Tempest (No. 3 Squadron RAF) Giclée Art Print

Original illustration of a Hawker Tempest fighter-bomber, as used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. The Tempest began life as a development upon the earlier Hawker Typhoon, and was initially known as the Typhoon II, before entering service as the Tempest in 1944. The Tempest's high speed - the fastest single-engine propeller plane of the war, at low altitudes - made it ideal for intercepting fast-moving threats such as V-1 flying bombs or jet-powered Me 262s, while its firepower - with four Hispano cannons and space for bombs or rockets underwing - made it a potent ground-attack aircraft.

Depicted in this illustration is Tempest JF-S, serial number JN752. Tempest JF-S was flown by Fl/Sgt. Stanislaw Domanski of No. 3 Squadron RAF, who is rumoured to be the first Polish pilot to claim a V-1 flying bomb. His final tally was four (and one damaged) before he sadly lost his life in July 1944 when hit by friendly anti-aircraft fire. While the story of the Polish squadrons within the RAF is fairly well-known, that Poles - and indeed, people from across the world - served throughout the British armed forces is less widely known and appreicated.

No. 3 Squadron was a highly successful squadron throughout the Second World War, particularly in operating against V-1 flying bombs, of which it destroyed 288. Throughout this time it was based at RAF Newchurch, having earlier been based at RAF Bradwell Bay in Essex. No. 3 Squadron still exists to this day, and presently operates the Eurofighter Typhoon - an aircraft which shares its name with the Hawker Typhoon, which No. 3 Squadron operated prior to adopting the Tempest shortly before D-Day.

The illustration was produced in partnership with the Polish Heritage Flight, which honours the memory of the Polish pilots who served with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. You can learn more about them and their mission here.

This illustration by Rob Wisdom is a high quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper.

12x16" print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size prints.