The Hawker Tempest was one of the fastest fighters of World War II. One of the most famous Tempest pilots was Pierre Clostermann, who scored a total of 33 victories. Tempests were used after the war by Great-Britain, Irak and India but were rapidly replaced by jets.
I improved all of my Tempest drawings in October 2009, the two versions being presented here for comparison.
1. Tempest Mk V serial NV994 flown by F/L Pierre Clostermann, No 3 Squadron, April 1945. With 33 victories, Clostermann was the French ace of aces.
2. Tempest Mk V from No 501 Squadron (County of Gloucester), Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1944.
3. Another Tempest V flown by F/L Pierre Clostermann with 3 Squadron, in July 1945. This is his most famous aircraft, called “Le Grand Charles”. (Author’s note: this profile is incorrect as recent research has shown that the only Tempest called “Le Grand Charles” was SN222, and did not have the Lorraine cross painted on the radiator cowling)
4. Tempest Mk VI of No 6 Squadron, 1949.
5. Tempest V of No 486 Squadron in April 1945. This aircraft was flown by Jim Sheddan and other pilots of 486 Sqdn, and shot down several German aircraft.