new-tool Airfix Hawker Tempest V - a first look in-box review and some reference!

 

Post-war TT 5 (target tug) version of the Tempest as seen at the RAF museum last weekend. 

My first Airfix new-tool Tempest V just arrived. Small box for a lot of money!  But I guess that's the way things are going now though. The new Airfix Tempest retails from £13 to £15 (GBP) - the days of £6 to £9.99 for a small 72nd fighter seem to be long gone. Arma (new P-51) and IBG (Dora) kits justify their prices with a lot in the box - including etch and masks in the 'Expert' sets.  What's in the Tempest box?

The contents comprise some  four sprues, good plastic and some 'innovations';

- cockpit floor detailing molded as part of the upper wing

- cockpit sidewall detail

- two spinners

- top and lower wings  (as opposed to four wing parts)

- engine exhaust ejector stubs come in two parts for each side

- underwing tanks are transparent and on the clear sprue  (there was a clear 'cut-out' on the real thing)

- some 'flash' on some of the parts -  no big deal but how does that happen ?

- two sets of wheels - four and five spoked. The five-spoke wheels appear to have over-sized inner hubs. A set of Typhoon wheels could be a better option

Tempest Mark V, JN766 ‘SA-N’, of No. 486 Squadron RNZAF, at Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire, during the Squadron’s re-equipment with the type.

The following notes were compiled by Paul Bradley based on Chris Thomas' research which can be found  on BM.

The Tempest V came in two basic 'versions' – Series 1, which is generally reckoned to be the first 100 or so airframes (JN729-773, JN792-822, JN854-877), and Series 2 that encompassed the remaining production of the type. However, within those two basic configurations there were some subtle differences that make it a difficult task to pin down the exact specs of a specific airframe at a specific time. Without going into great detail, here’s a quick summary of the features:

Long-barrelled cannon – Denoting the use of the Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannon, at least the first 39 Tempest Vs, up to JN767, had cannon fairings protruding from the wing leading edge.

Wing root blister – The first 50 Tempests, up to JN796, used Typhoon centre-sections. As the Tempest wing was thinner at the root, part of the steel tubing that made up this structure had to be covered by a small blister.

Below;  first production Tempest V, showing all the salient features of a Series 1 Mk.V, test pilot Bill Humble at the controls. (Kate Humble's grandfather.)

 

Fishplates – These small structural strengtheners were found up to at least the 85th airframe, JN862.

Cuckoo door dust filters – Not required for Series 1 aircraft.

Main wheels – Early Tempests had Typhoon main wheel hubs with 5 spokes and Dunlop EX 11.25-12 tyres. Sometime in the JN-series, this changed to a new 4-spoke design, but the exact cut off is not known.

Under wing stores – long-range tank capability was not fitted until JN797, bomb carriage from 151st airframe and rocket projectiles from the 251st airframe.

Below; port side view of JN 766 of 486 Sqd alongside one of the unit's Typhoons  - one of the options on the kit decal sheet

(IWM photo used under terms of their non-commercial website licence...)

THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE IN BRITAIN, 1944 © IWM (CH 13977)

Also on this blog;

Clostermann's Tempests - Hawker Tempest Mk V (Academy 1/72) - Clostermann's JF - E (only SN 222 carried the inscription 'Le Grand Charles')   here

Build review IBG Models Fw 190 Dora-9 (Cottbus, early production) - finished

 

 ..first completion of 2022. IBG Models Fw 190 Dora-9. Great kit, loads of detail and options and fit was good for such a 'complex' kit. Finished as 'black 3' of 6./JG 26 with Xtracolor enamels.

A few views of the build, including the detailed cockpit and engine

.. building the IBG Models Fw 190 Dora-9 - in-box review/build Part 2

 

 The first new-tool IBG Models Fw 190 Dora-9 arrived a few weeks ago. The D-15 is released as well. I assume the D-11/13 is due later. A quick look at what's in the box. 

 

 

Part 1 of this build was posted on FalkeEins Luftwaffe blog here

The first half of the build involves construction of the cockpit and engine and the installation of these two components/elements into the fuselage halves.  Parts are so finely molded that this is all achieved in relatively straight forward steps. The trickiest stage of the build is removing the parts from the sprues and cleaning them up.

Once the fuselage halves are together the lower wing part clips into place and the firewall spar forms the back wall of the undercarriage wells. Again alignment is pretty hassle free. 

Stage 14 shows how the wells are built up with the photo etch parts, certainly the trickiest part of the build for me. 

A view of the completed wells which shows the 'see-through' effect as on the actual machine. The finely molded engine is more or less visible here, although the upper cowl MGs are not.

Prepping the completed build for painting. A little PPP required in the wing join. The control surfaces are all separate parts. There is a choice of four different canopy styles in the box - or are two of them spares?

The defence of the Reich bands are painted and masked and the RLM 76 applied (Xtracolor enamels) This view shows the superb rivet detail on the main parts -  the finish achieved by the mold maker. is superlative.  The flash has obliterated the pre-shading. 

Airfix new-tool 1:48 P-51 Mustang - build review (1)

 

This is me struggling with the new Airfix Mustang- nicely detailed but I'm finding it rather difficult to assemble, not helped by the poor fit of the fuselage halves. Like the Airfix Jet Provost I built a while ago the two fuselage parts do not fit together and filler is required all the way round. That means sanding off all the nice rivet detail too. 

Airfix video announcement of forthcoming Spit IX 'super-kit' in 1:24th scale

 

Airfix video announcement of forthcoming Spit IX in 1:24th scale.

FB discussion following the Airfix 2022 product range announcements - including new tool Anson and Meteor in 72nd along with a new-tool Buccaneer in 48th scale - with Jonathan Mock, spencer Pollard and Drewe Manton - well worth a watch. A single click to view here 

IBG Models PZL P.11 b (Romanian service) in 72nd

 

Ahead of the arrival of their new Fw 190 Dora kits, here are a few more pics of my recently completed PZL P.11 from IBG. IBG's family of PZL P.11 models in 72nd scale are very nicely detailed kits, well-engineered and superbly molded. For around £12 you get a huge box, three decal choices, a detailed IAR 9K engine and a photoetched fret with some tiny details such as throttle lever, seat harness, rudder pedals, gun-sight, undercarriage strengthening wires and the windscreen frame. Much of the sheet in fact is not required for this kit. Inevitably perhaps - for those of us with 'fatter' fingers and poorer eyesight - not every etch part will be used. Not every plastic part either - I have still the fit the two venturi tubes either side of the cockpit. Elsewhere the control surfaces - elevators, rudder and ailerons- are all separate parts. Fit is very good - as it has to be with so many small parts. Decals are by Techmod with options for three Romanian machines. 

I can recommend the IBG PZL P.11 fighters.  Although I haven't seen it, the Arma Hobby kit is perhaps an easier build. Just add the Karaś from Heller, P-7a from MasterCraft and PZL P-37 Łoś from Plastyk (or MasterCraft) to complete a set of Polish combat aircraft from the German attack on Poland - "September 1939".

new Revell SR-71 Blackbird in 48th

 

 ..super new Revell kit of the SR-71 just arrived. No I can't see myself building it to be honest but I'm collecting a few images for reference and such like and re-posting them here so that I can find them easily when required. 

Alan P build thread on BM here

At the 1974 Farnborough air show after its record-breaking New York to London flight. Posted by Mike 'Michou' 

Mildenhall, 11 September 1974 - the same aircraft being prepared for an attempt on a record east to west flight. The flight was aborted because of some problem and the record London to LA flight was made on 13 September.

"...Whenever we took an SR to an airshow (I went with a U-2 once, but we had an SR with us) they always told the local maintenance and fire dept people that if the aircraft is NOT leaking fuel, then we have a problem. Sometimes they would also throw lit matches into a puddle of fuel to show that JP-8 would just put the fire out. It is actually a chemical reaction that is used to light the fuel for engine start...Tri Eythel Bromide IIRC. Not sure on all of the spellings, but yeah, that is what got ignition going. They had a built-in starter system in the barns at Beale, but they were broke most of the time I was there, so it was mostly the Buicks to get the engines up to speed for ignition. Very distinctive sound when the Buicks started up.."    Dave