airfix A02110 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V tooling

1:72Item Scale

68Parts Included

2Skill Level

2Scheme Options

A brute of a machine, the Hawker Tempest was the fastest piston engined aircraft in the skies when it first entered service and was the interceptor replacement for the Hurricane 
Modelling tribute to an exceptional aeroplane, the Tempest may have traversed the period between the finest piston engined designs and the world’s first jet fighters, but its lineage to the famous Hawker Hurricane makes it fascinating for the world’s modelling community, in addition to the fact that it’s just such a great looking aircraft.
A beast of an aeroplane, the Hawker Tempest really did require some taming, which is why its service introduction was handled by units and pilots which had previously flown the Typhoon operationally.
In operation, Tempest pilots described their impressive new aircraft as a more sophisticated evolution of the Typhoon, with all the previous aircraft’s problems ironed out. Whilst this beast still needed some careful handling, it was a huge improvement in performance terms, with some pilots even going so far as to describe it as comparing a cart horse with a thoroughbred race horse – it seems as if Hawker’s finally had their ‘Super Hurricane’.
Although the Tempest was undoubtedly one of the finest piston powered aircraft to ever see Royal Air Force service, its introduction towards the end of the war, combined with Allied air superiority at that time meant that the opportunity for Tempest pilots to post large combat victory scores was significantly reduced, something which has possibly consigned the aircraft to relative obscurity when compared to other more famous types. Despite this, the Hawker Tempest unquestionably represents the pinnacle of piston engined fighter design during WWII and if for this reason alone, its inclusion in the Airfix range as a detailed scale model kit is big news for the modeller.
Nemesis of the Luftwaffe. Even though the Hawker Tempest only had a relatively short period of time in combat with the Luftwaffe at the end of WWII, it earned a reputation as being a fearsome adversary and one to be avoided if at all possible.

NEW ART BOX

NEW FULL BOX

A final Workbench exclusive for this week, as we bring you a look at the full box artwork presentation produced in support of this second release from our 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V tooling. 

Scheme A – Hawker Tempest Mk.V SN228 XC/D, Aircraft flown by Squadron Leader H ‘Poppa’ Ambrose DFC, Commanding Officer of No.26 Squadron, Royal Air Force Gatow, Germany 1946.

Scheme B – Hawker Tempest Mk.V EJ865 W2/Y, No.80 Squadron, Royal Air Force Wunstorf (formerly Advanced Landing Ground B-11), Germany 1946.