The Hawker Tempest was one of the most devastating piston-engine fighters ever built — fast, heavily armed, and terrifyingly effective. It hunted V1 flying bombs, shredded ground targets, and even ...

The top speed of the fastest operational fighter was less than 360 mph when the war started. By 1945, this had increased by an astonishing 300mph. Knowing that ‘speed was life’, some designers packed ...