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Afternoon. My second entry for this GB will be the later Pierre Clostermann Eduard 1/48 Tempest - with suitably prominent Lorraine Cross on it for the Forum prefect... Interestingly, I seem to have been a bit over zealous in the past, and have purchased an additional canopy mask set for this model. If anyone needs it please DM me and let me know. Thanks for looking, Icarus

Promised I'd have more photos of Clostermann's Tempest for tomorrow, but alas, that won't be possible, since I broke my foot while trying to catch a bus. Here are the best three photos I was able to take yesterday: I promise I'll take new ones as soon as I recover.

To properly make Clostermann's Spitfire, I had to sand down the teardrop shaped bulges on the wings and two fairings. I did it with an Xacto, and made several scratches to the surface that had to be filled with CA. Luckily the plastic was thick enough to resist several sanding sessions. The horizontal stabilizers pushed each other out, and had to be pressed so they could stay in their place. The propeller spins, that's a good feature of the kit. I used Eduard decals for the ID codes. The Hasegawa roundels bulged a bit over the raised detail on the wings, and the underwing roundels had to be broken so they could fit in their place.

I found Academy´s Tempest at a good price, and I wanted to know the opinions of other people before I buy it (fit etc...) Also, about the decals. An article on Modeling Madness says they worked perfectly, but the author of the kit´s preview on the same site mentions Academy decals would peel off the model after some time, and comments on other sites say the decals wouldn´t even stick to the model. Is this something that could be solved by soaking them in very hot water and then applying decal softener (I use Vallejo´)? Thank you kindly.

Hello all I haven't attempted any modelling for a long time as I've been a little immobile. Well the boredom is driving me mad, mad I tell you . In the past I have referred to my self psychology 'worry kit' approach. To recap briefly, if the project I'm working on gets too difficult, to refresh my mojo I have a few old kits secreted around the bench. These are normally old Frog, Revell, old raised panel line Airfix, Italeri and the like. It's may seem strange I should call them 'worry kits', but they serve the same purpose as 'worry balls'. Here are some worry balls: Basically one fondles the balls in the hand, until one feels a sense of release from worry . 'Worry kits' are approached in the same manner; One fondles the plastic, may even build a bit, until the worry is gone, mojo returned. After a period away from the bench, the wind, wife, children and little green people have turned it into a horror beyond description. Eek. Oh dear So that's where my 'tens' machine is . Trapped in a forest of clamps 🌳 🌳. . In there are 3 current group build subjects, a 'too late' group build subject, and a rather long term WIP threesome. I decided it would be good to tidy it all up, get everything back in order and recommence. . After half an hour I found myself laying on the floor, sweating and groaning (nothing new there then), calling for Mrs. Tiger. A peppermint tea and shuffle to the bedroom later I realised a rethink was necessary. Time for a worry kit. A little shuffle back to the bench, and I pulled it out. A little green one in a bag. It's a Revell 1962 Hawker Tempest. I have no box, but it has instructions and original decals. I found in the bag a set of decals I placed there long ago, for 'Le Grand Charles', one of the Tempest Mk. V aircraft flown by Pierre Clostermann. I am going to construct this kit whilst in my bed. On the only tea tray we have. It it is quite the most lurid, old and disconcerting tea tray I have ever seen. One of my favourite large local fish and chip trays will also be used to, I hope, prevent the tray from sending us all boz-eyed . All very high-tech and tasteful. Photographs next. Meanwhile I found this on 'Pinterest' with no copyright information. I find it rather inspiring: In the interim, could anyone please impart any information on just how inaccurate this kit may be? I will be doing it OOB (out of the bin), and very likely hand painting with Lifecolor acrylics. For a change, it will have a pilot. Just for fun . Thanks for reading folks Have a nice Sunday TonyT

We need a new one. Eduard is the only game in town, what I know. Painted with Humbrol colors. Pierre Clostermann made the plane famous. It must have been a brutal plane to fly.