Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. is a living history project based in the heart of British Columbia’s scenic Comox Valley, on the traditional land of the K’ómoks, Puntledge, and E’iksan nations. The brain-child of aircraft engineer and Royal Canadian Air Force veteran Ian Slater, our goal is to rebuild Hawker Typhoon JP843 to air-worthy condition and share the stories of the Canadian, British, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth aviators who flew Typhoons into battle during the darkest days of the Second World War.

Hawker Typhoon pilots were assigned some of the most dangerous tasks of the conflict: flying low-altitude ground attack missions to destroy enemy infrastructure and providing desperately needed air support to embattled Allied troops on the ground. Without the benefit of altitude or acrobatics to preserve themselves, Typhoons were exposed to both heavy ground fire and enemy fighter. Due to heavy attrition and the Typhoon’s replacement by the Hawker Tempest in the late 1940s, only one complete example survived into the 21st century. The scarcity of existing planes has led to the vital contribution made by the Typhoon and its pilots to the liberation of Europe being obscured by more famous aircraft like the illustrious Supermarine Spitfire or P-51 Mustang.

By resurrecting Typhoon JP843, Typhoon Legacy seeks to revitalize the memory of the Hawker Typhoon and honor the aviators and crew who risked or lost their lives to destroy the Axis war machine and shape the course of the 20th century. To accomplish this mission, we have assembled a team of engineers, veterans, historians, and content creators. All of whom have volunteered their expertise and time to rebuild JP843 and educate future generations about the sacrifices made by Commonwealth aviators and the heavy cost of war.

~Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. Team