Hawker Tempest - Sweat Shirt Airacobra 5 Group RAF became 617

5 Group RAF became 617 under the command of Wing Commander Guy Gibson with crews made up of many nationalities including the Royal Australian Air Force

The Swift first flew 29th December 1948

Christmas day 1940 a Martlet shot down a Junkers Ju88 over Scapa Flow which was the first combat victory by a US built fighter in British service in World War II

building seaplanes and flying boats

Hawker Tempest - Sweat Shirt Airacobra 5 Group RAF became 617Hawker Tempest The Tempest was to be called the Typhoon II, but entered service in 1944 as the Tempest. The Tempest was mainly used at low level and for intercepting V 1 Flying Bombs as the aircraft was a superb gun platform. In the latter part of the war the Tempest was very effective at destroying ground targets as well as combat against the Me262, being the fastest single engine propellor aircraft at the time. The Hawker Sea Fury was an evolution