I chose this kit for a few different reasons. First of all, Eduard makes some REALLY good kits and I was interested in sampling one of their more recent releases. At 1/48 scale, this is smaller than my normal 1/32 subjects and it SHOULD be a quicker build. And finally, I've always liked the Tempest and this radial engine version has a connection to another favorite aircraft of mine: the Fw 190.
Eduard's Profipack editions come with a few extras including photoetch, canopy masks and sometimes resin. No resin in this particular release but I picked up some to add some detail.
As usual, before I start a build, I like to take a photographic tour of the kit contents. In addition to being a possible interest to readers, it gives me a chance to get familiar with the kit parts. Eduard packs multiple sprues into bags, which allows parts to rub together and cause some damage. My copy had some superficial scratching on the larger parts and a few detached parts. Below are the wing parts for the Tempest II, which was bagged with the fuselage sprue. Unlike some manufacturers, Eduard is not stingy when it comes to molding different variants. So thankfully, there are no problematic inserts for the leading edge intakes and we get a brand new wing for the Tempest II.
Eduard molding is superb. I really wish that they would do some 1/32 scale kits.
The fuselage parts are also Tempest II-specific and reduces the amount of joints that would need to be corrected if they used a modular approach like Special Hobby did on their 1/32 Tempest releases.
The next four sprues were packaged into a single plastic bag and resulted in a number of detached parts. Given that this sprue has many Tempest II-specific parts such as the radial engine and cowling ring, I assume that the prop here is the one that I'll be using.
That radial engine is not much to talk about being a very sparse representation of the cylinders. But given the very tight clearances between the spinner and the NACA cowling, this is probably more than adequate. Similarities to the Fw190A are not coincidental and a captured Focke Wulf was closely examined in conjunction with the Tempest II design.
The exhaust tips are solid, unfortunately. And since they are square in shape, not circular, they would be a royal pain to try and hollow out. That is why I opted to buy the Eduard Brassin replacements.
Two more props on this sprue but I'm guessing these are for the Mark V or VI.
Three loose wheels on this sprue. I am going to use Barracuda block tread resin replacement tires on this build.
The tail fins on the rockets are quite thick. I'm not sure if the underwing rockets are appropriate for the aircraft that I'm modeling but I picked up Eduard Brassin replacements for the rockets just in case.
The final grey sprue holds all of the tiny parts. Even without the addition of aftermarket stuff, you get a very detailed model!
To Be Continued...
