Matchbox Tempest II with enhancements

[TeeELL]

Here is the end result, the cowling is 1mm longer which creates a much more prototypical shape:

whilst the longer and better shaped cowling ring will improve the appearance of the model, the insides are a different matter:

The Matchbox solution (admittedly in the mustard plastic)

 

And this, the new cowling ring fitted to the front of the ‘Centaurus’:

 

Endoscopes at the ready?

[Gondor44]

7 hours ago, TeeELL said:

Steve,

  that is very, very helpful.  The cowling is most assuredly longer than that provided by Matchbox.  I shall scale the photos and do some measuring.  There might be a need to compromise otherwise I may end up designing and printing a complete replacement ‘front end’!

 

As if that would be a bad thing. If you did then making it fit the modern Airfix kit would be the thing to do.

 

Gondor

[TeeELL]

18 minutes ago, Gondor44 said:

 

As if that would be a bad thing. If you did then making it fit the modern Airfix kit would be the thing to do.

 

Gondor

I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen, although it crossed my mind briefly.  I am creating a themed collection of Hawker single seat fighters (Woodcock to Hunter) and once this Tempest II has been built that’ll be it!

[Gondor44]

9 minutes ago, TeeELL said:

I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen, although it crossed my mind briefly.  I am creating a themed collection of Hawker single seat fighters (Woodcock to Hunter) and once this Tempest II has been built that’ll be it!

To be honest I was not expecting you to do that, but if you don't ask etc.....

 

Gondor

[Johnson]

Finally caught up with your build. Fantastic work!

 

Charlie

[TeeELL]

42 minutes ago, Gondor44 said:

To be honest I was not expecting you to do that, but if you don't ask etc.....

 

Gondor

No harm in asking Gondor.  Creating a replacement front end for the Airfix model would be very challenging (for me) as the kit panel lines are quite fine.

[TeeELL]

In an idle moment, actually at about 05.30 this morning, I designed a couple if template/guides.  One for the fixing holes for the ‘floor’, the other for the supports for the seat.  In the photo, the ‘seat’ template is not in the correct position as I’ve yet to remove the moulded seat support.

[TeeELL]

It is getting close to ‘stop mucking about with 3D stuff and build the blessed thing’, of course that means prising open the can of worms which is ‘what colour is the cockpit interior of a Hawker Tempest?  I am inclined to follow the ‘all Hawker aircraft cockpits from the Tempest to the Hunter were painted satin black’ statement I read; shame really as all the bits I’ve made will be even less visible than if they were ‘cockpit grey/green’.

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, TeeELL said:

the can of worms which is ‘what colour is the cockpit interior of a Hawker Tempest?  I am inclined to follow the ‘all Hawker aircraft cockpits from the Tempest to the Hunter were painted satin black’ statement I read; shame really as all the bits I’ve made will be even less visible than if they were ‘cockpit grey/green’.

 

I pondered the same question a little while ago. I didn't find many (any?) useful period photos of the real thing, museum examples are not really to be trusted. Lots of modellers have used grey/green lower cockpit and black upper, seat grey/green. With a bit of dry brushing to bring out the detail on the black, looked OK.

[Graham Boak]

As always, a mix of black and very dark grey tones down the starkness of the pure black. 

[TeeELL]

2 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

As always, a mix of black and very dark grey tones down the starkness of the pure black. 

Of course.  Then again, very little can actually be seen.

[TeeELL]

The razor saw has been used to attack the cowling ring, the 3D replacement fits I just need to do some filing to ensure the join is square.  I have to paint the inside of the cowling ring, that’ll be grey/green as will the first couple of mm of the engine nacelle.  Once the ‘Centaurus is attached to the rear of the cowing I will need to fabricate a ‘back stop’ so that when the gearbox is pressed in the engine doesn’t come adrift.

[TeeELL]

I note that I must remove the best part of 3mm off the tips of each blade - the Tempest II had a much smaller diameter propellor than the VI.

[RidgeRunner]

A joy to watch

[TeeELL]

I cannot access my modelling cubby hole today so I grabbed the Matchbox propellor, scalpel, razor saw, files and wet&dry in order to trim the propellor to the correct length.  I spent 15 mins or so designing a cutting template, which is printing at the moment.  Photos will follow.

[TeeELL]

This is the cutting template I designed and printed for trimming the propellor blades:

 

All the blades have been cut to length and shaped.

 

[TeeELL]

The engine has been attached to the cowling and that, in turn, attached to the engine nacelle.  With that assembled, I was then able to start opening out the opening for the grill:

[klubman01]

2 hours ago, TeeELL said:

This is the cutting template I designed and printed for trimming the propellor blades:

 

All the blades have been cut to length and shaped.

 

A cleverly engineered solution.  Well done.

Trevor

[TeeELL]

This morning I modified the seat fitting template such that the full seat is now attached by 3 sacrificial supports.  The template will allow me to fit the seat in place and then cut the supports and remove it.  I may well be able to post photos a bit later today.

I’ve been looking at various ways of simplifying fitting of the various parts on the off chance that someone out there might want to upgrade their Matchbox Tempest II.

[Galligraphics]

4 hours ago, TeeELL said:

someone out there might want to upgrade their Matchbox Tempest II

🙋‍♂️

[TeeELL]

I have used the ‘seat positioning template’ to set the position and add the styrene ‘tubes’ that support it.

 

This is the template in place:

the extension behind the top of the seat will be cyno’d into the inner fuselage.

 

The template is then taped into position:

 

After that, styrene rods are pushed through, these will provide extra support and ensure the seat remains central.

 

I will cyno the rods into the seat and then trim the port side of the rods, they will not be cemented to the port fuselage (too difficult!).

 

 

[TeeELL]

Since my last update parts have been painted and seat straps applied, the seat component has been fitted and the instrument panel is ready to fix in place.  I did fit the floor pan but had to remove it to see how the instrument panel fitted.

[TeeELL]

Apologies for not adding these to my previous post.

this is the instrument panel in position whilst I check the relative position of the gunsight, in fact it needs to move towards the seat by about a half millimetre:

The YAHU instrument panel certainly provides the incentive for an open canopy.

 

Look in the other direction, the seat component has been fitted and Revell ‘Contacta’ used to secure the styrene rods to the fuselage sides.  Before the sacrificial positioning piece is removed I will spot some cyno behind the grey extension at the top (to the rear of the ‘head armour’.  Once that is done I can remove the sacrificial piece and test fit the the other fuselage half.

 

I’ve used Kitsworld 3D printed straps which are OK.  Ehat isn’t too clear id that there are at least 4 different ‘shades of black’ in the photo!

 

[Beard]

I'm fascinated by the work you're putting into this kit, it makes my putting the parts from another kit inside to shame.

[TeeELL]

1 hour ago, Beard said:

I'm fascinated by the work you're putting into this kit, it makes my putting the parts from another kit inside to shame.

Beard,

  I may have mentioned that it is as much ‘keeping the little grey cells active using Fusion 360’ as much as actually enhancing the kit.  Matchbox did a pretty reasonable job with the Tempest, some of the joints would put many new tool models to shame so it is nearly worth it.  The significant advantage is that having done the design and measuring the parts can be reproduced and other modellers can benefit, if they so choose.

 

I may well take the parts various to SMW.