Gino

Hi Tail-Dragon, Thanks a lot! I looked at photos of Tempests only. These photos explain everything.

Hi Chris, Thank you for the explanation and for taking the time to look into EJ705 on this. I've seen your name a few times on books covering Typhoons and Tempests. Awesome of you to respond to my post.

Here's a link to a finished Eduard 82122 kit fitted with the intake covering. This is a model of the JN803, the front Tempest in the photo at Grimbergen airfield. Your suggestion that the cover was used only during parking is interesting. But why then would you use a grill covering on a parked plane? A simple solid wood or canvas board would have done a better job in keeping junk out of the intake. The engine would not need to be run while parking. So I'm guessing that the cover was used at least during taxiing and perhaps was removed right before take off.

Hi Tempestfan, Thanks for the share. Wonderful thread indeed. I wasn't referring to the Cuckoo-door intake of the later Mk Vs. I was hoping to get some more information on the grill covering with the three vertical bars. I found another picture of the grill covering. This one is from October '44. I cannot see the serial but I'm guessing it's an EJ-series. The airfield is Bradwell Bay and appears to be very grassy. So that could explain the intake covering.

Greetings people, I recently picked up modelmaking again (My last model was finished 35 years ago.) and decided to go for the Eduard 84170 Tempest Mk. V ser. 2 kit. I'm going for the "B" option being the EJ705 shown here: The kit can be augmented with PE parts, including a grill intake covering that raises a few questions. The only photo evidence of a Tempest V with grill intake covering I've managed to find was this one: The front Tempest is the JN803 of 486 sqn at Grimbergen. Since the squadron was at Grimbergen only one day, the photo must have been shot on September 30th, 1944. The EJ705 above arrived on the European continent two days earlier, and remained in operation by 80 Sqn until March 11, 1945. Clearly, the top photo does not show the grill intake covering. I'm not entirely sure when and where the picture was shot but it would most likely be around December '44 at Volkel airfield. Since I like the look of the covering, I would like to use the PE part for the EJ705. I'm trying to figure out whether the EJ705 ever was fitted with the grill covering. I'd appreciate any input on this matter. What was the function of the grill intake? Were series 2 Tempests Mk. V fitted with the covering from the factory and later removed due to additional drag? Where they fitted in the hay season to keep the air filter from clogging up? Is it likely that the EJ705 ever was fitted with the same grill covering? I believe EJ-series Tempest were built at the Gloster factory rather than Langley. They must have been brand new when they arrived at Antwerp airfield. (80 Sqn didn't pass through Grimbergen.) Any help is highly appreciated! Gino