1/7Matchbox Hawker Tempest Mk. VI 

by Rick Reinbott

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This is my Matchbox 1/72 Hawker Tempest Mk. VI.

 

Construction  

 

The kit went together very well with some scratchbuilding done to enhance the nice detail of the model.  The seat harness was made from lead foil, which was painted using Model Master Leather and a silver pencil for the buckles.  The cannon stubs were drilled out using my mini-drill and the antennas for the fuselage topside and underside were made from different diameters of brass rod.  Since the kit did not come with an instrument panel, I made one from plastic sheet, painted it black and etched out some dials using a scribing tool.  

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Painting 

 

Model Master Paints were used for the exterior colors of Sky, Ocean Gray and Medium Sea Gray.  Primer was sprayed on the model first followed by spraying on the sky fuselage band and the medium sea gray underside.  The band and underside was then masked off and the topside was sprayed ocean gray overall followed by some fading using ocean gray mixed with flat white.  The drawings from the Ducimus Camouflage & Markings book were expanded to 1/72 scale using my home copier and the outlines for the dark green color were then cut out and laid over drafting tape.  I then drew the outline on the drafting tape, cut the piece, and used thread to run along the edge of the outline under the tape so that the edge would be lifted slightly off the edge of the model to provide a softer edge when spraying on the dark green.  After masking, the dark green was sprayed on followed again by some light shading of that color mixed with flat white.    

 

The cockpit was painted flat black overall as was the area on the upper fuselage immediately behind the cockpit followed by some drybrushing using Humbrol Panzer Gray.  The landing gear, wells and the insides of the strut covers and gear well doors were painted aluminum.   

 

Weathering & Decaling

 

I applied an oil wash of Ivory Black to the landing gear, inside of wheel well covers and the well areas.  The exhaust stacks were painted flat black, drybrushed with panzer gray and followed up with a drybrushing of rust.  Panzer gray was also used for exhaust staining.    

 

I used the kit decals which worked out okay, although some so-called "silvering" occurred due in part just to the age of the decals.  The model represents a machine from No. 6 Squadron, Royal Air Force, which served in Nicosia Cyprus and Aden, on the Red Sea , in the post-war period of the late 1940s. 

 

Happy Modeling!

 

Rick 

References:

  • Camouflage & Markings: Hawker Tornado, Typhoon & Tempest RAF Northern Europe 1936 - 1945, R.C. Jones. R.L. Ward, Ducimus Books Limited

  • The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Bill Gunston, Salamandar Books Ltd. 1988

  • The Typhoon and the Tempest story, Chris Thomas, Arms & Armour, 1988

  • Typhoon/Tempest in action, Jerry Scutts, Squadron/Signal Publications 1990

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Photos and text © by Rick Reinbott