Ezell Hawker Tempest

d’oh! 😮

sorry dude, sleepy, foggy mind! in that case Id love to see it in the air 🙂

Couldn’t see a Tempest on there, only a Fury. :confused:

that looks similar ish to the one for sale on courtesy aircraft?

Edzell put a unique Seafire 47 back into the air – a type/mark of aircraft that never flew with any US military organisation…. I don’t see why this Tempest II should’nt fly too. It’s a +400mph warbird with excellent pedigree. If we’re going to see a Tempest fly ever again, it’ll probably be this one!

I wouldn’t have thought it would take to the air,unfortunately these Tempests have all started with great gusto until they begin to look like a complete Tempest then the money/Inthusiasm/will to live? runs out.
If it is being done in the USA they can’t be expected to be as fully inthusiastic as to what a significant plane it is, as after all its a British plane they would get more satisfaction in rebuilding say a Mustang.
The other problem is the older version of the Centaurus it is fitted with
[ presuming you are being authentic that is ] as this is probably harder to restore than the later version in the Sea Fury.

Graham

Why would that be the case? Ezell have a fantastic reputation for some great rebuilds, just because one hasn’t flown yet I don’t think we should be so quick to dismiss this one.
By the same token, have I wasted the last goodness knows how many years of my life as an englisman helping to restore and maintain a couple of Mustangs a Harvard and a Stearman??? I can promise you there would have been nowhere near the enthusiasm had they been a couple of Spitfires/Hurricanes or god forbid a Tiger Moth…

I wouldn’t have thought it would take to the air,unfortunately these Tempests have all started with great gusto until they begin to look like a complete Tempest then the money/Inthusiasm/will to live? runs out.
If it is being done in the USA they can’t be expected to be as fully inthusiastic as to what a significant plane it is, as after all its a British plane they would get more satisfaction in rebuilding say a Mustang.
The other problem is the older version of the Centaurus it is fitted with
[ presuming you are being authentic that is ] as this is probably harder to restore than the later version in the Sea Fury.

Graham

Wouldn’t entirely agree with that. The Sea Fury is a british aircraft, and it has found many operators in the US.. both for air racing and as an historic warbird. Also for a company such as Ezell to begin restoring such a plane in the first place, then i’m sure the matter of powerplant would have already been taken into consideration.

Although obviously a long term project i wonder if this will be the first Tempest to actually make it back into the air, given Ezell’s excellent reputation of actually finishing projects.

http://www.ezellaviation.com/page40.html

I wouldn’t have thought it would take to the air,unfortunately these Tempests have all started with great gusto until they begin to look like a complete Tempest then the money/Inthusiasm/will to live? runs out.
If it is being done in the USA they can’t be expected to be as fully inthusiastic as to what a significant plane it is, as after all its a British plane they would get more satisfaction in rebuilding say a Mustang.
The other problem is the older version of the Centaurus it is fitted with
[ presuming you are being authentic that is ] as this is probably harder to restore than the later version in the Sea Fury.

Graham

I know about this one being for sale…they had told me that the wings had already been done hence the 1/2 mil price tag. There are a couple of others that are for sale aswell!!

As for the engines…there always seems to be a discussion regarding various engines that would not be allowed to fly. The Sabre is one of these…as far as I am aware, and talking to people who have had dealings with the CAA, there is no particular reason why the sabre (or the Centaurus) would not be allowed to run and fly in the UK if you follow all of their requirements & requests. However the first one to do this would incur huge costs to get to this stage. Maybe one day…it is not impossible (just improbable)

I can make no contribution to the likelihood or otherwise of seeing this in the air but would be very chuffed indeed if it happened.:D

There’s this engine issue. Obviously, putting in originals won’t cut it as they’re too unreliable. However, one part of people say they’re gonna use them and how you can’t fit any other engines, or say there’s no chance at all because no one will allow those engines up in the air again. Then there’s those who say you can use the more reliable Centaurus engines.

A tad confused, me I am. 😀

Hi Dave,

I think that ones up for sale?

I know it seems to be taking a long time but am I correct in thinking that the Tempest owned by Gerry Cooper is just waiting for the engine to be finally returned from the US? Last I saw and heard there was very little to do and they had even hung a spare engine to get the cowls exhausts completed…would this not be a candidate for the first to fly?

My interest is Typhoons but if only I had a spare 1/2 mil to buy one of the Tempests available lol

There’s this engine issue. Obviously, putting in originals won’t cut it as they’re too unreliable. However, one part of people say they’re gonna use them and how you can’t fit any other engines, or say there’s no chance at all because no one will allow those engines up in the air again. Then there’s those who say you can use the more reliable Centaurus engines.

A tad confused, me I am. 😀

I beleive that its the Sabre engine that we probably would’nt see in the air again but its Kermit Weeks’ Mk V Tempest restoration that is having that fitted, all the other restorations are Tempest II’s that would have originally had Centaurus engines and being as Sea Furies currently fly with these, albeit later marks, I dont see a problem in operating them other than money & the desire that the Americans have for more reliability than the Centaurus seems to provide.

I wonder who owns the plane?
Ezell operates a restoration service…he does work for someone writing the checks.
I don’t think he’s doing this on speculation…buying parts and materials, and paying his crew with the hope of selling it later.

I’d guess they owner is the guy who’s deciding what powerplant it will have.

BTW: I did a couple of TV stories on the Ezells while they did the Seafire.
They are perhaps the nicest people I’ve met…in or out of aviation. 😀

So the solution is either fitting the Tempest with a Sea Fury engine installation firewall forward or fitting a Wright with a fourblade propeller aka the various US Sea Furies (four blade prop is also Tempest II).
Can it be done?
The Tempest would be a fantastic sight in the skies over, …well anywhere.
Cees