discussion Pete's Humbrol Tempest

[stillp]

Well, I gave up plastic modelling about a year ago when my tremor worsened, and tried a few of those laser-cut plywood kits you see in garden centres (although they're cheaper online), but I don't find them very satisfying to build. So, having finished my 'Garden Room', I looked around my stash to find the next victim and this was the nearest, doesn't look too complicated (famous last words) and it was cheap at £6. I think I bought it from a trader at the Midland Aircraft Museum a few years ago. I'm not familiar with Humbrol as a kit manufacturer, but I assume this is a repackaged Airfix kit. Edit: I'd just typed that then realised I could check Scalemates, and I now know it was originally a Truscale kit that's been repacked by just about everybody!
Don't hold your breath, this could take some time!
Pete

 

[Steven000]

Good to see you back into plastic modeling Pete, looks like a nice kit, have fun

 

[flyjoe180]

Looks retro Pete, I look forward to seeing this build up.

 

[stillp]

There's some lovely detail in this kit:

I've managed to get a little
bit done;

I started to spray the cockpit parts with Hataka red line interior grey-green but I couldn't get it to spray well so ended up brushing it. Shame it won't spray well as it's the best RAF cockpit colour I have. I'm finishing this as Pierre Klosterman's aircraft and there seems to be soem dispute about whether his cockpit was grey-green or black or both, but this one is staying as is.
The fuselage halves fitted together perfectly... until I fitted the floor and the IP. I removed the floor after taking that 2nd photo and trimmed it down a bit as well as sanding the sides of the IP. It's all gone together a bit better now. While the glue was drying I sprayed some Tamiya yellow on the prop tips.
Pete

 

[papa 695]

A nice ( even if a little troublesome ) start Pete.

 

[stillp]

I ignored the instruction to keep the prop turning freely - I'll just glue it when nearer completion.
Pete

 

[Jim R]

I've never heard of Truescale before. The box looks old school. The kit itself looks fine and you're off to a good start.
Nice to see you back cutting plastic.

 

[yak face]

Great start pete and good to see you building again. The cockpit floor being too wide is annoying ( this happens a fair bit too ) , dont the makers do a test fit before releasing the kit for production ? In this case obviously not .

 

[Geoffers]

Good start Pete

I always assumed Humbrol was just reboxed Airfix plastic. Looks to have some nice detail in any case.


Geoff.

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Great start Peter but at 1/72 scale you have taken on a challenge.

 

[stillp]

Well, the wing fit is a bit disappointing:

I need to get some fresh filler as my tube of Perfect Plastic Putty has gone solid. I've got Humbrol filler but that takes a lot of sanding and this is an awkward place to sand, whereas PPP can be smoothed with a wet cotton bud.
The panel lines and other details are raised so most won't survive the sanding of the seams, but I think panel lines are over-rated in this scale anyway.

Pete

 

[flyjoe180]

That wing fit isn't great, but the build is looking good otherwise Pete. Suggest putting some plastic card in there before you fill.

 

[stillp]

Good idea Joe, thanks.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Well, I couldn't get any plasticard to fit in the wing roots but a few doses of PPP seems to have sorted that gap. I also got the canopy fitted and masked with Bare Metal Foil as it's very thin and flexible so it's easy to follow the canopy lines with a scalpel. The fuselage seams cleaned up fairly well, just needed a bit of Mr Surfacer 500. Then fired up the compressor for the second time this year and threw some Tamiya medium sea grey at the underside and some red on the spinner.



I masked the yellow prop tips with Mr Hobby masking fluid, the one that they say can be cut with a sharp knife after it dries. I tried that on a canopy some time ago and found that it lifted away when I cut it so a bit disappointing. However, it masked the prop tips well, but after being oversprayed with black it was a devil of a job to get the masking off and I scratched the yellow so had to brush paint the tips anyway.

Nearly time to tackle the top side masking...
Pete

 

[flyjoe180]

Looks good Pete, nice job filling that wing seam.

 

[stillp]

Thanks Joe.
Pete

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Nice progress Pete.

 

[Jim R]

Nice to see this reach the paint stage. That wing really was a poor fit, glad it's sorted.

 

[stillp]

Thanks Steve and Jim
Pete