Tempest Mk.VI Markings

[Harry Lime]

Does anybody know what the source of the markings for NX154 JV-K in the old Matchbox Tempest Mk.II/VI kit is? I've had a trawl through the internet and through Britmodeller but have not found anything. Were the markings based on a contemporary photo or something else? If they were based on a photo, can anyone point me to where I can find it please? I built the kit in the markings provided as a kid, but am now curious as to their origin, especially since I have a spare set and am tinkering with the idea of a modern build of this aircraft.

Any help or info would be much appreciated,

Mark.

[Junchan]

Found one photo of NX154, JV-K on page 169 of The Typhoon & Tempest by Chris Thomas & Christopher Shores. The photo shows the right side of NX154, with a sky fuselage band and can opener squadron badge on the radiator, but cannot tell if there are yellow stripes on the wing leading edge.

Cheers,

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

Edited May 2, 2016 by Junchan

[Harry Lime]

Jun,

Thanks for that. I had a look for the book mentioned and can only find some eye-waveringly expensive copies, so will live without seeing that pic for now!

Regards,

Mark.

[ksc]

I made the same kit in the same markings. The only thing I added was serial numbers under the wings. I think there was a picture in the Squadron/Signal in action book but I cannot find my copy at the moment

I also seem to remember being uncertain at the time whether the background to the can opener should be a circle or a square but in the end I just used the kit decals.

Ken

[old thumper]

By coincidence I have also been googleing for both nx154 and the Tempest II in Indian markings, but couldn't find anything of either. Most Matchbox kits were based on actual photos so I am assuming the RAF markings to be roughly correct. Being post war I would expect this aircraft to have serial numbers painted under the wings, I am unsure of the spinner colour.

The decals for the Indian Tempest are very nice but unfortunately the wrong colour, they should have been blue. Again I not sure of the spinner colour but guess it was probably not the saffron yellow / orange that Matchbox recommend.

[tempestfan]

IIRC Matchbox gives the location and timeframe as December 45 at Nicosia, but I think I read somewhere - not completely sure where , but it may have been in Spitfires over Israel - that 6 was already in Palestine at the date specified by MB. As it is some 10 years ago that I read the book, all caveats for my failing memory, but I seem to recall SoA may contain some relevant pics as I've always looked for some interesting schemes for the MB kit, and the VI is not the most prolific aircraft, picturewise.

[Giorgio N]

Another marking that may be wrong is the upper wing roundel, should in theory by a C type in late 1945

[Junchan]

The same photo of NX154 is found on page 53 of Squadron In Action which is a bit better than a photo in the book I mentioned.

I post this image under fair use.

Note that the lower wing roundels are located at the wing tip and serial are barely visible. On the background, there is another Tempest in overall silver finish with Type D roundel which was introduced from 16 May 1947.

Photo caption says the location is Aden, but according to my RAF reference books, the squadron was never been stationed at Aden.

Matchbox instructions on the box says it was at Nicosia in November 1945. The squadron converted to Tempest at Nicosia in January 1947, not in 1945.

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

Edited May 4, 2016 by Junchan

[Harry Lime]

Folks,

Thank you very much for all replies, they are very useful and all are gratefully received!

Regards,

Mark.

[Graham Boak]

The best reference I know is Paul Lucas's "RAF Fighters 1945-50 Overseas Based" from Guideline. It doesn't have JF.K, sadly, but does have a photo of NX135 JV.N still in Day Fighter scheme with wartime colours. I can't be sure about the leading edge band: the spinner is dark (black?) with a light base plate - the aircraft behind has a light spinner. There's a profile of NX204 JV.X similarly coloured but with the postwar roundels, Sky spinner and yellow leading edges, with the Gunners' stripe down the leading edge of the fin.. Another profile shows JV.X on overall aluminium, yellow spinner, Gunners' stripe on tail. Then a profile and photo of NX201 JV.U in Aluminium, yellow spinner with black baseplate, can opener badge on red radiator inspection panel. Finally NX135/V Aluminium, spinner and can opener badge as above, but on blue door, squadron badge and stripes small on the fin ahead of the flash, large serials underwing.

The squadron clearly went through a number of changes to the markings and colours, which are described in the book. The squadron left Palestine for Nicosia on the 3rd October 1946, still with Hurricanes and Spitfires I believe. With Tempests, they moved from Khartoum to Fayid in May 1948, Deversoir in August, V was the first aircraft to be sprayed Aluminium in November, but the finish was poor. From the end of July 1949 aircraft were being resprayed into the new desert scheme of Dark Earth and Light Slate Grey over Medium Sea Grey.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Graham Boak

[old thumper]

One other thing with the Indian Tempest II is that there is no anti-glare panel on the upper fuselage, I'm guessing this is because they were sprayed a dullish aluminium colour rather than being bare shiny metal?

[Giorgio N]

One more thing worth adding on the subject of the Matchbox Tempest VI is that the kit unfortunately lacks the part of filter locared under the fuselage. When I built my first one I decided to do a Mk.II in RAF markings (the Indian ones as said by others are wrong), now I have another waiting for some good picture that would allow me to scratchbuild this detail so that I can build a VI...