Aims

Not my usual cup of tea at all but it is nice to do something completely different once in a while. May I highly recommend this lovely little resin kit from SBS. The casting is superb in both detail of masters and the minimal casting blocks and cleaning up needed, the decals are very thin and the clear resin windscreens are amazing. Filler was - like the casting blocks - minimal - apart form underneath where the thickness of the trailing edge of the wing was a fraction greater than the thickness of the wing root. I don't know if the Eduard weekend editions really can be made in a weekend but this kit certainly can and I did. The only problem I had with the whole build was I could not match the red / orange of the Danish roundels and would recommend taking the decal sheet with you next time you are going to a model shop. I don;t have a local model shop and non of my reds in stock matched and my mix is below par but other than that I really enjoyed this kit.

It seems a bit of a waste having a purpose made Tempest sheet and then not using even one of the options! never mind I decided to model a bird from the closing days of the war zipping around Holland and the sheet did not give me that. I really wanted to model SA-M but did not have any white Swastika Kill markings the right size so opted instead for the machine in the background of SA - M - SA-A flown by 11+2 shared victory ace Warren Schrader of the RNAF. This is the only pic of it I can find and can not see if it is wearing a Squadron leaders pendent as he was CO of 486 Sqn from March 1945 till posted to Meteors. I know from www that the artwork in the Osprey vol shows no tally or pendent but wondered if anyone might be kind enough to flick through any other Tempest books they might have just to check for me? Thanks I used an old Model decal sheet for the 24" Sky codes and Almark decals for the rest! Almark serial number decals are a bit on the heavy side but did the job. Even though these old single layer of varnish require the roundels to be carefully cut out they are just superb and sink into panel lines with minimal solution or fuss - best I have ever used and amongst first I ever bought! As for the Model decal sheet - not only had the protective sheet glued itself to the varnish the code letters themselves would not bed down into the Grand Canyon! I had to use a finger nail to press them in - all the same job done apart from Almark stencils and any other markings photos may reveal? Thanks again, John

Yes I pressed down well as I could see/feel it was low tac

I've been using Tamiya Flexible tape for the first time - it curved around a 1/72 spinner boss without a hitch, just used it to follow the curve of the leading edge to do the Tempest V Yellow ID markings, great product

Well my Order from Hannants arrived today - and this was one correct/upgrade that I really enjoyed - what a difference. the Sword Tiffy is a bit of a dog - I don't mind doing these kind of kits myself - but it needs all the help it can get and these certainly do that - great product from Master. Decals also arrived so I can do PR-D with the open barrels. Strangely this option shows earlier type lower roundels - Perhaps the serial number gives it away as having been a converted IA airframe? Anyone know if these markings are correct for PR-D?

Just took some pics ion daylight - maybe see more details?

just one more

a few more and no the upside down one is not my idea of a diorama!

well that's the first one done! Shame about the shape of the canopy at the rear, all the vac forms I had are the same apart from the one that comes in the kit but that had deformed area on it rendering it unusable although I could have perhaps used the windscreen and got a better fit? Tempted to use kit canopy for Academy Tempest V as the shape is right. I used 2mm lenses from Little Cars to represent the red and green ID lights under the right wing, clear larger lense for landing under the left wing - but just painted the orange ID light in the belly. Clear sheet was punched out for the light covers. Propeller looks odd to me - I know Mk II had the prop tips not so sharp or maybe it is just the larger spinner making the props look too short? A little bit of RAF Dark Green was added to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer as per photo. I read that many silver Tempests had the paint painted over the European cammo and as you can see from the front of the anti-glare panel and Japanese aircraft in the same theatre 5 years earlier - paint does not like humidity. Anyway hope you like.

A little pastel and pencil work - not too much I hope for 1/72.

Just sprayed some Xtracrylic Flatt on the Tempest, I thought the polished Alclad ally would be too bright but I did not polish up the primer or spray black first so it was already on the dull side before varnish so on the whole I think it looks ok?! The Alclad was all I had - i am sure there are better alternatives on the market for get the look of Painted Ally.

Hi everyone, hope to get my Tempest II finished by end of the week. Just got to do some weathering, spray matt and put it all together - not much but it takes time

Work on Tempest II coming along quicker than I thought with delay to Car Door Tiffy. Made 8 Mk III post war (longer rails and taller pylons) rocket rails. Attached the front pylons but will add the rear pylon with rail after decaling due to the lower wing serial No.

One step forward - Tempest II gun bays done - one step back - Pavla cannon fairings so badly shaped that I have given up trying to sand - fill sand - fill and have instead orders some Master Barrels / fairings to make early version - which in-turn needs a re-think on decal option. Decided also against modelling bubble top TP-F as serial number wrong as well as code letter colours - prefer to model based on a photograph so will go with MR-? as found photo of that an dbelieve it has indeed got a spiral spinner.

Hi everyone, Well I have been busy but managed to get a little bit done. Used the Tamiya primer rattle can for the first time - love it - best primer I have ever used - shame can is so small. Not primed Tempest II yet as still scratch building weapons bay and gear bay details but wont take long as my days of going OTT are over and I am happy just to get models finished hence my own little 'group build' haha. Well I think I have decided on what decal options to do. I can't resist scoreboards so really want to make Roland Beumont's car door Tiffy although I will need to replace the Sky fusealge markings as not happy with Pavla colour, also not convinced looking at photos that the nose is yellow so will do it Sky. What is with the white centre of radiator cowling? Did he decide to have the white ID markings join in the middle of the belly on his aircraft? As for Bubble top Tiffy - again I would for same reason like to make TP - F but I have never found pictures of this aircraft and do not know where A Bently got his artwork from when he did his excellent scale drawings? Anyone know? I am torn between this and MR+? But am feeling lazy and trying to mask up correctly for that 'fuselage code window' in the D Day stripes is not welcome but I see there is a difference of opinion regarding the spinner - spiral or some standard segmented style? Photos anybody? S, so far I have pre-D - Day, D-Day and so Tempest V can be W2 - Y - immediate occupation force of Germany - latter BFOR - which it was when I was born there in '71. Finally the Tempest II can be Operation Firedog as when I did my Jungle training in '88 it was from the very RAF base where photo of 5R - V was taken in Malaysia - all be it reclaimed by the jungle which was a nightmare to clear so we could sleep in some of the old huts and paint the stones white again around the flagpole and all that BS! So I get to model these two aircraft types in a way that covers their history as well as remembering some of my own. Regarding 5R - V I see that here also there is a difference of opinion red codes or black? It is hard to tell from photo where the scruffy peeling black anti-glare panel is the same contrast and hue as the red centre of the roundel, Help?!

Deleted - No traders

Just remembered the resin tail plane on the Academy tempest is from a CMK resin kit which I just could not get right and binned - other than the tail plane and a few bits and bobs - there was an after -market tail plane available at the time - perhaps Airwaves?

Hi everyone - in a rather gigantic leap from 1/32 Ju 88s I am attempting to finish off 4 little 1/72 models which I can hardly see!!!!! I recently opened a box trying to find something for a customer and discovered 4 Hawker aircraft I started 6 years ago. Today I took the plunge and started getting ready for filling which included super gluing chunks of clear perspex into the cut outs made for the nav lights. I am going to be a complete philistine and not try the same for the tail plane fairing nav lights. I am also going to ignore that before I put these together I made little attempt to decrease the thickness of the trailing edges of the Pavla Car Door Typhoon and the Special Hobby Tempest Mk II. So I have my after market decals and things so I should be able to proceed to the end if I can ever decide upon which decal options to represent? Wish me well or pray for better eyesight! BTW I do not remember doing it but I seem to have used tail plane from an old Matchbox kit to give the Academy Tiffy the revised Tempest style tail plane Lots of filligng to do now - especially with the Pavla kit. The Academy Tempest has as after market tail plane but I cannot remember who made it?

forgot to add pic of the fantasy right side hatches

Just a few more things to look out for - and may I just say how you build a model - no matter what your experience is up to you - I am just pointing out things based on real aircraft and other models so that you can make your own decision about what to do with the details in question - nothing more.The Ju 88 is my core business, I wanted this kit to be great just as much as anybody else. It is not - not by a long way but that it my opinion and I am trying to show you why. I would still buy another and make the changes needed. Regarding earlier post about oleo legs being too squat - they are not it is just the lower half is too wide - it should be a little thinner than the top section which makes the whole thing look a bit odd. Well not only have ICM provided a fantasy 1 level floor - they have the rear section 3mm too far over to the right side. I also spotted that they have added a control cable inspection panel to the right side to mirror the left side - it is only on the left! No one else has ever made that mistake also.The hinge line for the outer bomb bay doors have also not been added.

Yes I would stick to Dragon also but I will see what upgrades I can make

ETC racks are interesting, ICM have them both with a sharp contour when only the outer one should be like this, Revell's 1/32 Ju 88 A-4 kit goes the other way with the outer one being too curved but only a little Panel lines? Well a few interesting things and a few bizarre things. ICM are not the first company to get vertical stabilizer panel line wrong - the Revell Ju 88 A-1 kit did the same but they got it right for the A-4 kit. As for the inspection hatch forward of the fuselage fuel bay - what have they done? No one has ever done this before? Also note that in real life the lower skin in not a complete cut out underneath the gondola. If you are planning on using the kit decals just be aware that the 'S' of F1+AS should be a little different and that on the option for L1+GN some of its sister machines had the RLM 70/71 scalloped onto both the sides of the gondola, it is out of view in the photo of this machine.

UC framework

I am curious how the model will look but the oleo legs look a little squat to me? As for the framework they sit on - they are better than what Dragon did but not correct, those boxes at the rear should only be brackets with a wall travelling between them, not the differences between ICM kit and Revell 1/32 Ju 88

Well back again after normal Hungarian power cut without warning.......When it comes to the ICM engines there are a number of glaring mistakes. The face of the radiator has cut outs for airflow to the exhausts , it is solid in the kit. The exhaust detail itself and the hot air ports behind the engine are as per the Jumo 211 J on the Ju 88 A-4. Notice the difference between the ICM detail and the Revell 1/32 A-1 kit part for the hot air exhaust port. Notice also how ICM have made the engine and gear bay flush. it looks terrible!