1/72 Hawker Tempest Mk. V by Airfix - release Autumn 2021

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, Wez said:

Depends, check the serial number of your chosen subject against Paul's post below:

 

Thanks @Wez.

 

Mine arrived today. I think the Airfix decals look fine and an OOB JN766 SA-N would be fun. The mod for the wing root bulge would be easy enough, but not the smaller hub for the 5 spoke wheel .

 

On the subject of spinners...

 

1 hour ago, Wez said:

Most of those, but not all that I can make out as having the longer spinner have been SN serialled aircraft

 

Looking at my ancient (Scale Models Feb 1973) A.L. Bentley plans, the Rotol spinner doesn't measure any longer than the DH one, Rotol not quite as pointy and different (straight) openings for the prop. But the spinner for the Mk VI is longer on the plans.

 

And, all this spinner discussion reminded me of a passage in Clostermann's 'The Big Show';

 

'On 30 March, six days later, I came back to Volkel in time to go Warmwell in the duty Anson to choose a beautiful brand-new Tempest with the new Rotol airscrew.'

 

Possibly SN222 that Chris Thomas refers to in his piece on 'JF-E'?

 

Sorry, this is a bit of a digression, and has little to do with the new Airfix Tempest though I will add that the two spinners in the kit both have straight openings for the prop and the DH one may need a bit of modification?

 

 

 

[Wez]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

but not the smaller hub for the 5 spoke wheel

 

They're included in the kit aren't they?

 

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

Looking at my ancient (Scale Models Feb 1973) A.L. Bentley plans, the Rotol spinner doesn't measure any longer than the DH one, Rotol not quite as pointy and different (straight) openings for the prop. But the spinner for the Mk VI is longer on the plans.

 

Franks quotes the Mk.VI style spinner as being 2 1/2 inches longer, you can definitely see a difference between a DH spinner (shorter, blunter), than the rounder and longer looking Rotol effort.

[Paul J]

I have just finished scanning certain items from all my old SAMI Magazines and came across Vol 8 No12 December 2002 with some very nice looking 1/72 scale drawings by Richard Caruana. I have no idea if they are accurate but do look very good.  So if anyone out there still has this copy fish it out for your new Airfix kit it also contains some side view profiles with tempting schemes. I know I will keep it handy for when I might get the kit. 

 

Meanwhile the rest of all my SAMI mags are looking for a home. 

[Johnson]

47 minutes ago, Wez said:

They're included in the kit aren't they?

 

They are 👍.

[Rabbit Leader]

12 minutes ago, Johnson said:

 

They are 👍.

Yes, five spoke wheels are included although the inner hubs appear way too large. I’m sure some modellers will be happy to use them, however a set of Typhoon wheels look to be a better option to me. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[Johnson]

3 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Yes, five spoke wheels are included although the inner hubs appear way too large. I’m sure some modellers will be happy to use them, however a set of Typhoon wheels look to be a better option to me.

 

I wondered about this too Dave.

 

The 5 spoke hub in the new kit is certainly smaller than the 4, whether it's small enough I don't know.

 

Would be nice to have some actual sizes of the real things. Can't be too hard - anyone live near the RAF Museum?

[John Thompson]

Are these better? Early wheels/tires, Brengun BRL72260:

 

John

[keithjs]

Barracuda do some nice ones too. Along with some 4 spoked ones.  https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/BCR72136?result-token=uacxO

[352nd Fighter Group]

I just got my new Tempest V wheels from Reskit 

[ththtttu7]

Mine arrived today. Its a lovely looking kit. Nicely moulded and the shape is as meant to be. Well done Airfix.

I'll be building this one next.

 

The 5-spoke wheel hub diameter being slightly too big is unfortunate, but I'm sure I've got some Typhoon wheels lurking in the spares box.

 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

per above how are the trailing edges, I agree with the original postee above they look jolly think on the built up model on the website but it may be an optical illusion!

 

TT

[Wez]

18 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Yes, five spoke wheels are included although the inner hubs appear way too large. I’m sure some modellers will be happy to use them, however a set of Typhoon wheels look to be a better option to me. 
Cheers.. Dave 

 

Appear or are actually too large?  We know the 5 spoke hubs are smaller than the 4 spoke hubs but are we expecting the difference to be more pronounced than it is in reality?

 

18 hours ago, Johnson said:

 

I wondered about this too Dave.

 

The 5 spoke hub in the new kit is certainly smaller than the 4, whether it's small enough I don't know.

 

Would be nice to have some actual sizes of the real things. Can't be too hard - anyone live near the RAF Museum?

 

Failing that, measure up the Airfix wheel hubs and compare them to a trustworthy, accurate and properly scaled set of plans.

 

2 hours ago, David A Collins said:

Mine arrived today. Its a lovely looking kit. Nicely moulded and the shape is as meant to be. Well done Airfix.

I'll be building this one next.

 

The 5-spoke wheel hub diameter being slightly too big is unfortunate, but I'm sure I've got some Typhoon wheels lurking in the spares box.

 

 

I agree, it's a lovely kit.

 

Until somebody actually verifies the Tempest 5-spoke hubs are too big, your Typhoon wheels are safe.

[ththtttu7]

1 hour ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

per above how are the trailing edges, I agree with the original postee above they look jolly think on the built up model on the website but it may be an optical illusion!

 

TT

 

Well Ben, with the upper/lower wing halves pressed together I measure 1mm thick at the trailing edge with my Vernier. For the plastic used, this is probably at the limit of moulding feasibility = 0.5mm for each half of the wing, before you would risk sink marks or short mouldings.

Edited March 10, 2022 by David A Collins

[Johnson]

The B

7 hours ago, keithjs said:

Barracuda do some nice ones too. Along with some 4 spoked ones.  https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/BCR72136?result-token=uacxO

They look very nice and come with a very convincing description. The Barracuda 5 spoke hub does look a tad smaller than the Airfix 5 spoke. Which is smaller that the kit 4 spoke - but whether enough is a matter of personal choice.

 

And it really is a lovely looking kit!

[TEXANTOMCAT]

2 hours ago, David A Collins said:

 

Well Ben, with the upper/lower wing halves pressed together I measure 1mm thick at the trailing edge with my Vernier. For the plastic used, this is probably at the limit of moulding feasibility = 0.5mm for each half of the wing, before you would risk sink marks or short mouldings.

Cheers David 👍

 

TT

[John Thompson]

3 hours ago, David A Collins said:

 

Well Ben, with the upper/lower wing halves pressed together I measure 1mm thick at the trailing edge with my Vernier. For the plastic used, this is probably at the limit of moulding feasibility = 0.5mm for each half of the wing, before you would risk sink marks or short mouldings.

One millimetre seems excessive in this day and age. The decades-old Heller Tempest, using the same upper-lower wing split design, had razor-sharp trailing edges, and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples. If (and it's a big if) the design of the kit was limited by the styrene formulation they expected to use, then they should either have planned on a different formulation or else designed the trailing edges/ailerons/flaps to be one piece with the upper wing surfaces, as I believe has already been suggested. Thin trailing edges is a hot-button issue to me; Dremelling and sanding away that much plastic to get them seems like a waste of time when the Heller kit, raised panel lines or not, is so much better. No sale. 

 

John

[Rabbit Leader]

10 hours ago, Wez said:

Appear or are actually too large?

Without having the parts in my hands it ‘appears’ that the kit hubs for both four and five spoke wheels are the same diameter. If someone who has the kit can measure these, we will then be able to confirm this. The AM wheel links posted above do look like much better options than the kit parts provided. 

[ththtttu7]

3 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Without having the parts in my hands it ‘appears’ that the kit hubs for both four and five spoke wheels are the same diameter. If someone who has the kit can measure these, we will then be able to confirm this. The AM wheel links posted above do look like much better options than the kit parts provided. 

 

Both the 4 and 5 spoke wheel hubs in the kit measure 6mm in diameter. I don't know what diameter they should be in 1/72 scale, but looking at photos the 5 spoke hub always look smaller in diameter.

[Wez]

8 minutes ago, David A Collins said:

 

Both the 4 and 5 spoke wheel hubs in the kit measure 6mm in diameter. I don't know what diameter they should be in 1/72 scale, but looking at photos the 5 spoke hub always look smaller in diameter.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look into this, I'll dig out some plans to see which are the errant wheels.

[Mr T]

I always thought, and I am sure I have read somewhere, that the early Tempests were fitted with Typhoon wheels, which had a smaller five spoke hub. This was pointed out to Airfix when the CADs appeared, but to no avail. I have the KP MkVI which has better looking five spoke wheels and so may be donated to the Airfix kit when mine shows up. 

[Wez]

46 minutes ago, Mr T said:

I always thought, and I am sure I have read somewhere, that the early Tempests were fitted with Typhoon wheels, which had a smaller five spoke hub.

 

You're correct, they did, my point was whether the five spoke wheels in the kit are actually wrong or is it our perception that the real wheels were much smaller.  Now I want to know whether it's the five spoke wheels that are wrong or the four spoke, thanks to David @David A Collins, who has taken the time to measure the Airfix hubs I now have something to compare to on the plans I have.

[ththtttu7]

Just for reference, this composite image shows the two different wheels that were fitted to the RAF Museum Typhoon.

 

The LH image shows the incorrect (for type) later Tempest/Sea Fury/Sea Hornet wheel hub and tyre.

 

The RH image shows a correct wheel hub and tyre for a Typhoon and early Tempest.

 

I thought it would be useful to see these two types in context as it shows the Typhoon tyre (RH image) does look larger in diameter, with a 5 spoke smaller hub diameter.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by David A Collins

[Johnson]

Some more measurements, all with a micrometer;

 

New Airfix 1/72 Tempest V:

4 spoke hub - 6.55mm

5 spoke        - 5.60mm

 

Airfix 1/72 Typhoon;

5 spoke        - 5.10mm

 

A.L.Bentley's 1/72 Tempest V plans from the original 1973 printing in Scale Models. Drawing is the rear view of the wheel/hub, i.e. no spokes showing;

Hub (rear)    - 5.20mm

 

 

1/72 Typhoon plans drawn by G.R.Duval in Typhoon and Tempest at War (Reed and Beamont, Ian Allan 1974).

5 spoke        - 5.13mm

 

Lacking the real hubs to measure (few of these here in Somerset) I measured the hubs in the 1/48 Eduard Tempest V kit;

4 spoke hub - 9.22mm    (6.20mm @ 1/72).

5 spoke        - 7.45mm    (5.00mm @ 1/72).

 

The Airfix 5 spoke Tempest hub is slightly smaller than the 4 spoke but possibly not quite small enough. I'd be very interested to know what the Barracuda 5 spoke hub measures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Meatbox8]

Hmmm.  Made a start on mine tonight and have had to spend a lot of time sanding the upper and lower wing.  The fit is not great.  The problem seems to be the wheel well walls which prevent the wings from closing up cleanly.  As I build WW2 fighters with the wheels up (a habit from my childhood) I would have left them out but they are integral with the radiator structure. I've been sanding the trailing edges quite a bit too in an attempt to reduce their thickness, without much luck so far.

[352nd Fighter Group]

Meatbox8 if your saying the Wing join is bad I will pass on the Airfix Tempest V I might go for the KP kit