1:48 Tempest Mk.II Engine (Centaurus) for SH and Eduard kits

What the set solves

In a basic kit the engine is usually suggested only enough that nothing is lost behind closed cowlings. As soon as you want to open the cowlings and show what is underneath, the simplification is obvious at once. This set in 1:48 scale offers the Centaurus engine for the Hawker Tempest Mk.II and is listed for the Special Hobby and Eduard kits.

The real subject

The Hawker Tempest Mk.II differed from the older Tempest versions precisely in its powerplant: it carried an air-cooled Centaurus radial engine, so it has a short, full nose with no radiator under the fuselage. The shape of the cylinder star, the accessories and the exhausts are among the things anyone notices on an opened model, which is why the engine on this type is worth doing properly.

How to work with the parts

Decide right at the start whether the cowlings will be open. The engine is seated before the nose is closed up, and getting it into a finished model afterwards is difficult. The parts are not polystyrene, so cement for plastic models has no effect on them and they are bonded with cyanoacrylate. Cut the excess material away with a sharp blade a little way from the part, sand the remainder off, then wash and degrease the parts. The assembly is easier to paint in groups before it is joined together, because the inner surfaces cannot be reached later. The order of assembly and the fit into the fuselage are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who the set is for

For builders who want to build the model with an open nose or add a workshop scene to it. The kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.