The Hawker Hurricane fighter has just been put into service, and Hawker Siddeley Aircraft has already begun work on its replacement. In parallel, 2 projects developed - N-type (Napier Sabre engine) and R-type (Rolls-Royce Vulture engine). The R-type fighter was designated Tornado. In the spring of 1938, the British Aviation Ministry ordered the construction of a prototype. October 6, 1939 - the first flight of the Hawker Tornado piston fighter.
The Tornado was a single-seat low-wing with a retractable landing gear. The first prototype was powered by a Rolls-Royce Vulture II engine (1,760 hp) with a maximum speed of 641 km/h and a flight range of 965 km. Armament ? 12 ? 7.7mm Browning machine guns or 4 ? 20 mm Hispano guns.
Although the preliminary tests ended successfully, but due to problems with the Tornado engine, it was never put into mass production. Only 4 prototypes were built, on which different engines were tested, and later propellers. The project was closed in 1942.