WOW431 Hawker Typhoon ‘Jiri Manak’

Description

At the time of its introduction in 1941, the Typhoon ‘Tiffie’ was the first 400mph fighter in the RAF.  Initially designed, first drawn up in 1937, as a replacement for the Hurricane in the medium to high interceptor role. The Typhoon development process was not plain sailing, at one point the RAF cancelled the development, but with a pressing demand it was reinstated as it was the only aircraft capable of intercepting the FW190 at low altitude.  It was used with notable success to intercept the Luftwaffe low level ‘tip and run’ raids plaguing southern England. Pilots from 486 NZ Sqn claiming 20 fighter bombers and 3 bombers between October 1942 and July 1943 in their Typhoons whilst intercepting these types of raids.

The ‘Tiffie’ found it’s true calling with the introduction of 4 x Hispano wing cannons and addition underwing ordinance, such as rockets and bombs, now the Typhoon became one of the RAF’s most effective ground attack aircraft. In the summer of 1944 during ‘Overlord’ and the Normandy breakout the Typhoon came into its own. Feared by the Germans, Robert Rogge recalled seeing Typhoon fighters overhead as he fought in the Canadian Army in Normandy:
The Tiffies were big planes for single-seaters and the under-slung radiators gave them a bulldog look…. When the rocket smoke squirted out, it looked like the plane had been hit. Then the fiery red rockets shot ahead, trailing white smoke to their targets. Nothing could stand up to a Tiffie rocket, not even a Tiger tank.
ww2dbase[The Germans] feared and hated the Tiffies. They had helped make the hell of Falaise. Everything they attacked was reduced to a fearsome shambles.

During the Western European campaign the amount of tanks and other armoured vehicles claimed by Typhoon pilots has been questioned, however their effect over the battlefield is best described below by Horst Weber, an SS panzergrenadier serving with Kampfgruppe Knaust south of Arnhem in the later stages of Market Garden.Weber.  He recalled that, during a battle with British 43rd Wessex Division on September 23^rd 1944,

“We had four Tiger tanks and three Panther tanks. We were convinced that we would gain another victory here, that we would smash the enemy forces. But then Typhoons dropped these rockets on our tanks and shot all seven to bits. And we cried… We would see two black dots in the sky and that always meant rockets. Then the rockets would hit the tanks which would burn. The soldiers would come out all burnt and screaming with pain.”

With the end of the war in Europe the Typhoon’s specialised role was finished and it quickly disappeared from service.

Our First Typhoon was flown by S/L. Jiri Manak a Czech serving in the RAF.  He was Commanding Officer in 198 Squadron RAF Manston, Kent before being shot down and captured by the Germans.
Manak’s score was two Me109’s shot down, two Fw109’s damaged, one locomotive destroyed, nine locomotives damaged, one barge destroyed, three barges set on fire, and further boats, wagons, aerodromes etc damaged.  He survived the war and died in Prague on December 29^th 1992.
Decorations and Honours: Distinguished Flying Cross, four times Czechoslovak War Cross of 1939, three times Medal for Gallantry and the French Croix de Guerre avec palme bronze.
There is a Prague Street named in his honour.

Limited edition of 2 x 1/30 scale models available.
The figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included. The price for our model is $699 plus postage, there is no free postage on warbirds due to their large size. The $799 price is therefore reflected in the banner price, you will not charged additional postage at checkout.