null_null981707818191 Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 In a separate post in the Wishlists section of the Forum, I posted that I'd been "fighting" with an old-mould Tempest Mk V (1/72 scale Airfix A02094), so having at last finished it (or got it to the best point that I can), I thought I'd post a few pictures.You can tell from the box that it's a fairly oldish mould - although I suspect from the amount of flash that I had to remove and the amount of filler that I had to use, the moulding is even older than the packaging!/media/tinymce_upload/a8c0f5d95f41cec65784c75e2db43aa6.jpgAs I guess was usually the case when it was originally produced, the interior was distinctly lacking in detail - not even a pilot, so one came out of the spares box, and a few token bits were added to the cockpit sidewalls, and seatbelts added (painted masking tape strips) so that Wing Commander Roland Beamont could take the controls:/media/tinymce_upload/fe87445b2fae970c04ac5aeb3a5415bc.jpgOther than that, it was a case of OOB building. I referred earlier to needing to use quite a lot of filler... there were huge gaps where the upper wing didn't come anywhere near the fuselage (on both sides) and the styrene along the top of the fuselage both in front of and behind the cockpit just wouldn't 'mate' properly, even using Humbrol Liquid Poly. I used mainly my 'go to' Vallejo Acrylic Plastic Putty, though I also had to resort to some Humbrol Model Filler - but hopefully, you can't really see the join on the fuselage forward of the cockpit!/media/tinymce_upload/2f2038cbab54a0122da446939ada6490.jpgI had already decided to paint the Tempest as JN751, flown by Wing Commander Roland Beamont of 150 Wing RAF Newchurch as of June 1944 - not least because as a self-imposed task I wanted to try combining brush painting (my usual mode of decoration using Vallejo Air paint) with some hopefully well-masked, selective spraying (using Halfords rattle cans) for the invasion stripes./media/tinymce_upload/6fa16e55c060bc88ac30194a6e31d735.jpgThe decals used were a combination of those that came with the kit, and a few from the spares box (for the R-B lettering, for example). For some reason, although the decals that came with the kit were seemingly relatively modern, the roundels were three separate decals, which to get to conform to the raised panel lines required each layer to be separately applied and softened with Microsol before adding the next layer, in register. I have to confess that the yellow wing edges were a decal rather than painted./media/tinymce_upload/6f82d36c0e14af9ef1029fda00c444bd.jpgTo blend the decals with the brush painted (for the most part) aircraft, and in terms of the year represented, I wanted to show the Tempest as being painted in the S-type finish that would have been in use by then, so oversprayed the whole thing with Humbrol Acrylic Satin, hence the hopefully visible yet subtle sheen. Doubtless that's what enabled the Wingco to fly fast enough to shoot down 31 V1 flying bombs!/media/tinymce_upload/02b9ddb24b826c43bf33b89c7ec236c6.jpgSo there we are, another build completed. Other things to mention - the moulding was produced before the exhausts came as separate items, meaning that they had to be very carefully painted in situ; I could have sanded off all the raised panel lines and then rescribed them, but then it wouldn't be the same model, would it? Quite challenging therefore, and definitely confirms my view that a new-mould 1/72 Tempest V is needed to go with the superbly produced Typhoon. Thanks for taking the trouble to look, and just to finish with, one final picture. /media/tinymce_upload/1e45da9d2588b56d5c3e019bd15a466b.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter s Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 WOW! Just shows these older kits can build up well. That looks great. I'm a massive Pierre Clostermann fan so did the Academy as its his version. Damned fine job on the stripes too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Thomas Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Very good. I like the fact that the stripes are parallel - no mean feat!I’m working my way through a [an ?] Heller version, which will be finished without stripes assuming I can get markings/references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 I don't know if either of you are aware but you are both doing the same kit. The Airfix Tempest was indeed from the Heller mould, back in the day when Airfix were slowly dying, and using inferior borrowed moulds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebeep Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 I don't know if either of you are aware but you are both doing the same kit. The Airfix Tempest was indeed from the Heller mould, back in the day when Airfix were slowly dying, and using inferior borrowed moulds!In fact the Heller tooled Tempest is probably still optimum if you want accurate outline shapes. The tooling wasn't borrowed, when the Airfix Tempests were released Heller was part of the Humbrol/Borden group and Airfix kits were manufactured at the Heller factory in Trun. There were a lot of Heller kits in the Airfix catalogue during this time and Heller also produced tooling for purely Airfix products. It was a simple rebadge exercise in the case of the Tempest and many others. Like most Heller kits the Tempest requires some TLC during construction. There's very little other game in town other than the Academy kit which whilst nice doesn't offer the same outline accuracy. I'm hopeful that Eduard might release a kit in 1/72, their 1/48 kit is close to sublime. I'm also hopeful that a 1/72 Tempest is on the Airfix to-do list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter s Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 A new tool Tempest would compliment both the Typhoon and Me 262 nicely. A 190-D would be a fine rival too.... I've the old Airfix lined up to do a new v old with the new -190 D and it looks in need of a re-work. A lot of late war Tempests (ie none D-day stripe) had massive Yellow outlined roundels on the wings. P51s kept mistaking them for 190s (understandable from some angles especially the Tempest V with the radial style cowling) Clostermann seemed to have more problems with the USAAF than the Luftwaffe in his! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebeep Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 The 190D tooling from 1976 is not that bad, but a new, state-of-the-art kit would be nice. This is another one that Eduard might address in 1/72 as well as a 109G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter s Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Its good enough... D's are rare. The reason I mention it is that in "the big show" its one of the few planes that gives Clostermann trouble and a FW190-D / Tempest both in new tool would be a great dogfight double. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procrastinator Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 So now the new Tempest has been announced for 2021. In the cockpit detail rendering, there is a strange clear part snaking down from the gunsight to the area behind the instrument panel. Is this for some light effects accessories? Mystified... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebeep Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 a strange clear part snaking down from the gunsight to the area behind the instrument panel. Is this for some light effects accessories? No lights, just a neat way to fasten the gun sight and compass (the cylindrical part at the bottom) to the panel. Both gunsight and compass have transparent elements - the HUD on the sight and compass bezel face, so they're moulded on the transparency frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procrastinator Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 a strange clear part snaking down from the gunsight to the area behind the instrument panel. Is this for some light effects accessories? No lights, just a neat way to fasten the gun sight and compass (the cylindrical part at the bottom) to the panel. Both gunsight and compass have transparent elements - the HUD on the sight and compass bezel face, so they're moulded on the transparency frame.That makes sense, thanks... I was not aware of the compass placement (my only Tempest was an ancient Matchbox kit many decades ago)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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