Hawker Typhoon DN365

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: A Hawker Typhoon Mk IB

hawker typhoon mk 1b

Photo: RAF (pre-1957). Expired Crown Copyright.

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Hawker Typhoon / DN365

Aircraft Type Nickname: "The Tiffy."

A military single-seat fighter/bomber flown by the Royal Air Force. Built by the Gloster Aircraft Company, the Typhoon was equipped latterly with a Napier Sabre liquid cooled power plant and could attain a maximum speed of 405 mph at 18,000 ft (650 km/h at 5,485 m). In addition to the RAF, it was used by the RCAF and the RNZAF.

Unfortunately, the Typhoon suffered from a number of design defects, which may have led to the loss of certain aircraft.

From certain angles, the Typhoon bore some resemblance to a Focke-Wolfe Fw 190 aircraft. To avoid friendly-fire incidents, the Typhoon had black and white stripes painted under the wings.

BELOW: A Hawker Typhoon ground attack fighter

hawker typhoon ground attack fighter

Photo: Source unknown

BELOW: A Hawker Typhoon on display at RAF Museum London (formerly, RAF Hendon)

hawker typhoon on display at raf hendon

Photo: 2006 (Licensing: Released by the author as public domain)

Aircraft Accident Details

This particular Hawker Typhoon (DN365) crashed into Queenside Hill killing the pilot. Little is known about the background to this accident, except that the aircraft was on a training exercise when the pilot encountered low cloud and poor visibility. The aircraft had begun its flight from RAF Drem in East Lothian and was heading for RAF Ayr (Heathfield) at the time of the accident.

Quintin McKellar Sr. (now deceased) who farmed the land at Queenside Muir, witnessed the aftermath of this accident. In the foggy conditions then enveloping the hills, he could hear the aircraft approaching from Calder Glen (E of his present location). Moments later, he heard the sound of the crash on Queenside Muir.

Together with a gamekeeper from Lord Howard of Glossop's Muirshiel Estate, Mr. McKellar made his way through the mist and rain to the scene of the accident. However, the pilot had already been killed by the impact.

According to Mr. McKellar Sr., the aircraft involved in this accident was a Hawker Hurricane. However, this is disputed by Typhoon International, who reckon it was a Hawker Typhoon.

In any event, the wreckage was cleared from the site by an RAF recovery team, and—except for part of the propeller—very little of the aircraft now remains onsite. (See Box at the top right of this page for GPS references for the propeller.)

Aircraft Pilot Casualty

The pilot who died in this incident was:

F/O Steven A. N. Gould

Crash Site Photo

BELOW: Taken in 1989, this photo shows the impact point on Queenside Hill where Typhoon DN365 crashed. The only wreckage remaining onsite today is part of the propeller blade assembly (not shown in this photo).

impact point of typhoon crash with some remaining wreckage

Photo Gallery

At the moment, there are no additional crash site photos in the Photo Gallery.

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Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 24 Jan 1943

Accident Site:

Queenside Muir

Region: Renfrewshire

Nearest town or village:

Lochwinnoch

Nearest large towns:

Kilbirnie (SW) or Johnstone (NW)

OS Grid Ref. 63 / NS 297 642

GPS Ref. NS 29553 64276 (propeller)

Present Condition: As far as is known, only the remains of the propeller and engine reduction gear can be found onsite.

These few remaining parts can be found on Queenside Hill (part of Queenside Muir), not far from Queenside Loch. Queenside Hill is about 6 miles (c.10 km) NW of Lochwinnoch by the Muirshiel Mine road, or about 6 miles NE of Largs via Hill of Stake.