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Eduad New Tool Tempest Observations/questions


Nachtwulf

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I am lucky enough to have a friend who purchased the New Eduard Tempest kit for me for Christmas. Several years of whining to him about the absence of a good 1/48 Tempest probably factor in to his generosity I'm sure.......

Any way here are a couple of things I have noticed about the kit.

It seems that it would be easier to make a Mk. V series II form this kit than a Series I and here is why I am saying this:

 

1. you have to glue the photo etch fish plates around the rear fuselage. ( I am not looking forward to this one though I am sure others could do it easily)

2. you will also have to scratch build the small bump on the wing fillet that apparently all series I aircraft had.

3. the bottom of the wing has provisions for the rockets and bomb/fuel tanks already  though my limited research would indicate that series I aircraft were not

fitted out with any of these.

4. The leading edge of the inner port wing has the riveting for the fuel tank installed later in the production run, I presume that means series II aircraft.

Please do not take these observations for complaint. I am thrilled to have a really nice kit of the Tempest finally!!

 

So here are a couple of questions for those who know much more than me. ( that means nearly every one on this site I'm sure )

 

Is there such a beast as a Series I Tempest without the fish plates and wing fillet bumps?

What are the two small holes for on underneath of the wingtips at each end? I have seen at least one photo that confirms their existence, but I have no clue what they are for.

 

Anyway that's all I have for now, afterall I have only glued the wheel wells together so far. They do look nice, all 26+ parts.

 

 

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8 hours ago, Nachtwulf said:

Is there such a beast as a Series I Tempest without the fish plates and wing fillet bumps?

yes, it seems so.

Quote

As for Series 1 differences, I have copied below some notes on my findings, which appeared in Britmodeller elsewhere but are applied with further information.  Hope they help.

 

Cracking work so far.  Personally I'm sitting it out until the revised Tempest V (revised) finally arrives!

 

Tempest V Series 1 and 2

 

First let me say that difference between Series 1 and Series 2 Tempests is not entirely clear to me. The terms seem only to appear in Hawker records; I have yet to find an RAF record that mentions them, let alone defines them. Records of individual airframe status no longer survive so photographs (frustratingly few) provide the most reliable record, supplemented by official correspondence which states intent rather than the actual event.

 

By definition ‘Series 1’ Tempest Vs were the first production aircraft and somewhere in the the first batch (100 aircraft JN729-773, JN792-822, JN854-877) the Series 2 appeared (or after the first 100 some would have us believe). There were a number of changes in this period and I feel that the difference between Series 1 and Series 2 would have been defined by more than the replacement of long-barrelled cannon with the shorter variant (as usually cited). 

 

The first 50 Tempest Vs (presumably JN729 to JN773 and JN792-796) were built using the centre-sections from a cancelled Typhoon contract. This is the box-like structure, made from steel tubes, that sits between the wings. The Typhoon centre-section was very similar to the Tempest version but because of the latter’s slimmer wings, the wing root fairing would not quite fit over the Typhoon version. This resulted in a small blister over the offending structure which is evident in photos, often with much of the paint rubbed off by fitters’ feet. One can be clearly seen in the photo of JF-L or J (which may be JN768).

 

I rather suspected that this feature might have been associated with the ‘fishplates’ discussed in the above posts. However I was a bit surprised that when I examined relevant photos closely and the fishplates were evident well beyond the first 50 Tempests, almost to the end of the JN-series. Latest airframe identified so far is JN862 (85th).  First confirmed without the plates is JN875 (98th).

 

The longer-barrelled cannon (Hispano Mk II) was replaced much earlier than sometimes claimed – some sources indicate all the JN series were Series 1 with the long cannon.  The latest airframe I’ve been able to identify with the protruding cannon is JN767 (39th). There is a photo of JN801 (55th) in full stripes at Newchurch in late June/early July 1944, which is the earliest found with the short-barrelled Hispano Mk V. Some sources state that the shorter cannon was retrofitted to some of the earlier airframes but I have not found any evidence to support this.  

 

The main wheels certainly had Typhoon hubs to start with - 5-spoke they had special thinner tyres, necessary due the limited depth of the wheel bay in the Tempest's slim wing. The hubs were changed during the JN series for a new 4-spoke design which remained for the rest of Tempest production; they were fitted with new smaller tyres.  JN818 photographed at Langley just before delivery in mid-May 1944 had the 5-spoke, but JN875 at Newchurch in early July 1944 had 4-spoke.  I guess they would have been easy to retrofit, but no evidence of that.


The 5-spoke were fitted with Dunlop "EX, HVY, code 1.EE.17" 11.25-12 tyres.

The 4-spoke were fitted with Dunlop "FE11" 30 x 9.00-15 tyres.

 

 

There was a change of prop and spinner, from De Havilland to Rotol, but that was late in the Mk.V production run, so out of the reckoning in the Series 1/Series 2 issue.

 

The exhaust fairing visible in your second photo above was only present on the earliest production aircraft. The four Tempests delivered to 486 Sqn in February 1944 (and later reallocated to 3 Sqn) had them but they are the last that appear in any photos. Presumably they were withdrawn from use in the spring of 1944, as they were on Typhoons, due to cooling issues.

 

Finally we have a set of internal changes that cannot be determined from photos, namely the fittings required for the carriage of long-range tanks, bombs or RP (unless the aircraft in question is actually carrying one of these devices). Also in this category is the equipment with spring-tab ailerons.  

 

However, it is known from Air Staff correspondence that LR tank capability was expected from the 51st production aircraft (JN797) with bomb carriage fittings from the 151staircraft and RP fittings from the 351st, i.e. bombs and RP were not available until the 51stand 251st EJ-serialled Tempest Vs entered service. This was no handicap as bombs were not used until April 1945 and RP not until the last quarter of 1945. There was no possibility of the LRT (and possibly the bomb/RP) mods being retrofitted owing to the limited access in the Tempest’s thin wing.

 

The arrival of the much-vaunted spring tab ailerons remains obscure (to me any way).

 

So exactly which of these features heralded the change from Series 1 to Series 2 I don’t know for certain but the ‘pukka’ Tempest centre section, the short cannon and LRT capability all seem to arrive after the 50thaircraft which might well be changeover point?

 

 

 

also worth a read

HTH

 

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