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Any WW2 Typhoons Under Restoration?


ajmac

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I always wanted to see a Typhoon in the flesh and many years ago I managed to visit Hendon and see one:-) I've not heard of any others in museums (although I have not looked too hard), are there any in private hands in a que for restoration?

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I always wanted to see a Typhoon in the flesh and many years ago I managed to visit Hendon and see one:-) I've not heard of any others in museums (although I have not looked too hard), are there any in private hands in a que for restoration?

 

One of my favourites too mate ! I seem to remember that Hendons example came from America and is possibly the only example left ! I hope to be proved wrong of course ! :D

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I think that the Hendon one is the only complete airframe left.

 

That's correct. S/n MN235 now at Hendon came from the National Air and Space Museum.

 

To see one "in flight" go to the Memorial de la Paix museum, Caen, France ( they have a Typhoon replica suspended from the ceiling in flight configuration ;) ). It reportedly has some original components incorporated; I have seen it in the metal and looks convincing.

 

Go look at the remaining Sea Furies, they are the closest thing to seeing this type of aircraft still flying. Now, where to we have to go to hear the sound of a Napier Sabre H-24 piston engine?

Edited by mcspool
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I know a man who has aquired the remains of a Typhoon with the intention of rebuilding it to flying condition, quite a long term project I think.

 

Does he live in Norfolk & own a Bedford QL Trooper ? if so could you PM me his phone number please as I have mislayed it.

Cheers Ian

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Great photos, as I remember it at Hendon...don't remember the carpet though.

 

I guess I an not going to see a Hawker Typhoon at duxford any time soon then! Like hanno said, I have seen a Hawker sea fury, and they are a beast of a plane, low level with the throttle open.

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Yes, there are several Cockpit sections about in private hands, one of the best restored examples is Roger Marley's at Sleap airfield.

Back in the mid 80's there was a lot of Typhoon componants dug up from the Cirencester area. I was part of the dig team and what we recovered was only the tip of the iceburg, sadly all to late now, all still burried under the 'Cotswold water Park'

 

Greatest problem with any 'full' restoration is the Engine, a Napier Sabre. rarer than hens teeth, and even if you did find one in a barn, the CAA would never let you fly with it !

 

I know, i have been down that road !

 

I'll add a photo of Rogers later.

 

 

 

Jules

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Yes, there are several Cockpit sections about in private hands, one of the best restored examples is Roger Marley's at Sleap airfield.

Back in the mid 80's there was a lot of Typhoon componants dug up from the Cirencester area. I was part of the dig team and what we recovered was only the tip of the iceburg, sadly all to late now, all still burried under the 'Cotswold water Park'

 

Greatest problem with any 'full' restoration is the Engine, a Napier Sabre. rarer than hens teeth, and even if you did find one in a barn, the CAA would never let you fly with it !

 

I know, i have been down that road !

 

I'll add a photo of Rogers later.

 

Jules

Intrigued mate......under the water park?...

..I presume you worked on/in the gravel pits that were in the area before they landscaped and flooded it all??...

.any ideas how come aero parts were buried/dumped there????

always interested in stories of WW2 kit of any sort being buried/stashed/hidden/dug up etc :D! cheers!

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  • 3 weeks later...

The engines are as rare as hens teeth however when I went to work for a aero engine and ferrari guy in Essex in 1999, there sat in my engine build area a complete Napier Sabre H24 along with the usual merlins and bits of Ferraris.

I wonder where it is now ?

 

Skelly.

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  • 5 years later...

Hello All,

 

I know that this is an old thread but I thought that I'd give it a bit of an update.

 

I was at the Dunsfold Wings & Wheels airshow at the weekend and one of the exhibitors was the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group. A charitable organisation, They plan to have a Typhoon airworthy within a decade.

 

I wish them all the success with the project because like many others, I would love to see one in the air.

 

To satisfy your curiosity, have a look at their website. www.hawkertyphoon.com

 

Ian.

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There is also an airworthy project under way in Canada. Google Typhoon Legacy if I remember correctly. They recently took possession of the original Typhoon wing sections which were formerly on display in a diorama in the former Victory Museum in France - or was it Belgium.

 

Good to see that the British project has acquired an unused Napier Sabre.

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<Snipped>

Greatest problem with any 'full' restoration is the Engine, a Napier Sabre. rarer than hens teeth, and even if you did find one in a barn, the CAA would never let you fly with it !

</snipped>

 

Jules

 

I have to ask - why not? Enough machines are flying on the same era Merlins??

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I have to ask - why not? Enough machines are flying on the same era Merlins??

 

Well they were until last week anyway......

 

Clearly the Typhoon Project does not foresee any problems with the CAA in relation to the Sabre. I suspect the problem will be spares support. Not insurmountable but I guess horribly expensive. The difference with Merlins is that there are many hundreds flying which tends to reduce the unit cost for consumable spares as well as maintaining a body of knowledge on their operation.

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http://hawkertyphoon.com/napier-sabre-engine-secured/

 

Aiming to have it flying by 2024.

 

While I wish them all the best with the project it must be remembered that the RAF saw fit to stop flying Typhoons pretty soon after VE day , while the risks were worth taking in wartime the Typhoon was not regarded as safe for peacetime flying

 

Pierre Clostermann touches on this in his book The Big Show and even his beloved Tempest with the Sabre was not immune

 

As an aside even in the depths of WW2 locals were very vocal about the noise of the Sabre engines when Tempest or Typhoons were based nearby .....probably the loudest engine of WW2 :D

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