the AV8 . Worth developing it for better reliability. If it wasn't for the reliability. Could fulfil the short range needs better than the F35B with its cost blow outs and still has reliability problems. AV8 gotta be a cheaper and formidable option do you think ? It is like they resurrected the F15 as an effective cheaper but non stealth interceptor . But maybe drones will cut into all this . Especially the " faithful wingman " project .- might even make stealth obsolete .

[@M4xPower]

@@lukeskywalker3329 Yeah the A10 is pretty old. The capabilities of the F-35B and the AV8B are very different. The F-35B can do things that are impossible for the harrier so it's difficult to reconcile on a cost per flight hour basis. You are correct that the AV8B is much more economical to operate. The unit price of the F-35 is competitive with its contemporaries despite being far more technically advanced. Taking advantage of this technical superiority is an issue of doctrine.

[@glennbaxter7254]

Excellent video as always - I really enjoy Dark Skies!

[@severn_jovescrazygaming2500]

It looks like your quality of your videos are getting much better Congratz

[@1985_Honda_CRX_Si]

I used to fly these back in my day.. In war thunder

[@randomuser5443]

Its fun, until the bill

[@chrisaspinwall2348]

The attrition rates of pilots in Typhoon squadrons in the 2nd TAF were very high. Lost a relative flying a Typhoon with 263 Squadron this month in 1944. The aircraft and aircrew don't get the recognition for the strategic impact they had 1943-1944.

[@icalexander]

My uncle got shot down flying the Typhoon in March of 45 flying with the 438. May all who perished rest in peace

[@dhardy6654]

I question any strategic impact Great Britain had in WW2. The entire country over rates it's self at every opportunity. Dunkirk is a good example of British impact. The whole "blitz" is presented as a tiny country england fighting a giant "Germany". When the actual truth is Germany was a weak county that beat up on even weaker countries. The only gift Germans gave to battle was killing innocent people and that Germans died better then the rest of Europeans that would surrender 1st and then die later. The whole blitz was just a battle between two wimps like watching light weights in the ring that lack the power to knock each other out. Do any of you know Admiral King and General Marshall proposed in 1942 invading Europe in 1942...and the weak British declined? All Britain really has been thru it's history is a tiny country that pits other countries against each other inorder to destabilize them to keep everyone weak. What ever this is called, that's about the entire scope of what Brits have given the world.

[@robertpatrick3350]

@@dhardy6654 in strategic terms Stalin points out that Britain provided the time, whilst Soviets the blood and the USA the cash

[@dhardy6654]

@@robertpatrick3350 What you are quoting doesn't even make sense. That might be a leader of a communist country's public relations press release and the message is shaped for a diplomatic result. There isn't any facts in it.... Let's examine it. Soviet's provided the blood? It never mattered how many Soviets died, the number isn't connected or related to German defeats in Russian. The Germans lost in Russia because the Germans were very poor warriors, their tactics and leadership was very poor, much like the British officer corps is very poor and bad at everything they attempt. The Russians really kicked German ass. Britian provided time? Well OK and so what? American leaders General Marshall and Admiral King presented invasion Europe for 1942 in 1942...if Britain wasn't there, I guarantee we would have just invaded Spain and drove into Europe killing Germans. Nobody in Europe has any concept of how lethal it is to be an American. We will just drive right up to you and shoot you in the face. American cash? Idiot we called it the lend/lease program..... We sold you the beans and the bullets, we sold everything to you people. Then we had you assholes pay us back with interest. It was our financial system, not our money. With the exception of the Russians, it's like living in a world full of weak children for us.

[@stevehardy4672]

My uncle flew the hawker typhoon by Harry J.Hardy in 440 squadron in Holland.

[@AndorRadnai]

One of my favourite fighters thanks to a Comic I got in Normandy as a child. Absolutely gorgeous planes!

[@christinedalton6150]

my father George martin flew a Typhoon on DDay. Was shot down over Normandy and rescued by the French Résistance. At St Pierre’s Des Ifs- do incredibly proud of him and the family who risked their lives to harbour him whilst gestapo were in the same house! .

[@colinearnshaw7725]

For Gods sake! We are all BRITISH or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we ALL fought as the UK against the Axis powers as the BRITISH Royal Airforce, Army and Navy. Please do not be so ignorant as to describe the UK as just 'England'. Thank you. P.S. I am English, and really annoyed you have ignored my Welsh, Scottish and Irish mates. They also fought and died.

[@theadvocate4698]

I was sure you would mention Clostermann "le grand charles", a famous typhoon...

[@robertmcalpin2304]

yes, his book the "The Big Show" is a great read.

[@theadvocate4698]

@@robertmcalpin2304 Read it multiple time and still keep my copy of it! Even took the name of the plane as my email name!

[@theadvocate4698]

@Håkan Bergvall Just looked it up, you are right! Now i'm gonna go see what is different with those 2...

[@theadvocate4698]

Here it is: The Tempest, originally known as the Typhoon II, was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to address the Typhoon's unexpected deterioration in performance at high altitude by replacing its wing with a thinner laminar flow design. (from wiki)

[@simonbrown7455]

This was my first every Airfix kit. Loved it ever since

[@robertholland9842]

Great show thanks

[@Adrella_Highwing]

Would be great to see something similar done for the Hawker Tempest :)

[@minipup1]

The Sabre was eventually type tested at 3500hp. The tail problems mostly stem from elevator flutter, which was little understood at that time.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Ah, the old Commer. You know the trick with the H120 engine transplant?

[@minipup1]

@@rosiehawtrey Yes, but we run them with V8's

[@BosworthMcG]

Yay! Finally got the narration right! Good one

[@benjaminrush4443]

Wow! The British dropped the ball on this plane compared to the Hurricane & spitfire. It appears that they rushed this into service before thorough testing. Once the bugs and unnecessary deaths were eliminated the Typhoon settled into its best performance. Thanks.

[@jimstanga6390]

One of the original prototypes was fitted with the Rolls Royce Vulture Engine and was called the ‘Tornado’. The Vulture was a troublesome engine that was developed by bolting 2 Peregrine (another troublesome engine) engines together around a common crankshaft. Combining 2 problematic engines together did not fix the problem, but compounded it. The Vulture killed the Tornado, and later killed the Avro Manchester bomber. This bomber later was reborn when it was fitted with upgraded Merlin engines, and became the Avro Lancaster….

[@daveyponderosa9549]

Thank You for your insight Sir. I’ve been a fan of the Lancaster for some time and didn’t know that. Cheers

[@nietbestaand4597]

It had a sleeve valve engine that made it special

[@frosty3693]

The Bristol radial engines in the Beaufighters, Beauforts and others did also.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Which was a complete and utter disaster from start to finish. If you tried to start it cold it destroyed itself, the colder it got airborne the less power it produced. That of course was before the tail fell off...

[@rob5944]

@@rosiehawtrey from start to finish?

[@lawrieflowers8314]

``I believe either at the end of the war, or shortly after, the Napier Sabre engine was developing 3000 hp.

[@DavidLee-df888]

@@frosty3693 Yes, but Bristol needed help from Napier to perfect the sleeve valves in their radials. This coming from a proud Bristolian.

[@davidedwards504]

Always excellent videos.

[@bulldurham4543]

"The ground-breaking engine would burst out in flames when fired up"...Love the dialogue..!

[@tricosteryl]

Typhoon was a very bigger, heavier, faster and powerful aircraft than other single engine types in service in the RAF. Its take off speed was close to the hurricane's economic cruise. In any case, a combat aircraft is a dangerous machine to fly compared to a civil aircraft. And the Typhoon was pushing the limits further. The Typhoon was a huge step forward in anything. So pilots had to learn how to master such a big aircraft. The RAF had to learn methods to fly and operate such big and heavy fighters. Concerning the technical difficulties, this advanced aircraft encoutered new types of aerodynamic problems because she could reach speeds that were never approached before. This caused unexpected stress on the airframe (tail) and Hawker took time to identify that. But the fix was easy. About the engine, it was one of or the highest power to weight ratio engine of its time. To achieve this, many extreme options were selected by Napier such as valveless cylinders with oscillating jackets (aka sleeve valve). These jackets were the main problem of this engine and the solution came unexpectly from a contractor. They remarked that the jackets made by one of their contractor were more reliable along time and lasted longer than their home made jackets. Finally the reason was identified : Napier made his oscillating liners by stamping and deburring, which always left tiny shards of metal on the intake and exhaust cutouts.These shards burned with each explosion in the cylinder and gradually the openings widened, and at After a while, the cylinders were no longer airtight, causing loss of power, igniting the lubricant and ultimately the entire engine. Mechanics had to replace the cylinder's jackets very often, (24 of them by engine) this was an endless and frequent operation that severly impacted the Typhoon fleet availability. The subcontractor made the openings in the liners by milling which left no splinters and the openings made in this way grew much more slowly. Jackets made in this way lasted much longer. This machining method was generalized and improved, which solved the main problem with the Sabre engine. And Oscillating jackets ketp being used later and after the war in successful british engines such as the Bristol Hercules series. About the power of the Sabre that equiped the british fighters : About 2200hp for take off 2800hp in emergency (write off the engine after that) But, more important, the engine was capable of maintaining a high power output at all levels up to 6000m. Interesting to notice, the Sabre and the RR Griffon had similar displaments of about 2,240 cubic inches (37 litres) Read : "Rendez-vous avec la chance" Raymond Lallemant (Typhoon pilot - Squadron 609) Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1962 available also in the collection "Jai lu leur aventure" This book was translated into English title : "Rendezvous with Fate"

[@brentdallyn8459]

A Typhoon firing all its rockets had the equivalent striking power as a battery of 5-inch naval guns

[@In.Darkness]

Solid work Dark Skies thx!

[@dawnsparrow4477]

Excellent historical explained of creation of Hawker typhoon, Excellent explained of it's characteristics, its struggles against Germany 🇩🇪 airforce during 2WW...it's first usage of Rocket 🚀 throwing during Famously occasion DD- day of 2WW...thanks for sharing

[@markstott6689]

FW-190 A.K.A. The Butcher Bird. Now you need to follow up with the Hawker Tempest. Please.

[@SoloRenegade]

had the Hawker Typhoon never existed, WW2 would have played out exactly the same, and no one would even notice the absence of the Typhoon. Heck, aside from a few minor accomplishments that were actually trivial in the grand scheme of things, I can hardly find any evidence of truly meaningful impact on the course or outcome of the war.

[@jimdavis8391]

Pretty much so, arguably it was best used as a terror weapon, rockets were not very successful at destroying hardened targets but frightened the hell out of their occupants.

[@senseofthecommonman]

You make a rather strange analysis, WW2 was a war of volume. Enormous numbers of men and machines, so it’s obvious that no single aircraft type could be credited as winning it single handedly. But to say it had no meaningful impact is wide of the mark. Every single train destroyed, supply truck stopped or any other of the multitude of other targets they hit all had an effect. Because every one represented one less that would have faced our ground forces, resulting in higher casualties. So to every soldier that came home because of the typhoons effect I’m sure they would consider it a very meaningful aircraft indeed.

[@SoloRenegade]

@@senseofthecommonman Had the Typhoon not existed, other aircraft would have been mass produced even more so than the troublesome and maintenance intensive Typhoon, that would have destroyed those trains and such instead. Therefore, no meaningful difference would have occurred. The Typhoon did a job, that other planes could also have done had the Typhoon not been an option. All the manufacturing and maintenance resources for the Typhoons would have gone into other airframes doing that same job. And being a combat vet who has received air support from many types (A-10, F-18, AV-8B, B-1, AH-64, OH-58, AH-1, AC-130, MQ-1...). I don't care which aircraft puts ordnance on target, just so long as someone does it. I don't get personally attached to the aircraft, only the results. The Typhoons consumed a lot of resources in terms of material, engineering, maintenance, time, etc, that could have gone into less troublesome airframes.

[@jimdavis8391]

@@SoloRenegade The Typhoon came good though. I know that by the battle for Normandy they were reliable sluggers. The RAF had nothing else, at low level they were quick. Aside from the engine they were the ideal airframe for the job, crude, cheap and capable of taking a beating. As soon as the RAF had better they scrapped them. A bit like the Hellcat, a bruiser not a ringmaster. The Typhoon is an oddball amongst RAF aircraft, the service, unlike the USAAF or Luftwaffe (wrongly) placed no emphasis on close support, the Typhoon fell into that role by accident because of its outdated wing form. The Whirlwind should have been doing that job and with Merlin engines would have done it better.

[@senseofthecommonman]

@@jimdavis8391 I feel the typhoon is being given a bit of hard time here. It’s well documented that the claims for its ability to knock out individual tanks were certainly exaggerated, but the rockets were still very effective. There is an amazing piece of footage of a very skilled pilot diving on a curved piece of railway line, firing salvos of 2 rockets whilst in a turn and they all hit the target. Once the rockets were expended it still had 4 very accurate cannon to use as well, which were pretty formidable in there own right. So terror weapons certainly, but with good reason.

[@tomgorney8868]

Great information-------thank you.

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

*Very well made!! Good job man!!*