<p>Built 1945/46. Flew with 5sqn RAF based at Peshawar until the unit disbanded in August 1947. It then saw Indian Air Force service as ‘HA457’ from September 1947. The type was withdrawn from use in 1953 and most were stored or used as decoys. In 1976 eleven were offered for sale by the Indian Government. They were purchased by Warbirds of Great Britain and arrived in the UK in 1979. ‘PR536’ was sold to Nick Grace (who later restored Spitfire T9 ‘ML407’ and was stored.
The fuselage was acquired by the RAF Museum in 1987 in exchange for the fuselage and Napier Sabre engine of Tempest V ‘EJ693’. Together with some ex-Indian wings already owned by the RAF museum, the aircraft moved to Duxford and was fully restored by The Fighter Collection, in exchange for Sea Fury FB11 ‘VX653’.
It was completed in genuine 5sqn markings as per a 1946 photo, and in late 1991 it went on display in Hendon’s Historic Main Hangars,
RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK.
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22-3-2015
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/65001151@N03">Alan Wilson</a> from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/17347322555/">Hawker Tempest II ‘PR536 / OQ-H’</a>