Matchbox Tempest II with enhancements

[Beard]

I certainly think your cowling is better than the KP one I'm planning on adapting to use on my Matchbox Tempest.

I've got some of your bit'n'bobs for the Airfix Javelin, which I'll get round to using one day.

[TeeELL]

The internal details for the cockpit have been attached and this is how they look:

 

 

With the fuselage halves joined:

 

The gunsight will be attached after the paintwork has been completed.

[TeeELL]

With the fuselage buttoned up, I thought I’d test fit the maiplanes:

 

The wings need a fair amount of work before they get attached to the main body.  The Ident and landing lamp covers need drilling out, the nav lights, pitot tube and, of course the U/C mechanisms.

[Johnson]

That's looking very good. Excellent cockpit and the 3D printed additions you've created really add to what is good basic kit (not my opinion, Richard Franks in his book 'The Hawker Tempest' rates the old Matchbox kit very highly).

[TeeELL]

8 hours ago, Johnson said:

That's looking very good. Excellent cockpit and the 3D printed additions you've created really add to what is good basic kit (not my opinion, Richard Franks in his book 'The Hawker Tempest' rates the old Matchbox kit very highly).

Thanks Johnson, greatly appreciated.

 

To prevent damage to the ‘gunsight’ when the cockpit requires masking for painting, I’ve designed the sight to fit afterwards.  In the photo an unpainted sight is positioned in the cockpit and a sight on its 3D printed supports is to the left.  I will paint one to show the end result later this morning.

 

 

The gunsight has an extended tongue which slides into the cut out at the top of the instrument panel, 4 support legs hold it at the correct standoff.

 

having faffed about with trying to fit a gunsight with a short tongue into the instrument panel, I realised the longer tongue would make life a whole lot easier - and it does.

[TeeELL]

The painted gunsight has been temporarily fitted as has the cloudy sliding canopy (this is a test cut to check the fit).

 

I am hoping I can find the buck I made as it will be easier to make the cuts whilst the canopy is fitted to it.

[Johnson]

23 hours ago, Beard said:

your cowling is better than the KP one

 It is. The KP cowling needs a bit of reshaping.

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235145408-hawker-tempest-ii/&do=findComment&comment=5069558

 

6 hours ago, TeeELL said:

The gunsight

Looks like you have the gunsight used on the Tempest V and early Mk.IIs, not wrong at all, but according to the Bentley plans later Tempest IIs were fitted with the gyro sight (bottom right below) which you might wish to add if modelling a late Mk.II.

 

 

[TeeELL]

My build is a Tempest II with the early gunsight! 😉

[TeeELL]

I’ve used several coats of Halfords Plastic primer (for those of you unfamiliar - Halfords is a chain of vehicle parts and accessories outlets).  I’ve started rubbing down back to the plastic.

 

I am on the final part - the fuselage, so I hope to have that done in a short while.  After that, I need to start work on detailing the wings.

[woody37]

Love this type of modelling, beating an old kit into a 21st century shape! Looking forwards to seeing more

 

[Andrew]

On 10/29/2024 at 3:25 AM, TeeELL said:

After that, I need to start work on detailing the wings.

 

@TeeELL, to that end, would it be difficult to print the cannon bulges? If and when I get 'round to building my Matchbox Tempest, I will sand the kit so severely that panel lines will fear application of primer, but to do so implies complete removal of those cannon bulges. I don't like my chances of accurately replicating the tear-drop shape accurately four times, so am curious as to whether you might add the bulges to your kit enhancement set?

[TeeELL]

4 hours ago, Andrew said:

 

@TeeELL, to that end, would it be difficult to print the cannon bulges? If and when I get 'round to building my Matchbox Tempest, I will sand the kit so severely that panel lines will fear application of primer, but to do so implies complete removal of those cannon bulges. I don't like my chances of accurately replicating the tear-drop shape accurately four times, so am curious as to whether you might add the bulges to your kit enhancement set?

Hi Andrew,

  I’ve not planned to undertake such a severe attack - but I can certainly look at the possibility.  If the bulges are symmetrical in form, then creating them would be straight forward - not sure about the print supports though.  I’ll take a look later, make a few measurements.

if the bulges don’t match width to height, then I cannot create them or, more accurately, the time taken to do so would be extensive and not cost effective.

why not cut out the bulge sections of the wings and reinstall them after the sanding?  Alternatively, use a fibreglass pen to work around the bulges.

[TeeELL]

I realise that I’ve not posted any updates for a couple of days, I’ve been busy with ‘other stuff’!  Anyway, yesterday I drilled out the light features on the undersurface of the wings - the landing light and the 2-colour ident lights.  I wanted a ridge within the recesses so that I had something the acetate covers could sit against.  The holes were drilled with a 3mm bit and I then quickly designed 3D parts to fit, giving me the necessary ridge.  One unit is the single landing lamp the other (left side of photo) has the 2 ident lights.

I the photo, you might be able to make out the 2 depressions of the ‘reflectors’ of the ID lights (green in front of red).  The covers will be punched out of some clear plastic.

 

[TeeELL]

8 hours ago, Andrew said:

 

@TeeELL, to that end, would it be difficult to print the cannon bulges? If and when I get 'round to building my Matchbox Tempest, I will sand the kit so severely that panel lines will fear application of primer, but to do so implies complete removal of those cannon bulges. I don't like my chances of accurately replicating the tear-drop shape accurately four times, so am curious as to whether you might add the bulges to your kit enhancement set?

Andrew,

  I’ve had a go at creating the ‘bulges’, they sort of work but the tail ends are too rounded.  I’ll try a different technique when I am feeling a bit brighter.  Had to have a broken molar extracted yesterday so my jaw and side of my face very sore, so I’m not feeling 100%.

 

i’ve been doing some additional design/redesign on some small parts:

What you can see are slimmer ‘landing lights’ front right, slimmer ID lights with larger ‘reflectors’ front left, boarding stirrup steps, main U/C door actuators and right at the back the fuselage ID light (the rectangular piece is sacrificial and serves to hold it at the correct depth in the fuselage).

[TeeELL]

I decided that I wasn’t happy with the ammo chutes that I had opened up.  I have filled them and will make my own transfers to represent them.

[Robin-42]

5 hours ago, TeeELL said:

I decided that I wasn’t happy with the ammo chutes that I had opened up.  I have filled them and will make my own transfers to represent them.

Ammo chutes are a pain to open up neatly in any scale. In my “If I were to do it over again file” I would 3D print the entire panel and drop it in.

[TeeELL]

1 minute ago, Robin-42 said:

Ammo chutes are a pain to open up neatly in any scale. In my “If I were to do it over again file” I would 3D print the entire panel and drop it in.

Mmmmmm, now there’s a thought!

[TeeELL]

@Robin-42 you have really got me thinking.  A 3D printed replacement panel is a great idea and I shall get onto it first thing Monday.

[Andrew]

Hope you're feeling better, @TeeELL, and the pain has disappeared. It's great to see all your progress and your attention to detail. I like the idea of representing the chutes via a complete panel replacement. Keep up the great work.

[TeeELL]

18 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Hope you're feeling better, @TeeELL, and the pain has disappeared. It's great to see all your progress and your attention to detail. I like the idea of representing the chutes via a complete panel replacement. Keep up the great work.

Thanks Andrew.  The painkillers are working and the pain is dissipating so I’m not having to ‘top up’ as often.  Bruising and swelling subsiding.  Whether I’ll ever loose the footprints of my dentist from the side of my head, I don’t know!

I was hoping I’d have this finished for Scale Model World, but it isn’t going to happen.

[Andrew]

Yikes, that extraction sounds 'involved'... glad that you're on the mend. Pity about missing SMW, but the enhancements you've already made and will continue to make are turning this classic into a very fine model.

[perdu]

Will you actually MISS Telford Tony?

 

I hope you will be around, I'd love a chat although my Canberras wont be there on Brum's table I will be there all through.

 

I commiserate with you about teeth, there must be design compromise there.

 

 

Bill

[TeeELL]

I will be at SMW, it is the Tempest that won’t!   
 

I am a member of Swindon IPMS club (green polo shirts/yellow insignia plus names ie mine= TONY).  I will also have a badge with ‘TeeELL’ on it.  I will be there all Saturday and most of Sunday (leaving around 2PM).

 

[Gondor44]

6 hours ago, TeeELL said:

I will be at SMW, it is the Tempest that won’t!   
 

I am a member of Swindon IPMS club (green polo shirts/yellow insignia plus names ie mine= TONY).  I will also have a badge with ‘TeeELL’ on it.  I will be there all Saturday and most of Sunday (leaving around 2PM).

 

I for one will try to keep an eye out for you. I myself will be making only my third trip to Telford. My base of operations will be the What-If SIG stand although I do wander around from time to time.

 

Gondor

[TeeELL]

3 hours ago, Gondor44 said:

I for one will try to keep an eye out for you. I myself will be making only my third trip to Telford. My base of operations will be the What-If SIG stand although I do wander around from time to time.

 

Gondor

You’ll be on 1G then?