80 years ago today

[cardboard_killer]

The Hawker Tornado has its maiden flight. Intended as a replacement for the Hurricane, it will not enter production after its Rolls Royce Vulture engine proves unreliable. Design emphasis will shift to the similar Hawker Typhoon powered by a Napier Sabre engine.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by cardboard_killer
D'oh! Wrong number.

[DD_Arthur]

Your saying this thing made it's maiden flight on the sixth of October nineteen-nineteen?

 

[Cybermat47]

11 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

Your saying this thing made it's maiden flight on the sixth of October nineteen-nineteen?

 

 

Jolly good British engineering, what.

[cardboard_killer]

D'oh! Got my 100 years ago today mixed up with my 80 years ago today. Fixed it.

[DD_Arthur]

No prob!!

 

Never heard of this design before.   The Rolls Royce Vulture engine was a 24 cylinder, X-configured, liquid cooled disaster. 

 

 The 'plane in the picture seems to be fitted with some sort of radial engine.....? 

[cardboard_killer]

The test flight was made with a Bristol Cenraurus engine.

The original caption for the picture above:

The Centaurus-powered Tornado HG641 is seen here with its initial engine installation.

 

7 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

The Rolls Royce Vulture engine was a 24 cylinder, X-configured, liquid cooled disaster. 

 

From wikipedia:

 

On 6 October 1939, the first prototype (P5219) was flown by P.G. Lucas, having first been moved from Kingston to Langley for completion. Further flight trials revealed airflow problems around the radiator, which was subsequently relocated to a chin position. Later changes included increased rudder area, and the upgrading of the powerplant to the Vulture Mark V engine. Hawker production lines focused on the Hurricane, with the result that completion of the second prototype (P5224) was significantly delayed. It featured the chin radiator, additional window panels in the fairing behind the cockpit, and the 12 .303 in machine guns were replaced by four 20 mm Hispano cannon. It was first flown on 5 December 1940, and was powered by a Vulture II, although as in the case of the first prototype, a Vulture V was later installed.

Edited October 6, 2019 by cardboard_killer