KITS 09/2022

A139 (ex PR809), No. 14 Squadron, Royal Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan, 1949

On November 1, 1948 in Peshavar the No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Pakistan Air Force was established.

Only four days later the first encounter of RIAF and

RPAF aircraft took place when two RIAF Tempestes

attacked the Pakistani Dakota. On January 15, 1949

the No. 14 Squadron was disbanded due to the fact

that during December the unit had lost two Tempests

and without replacement aircraft the situation became critical. The supplies of new Tempests commenced in March 1949 and the aircraft were immediately

allocated to the combat units. They received the serials from A128 to A151 and were easily recognizable

thanks to their desert camouflage scheme. The recognition stripes were not applied. As the material and

personal situation improved on December 15, 1949 the

No. 14 Squadron was again re-activated under the leadership of Julian Kazimierz Żuromski. On March 24,

1950 the unit has been relocated to Miranshah for its

first combat deployment against Faqir of Ipi uprising.

HA547, No. 7 Squadron, Royal Indian Air Force, India, 1949

The first from 89 Tempests that underwent the overhaul and were delivered to RIAF, was HA547. Originally it was PR874 airframe which in February 1946 was

delivered directly to the storage and after more than

two years was sold from No. 20 MU (Maintenance

Unit) back to Hawker in order to satisfy the aircraft

deliveries for India and Pakistan. All Tempests were

finished in Aluminum. Initially these aircraft carried

the „Chakra“ style national insignia which were soon

replaced by the new orange-white-green cockades.

These were introduced in 1950.

HA426, No. 7 Squadron, Royal Indian Air Force, Jammu, India, December 1948

Even though HA426 from No. 7 Squadron still sports

the original RAF Day Fighter Scheme it already carries the new orange-white-green RIAF cockades.

September 2022

There is a winged battle axe, No. 7 Squadron insignia,

painted below the canopy. White wingtips as well as

white propeller spinner and rear fuselage band were

applied to RIAF Tempests to distinguish them from

RPAF aircraft carrying the same camouflage.

INFO Eduard

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