1:48 Hawker Tempest

Hawker's last piston fighter

The Hawker Tempest grew out of the Typhoon but received an entirely new wing with a thin laminar-flow section, which removed its predecessor's troubles at high speeds. With the Napier Sabre engine it was the fastest Allied fighter near the ground, and its sharp climb and stable gun platform made it a feared opponent.

Its best-known chapter is the summer months of 1944, when squadrons equipped with Tempests intercepted V-1 flying bombs over southern England. They claimed over 600 of them, that is more than any other type. At the close of the war their pilots also met jet Me 262s, which they tried to catch on the landing approach, where the German machine lost its speed advantage. After the war the Tempests flew for several more years with the occupation forces in Germany and in India before jet types replaced them.

The Mk V version had a sliding teardrop canopy with a prominent front frame and pane whose outlines cannot be judged by eye on a model. The parts included trace the shape of the frame exactly and hold it even in the small curves, where tape would form folds. The inner side can be sprayed first in the cockpit shade and, once the parts are glued, the outer masking can follow.

• Subject: a British fighter from the end of the Second World War.
• Machines of the type made their name hunting V-1 flying bombs in 1944.
• The set matches the kit by the brand Eduard.
• It covers the glazing from outside and inside.
• The package deals with masking and the model is obtained separately.
• Suited to modelers who spray the interior separately as well.