Tempest at War

On its introduction into RAF service in April 1944, the Hawker Tempest proved to be a truly outstanding fighter aircraft. It was fast, manoeuvrable and packed a real punch. Originally equipped with 4 20mm cannon, it also proved capable of carrying bombs and rocket projectiles, which made it as fierce a ground attack aircraft as a fighter. THE TEMPEST AT WAR provides a superb and totally unique film portrait of this now largely-overlooked RAF warhorse, featuring rarely seen newsreel footage, original RAF films and never-before-released archive material from the Imperial War Museum film vaults. It includes air-to-air shots, gun camera film, weapons testing and formation flying, as well as a unique wartime RAF Tempest recognition film and ground crew training film material. Surviving Tempest pilots and ground crew provide a fascinating insight into what it was like to fly and fight in the Tempest, recalling dogfights with Fw190s and Me262s, shooting down and wing-tipping V-1 Flying Bombs and stalking the skies of Nazi Germany looking for targets of opportunity on the ground below. Expert commentary is provided by Kev Darling, author of many respected books on fighter aircraft.