CMK Tempest Mk.V Resin & 3D Printed Update Sets (For Airfix) 1:72

[Mike]

Tempest Mk.V Resin & 3D Printed Update Sets (For Airfix)

1:72 CMK by Special Hobby

 

 

 

 

Airfix released their Hawker Tempest Mk.V in 1:72 a few years ago, and it’s a great little kit, but as always you can improve on injected styrene with resin, either traditionally cast, or 3D printed for ultimate detail.  CMK have created a host of new sets to allow the modeller to ramp-up the detail to extreme levels, working with parts that are almost drop-in, far from the origins of aftermarket that could sometimes be difficult to fit inside the constraints of the kit parts.  As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear.  The larger engine set is in a cardboard box, with the parts in Ziploc bags, padded out by the folded instruction booklet.

 

 

Engine & Fuselage Tanks (P72008)

This set consists of only eight parts of 3D printed resin, but don’t let that dissuade you.  The engine is protected inside the boxed-in printing base, which can be simply opened with a razor saw or nippers along the lines shown by nicks in the vertical supports.  The detail is phenomenal, especially the engine, which is printed as a single part, minus its exhaust stubs.  The instructions show the upper cowling panels that should be removed in red, reducing the edges to give a more realistic look.  The engine is prepped and painted before it is installed in the nose in front of the cockpit, with the tanks printed integrally along with the bulkheads and ribs, needing just the exhaust stubs slotted into the sides of the massive engine block.  To hang the prop off the front, a drive-shaft is pushed into a hole in the front bulkhead, then the four cowling panels that are printed at a much more scale thickness with stiffening frames on the inner faces, to be left nearby as if the mechanics have just departed for a cuppa.

 

 

 

 

 

Exhausts (P72011)

If you want your Tempest in-flight or parked-up and prepared for take-off, this set includes just the exhaust stubs on a single print-base, which are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once liberated from their base.  The detail is far superior to the kit parts, with weld-seams and hollow lips to the exhausts that add realism to your model quickly and easily.

 

 

 

 

Early Gun Barrels (P72009)

Containing two inserts with a pair of cannon barrels each on a single print base, handed for each wing, these parts are a straight-forward drop-in replacement for the kit parts, depicting the earlier barrel shrouds.

 

 

 

 

Gunsight & Seat Correction Set (P72010)

Consisting of two parts, the seat is printed in incredible detail in orange resin, and the gunsight in clear resin that is loose in the blister pack, so could easily be lost.  Take care when opening the package, as it’s a very small part.

 

 

 

 

Wheels Early & Late (Q72413 & Q72414)

These two sets both provide a pair of wheels with different hubs and tyres.  The early wheels are treadless and have five spoked hubs, while the later set has block treaded tyres and four spoke hubs on different style bases, as they are traditionally cast.  They add a ton of detail and are a drop-in replacement once you have cut them from their casting blocks on the contact patch where the tyre is slightly flattened by the weight of the aircraft.

 

Early (Q72413)

 

 

 

Late (Q72414)

 

 

 

 

 

Tempest Pilot, Dog & Mechanic with Accumulator Trolley (F72402)

To add a little human scale, this figure set includes two humans, a pilot and ground crew member, a dog, and an accumulator trolley that was a must-have to start your Tempest in a dispersal location.  The figures are all 3D printed in one part each, while the accumulator is protected inside a box-like print base, which is easy to cut where there are pre-made weakening points on the vertical supports.  The trolley and A-frame are printed as one, needing just the wheels fitting to the axles at the sides, but bear in mind that the towing eye is incredibly delicate due to its scale size, so take care handling it.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

You can pick and choose which of these sets that you are interested in for your model, or you can push the boat out and fit them all, although you’ll have to decide of which wheels you want to use.  The detail is excellent, especially the engine, which will blow the socks off your viewers once the model is complete.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of