The First Flight of Hawker Tempest Mk.II MW763

Hard Work Pays Off!

Just this October, a very special aircraft was able to fly for the first time after 34 years of restoration. Finally, the world has an airworthy Hawker Tempest again!

Pete Kynsey piloted the Tempest Mk. II MW763 last October 10, 2023, at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, England. MW763 came out of the Berkshire factory in 1945 and was too late to serve in the war. 

This maiden flight was done after the airframe was extensively rebuilt by Anglia Aircraft Restoration Ltd.Most importantly, that day marks the first time a Hawker Tempest has flown in more than half a century!

This is the Mark II variant of the Hawker Tempest, the only Mark to be fitted with a Bristol Centaurus engine. All six variants had different engines, which included the Napier Sabre, Rolls-Royce Griffon, and the Centaurus.