Special Hobby Plastic Model Kit Hawker Tempest Mk.V — 1:32

Manufacturer

Special Hobby is a Czech scale-model manufacturer specialising in aircraft and other historically interesting subjects. The company is particularly well known for subjects that are less extensively covered by mainstream manufacturers.

The SH32049 is a large-scale 1:32 kit of the Hawker Tempest Mk.V. Special Hobby's own catalogue identifies the product as 100-SH32049 and confirms EAN 8594071085544. The kit was added to retailer catalogues in September 2016 and released in October 2016.
Kit contents

The kit is an injection-moulded plastic model supplied in grey and clear plastic. Documented features include:

Injection-moulded plastic components

Clear parts for the canopy and other transparent components

Detailed cockpit

Detailed fuselage and wing structure

Detailed landing gear

Engine and cowling components

Propeller and spinner

Undercarriage bays

External stores and armament

Extensive decal sheet

Assembly instructions

The kit is supplied unassembled and unpainted, so modelling cement and paints are required separately. Retailer information gives a boxed/product weight of approximately 0.6–0.91 kg, depending on how packaging is measured.
History of the full-size aircraft

The Hawker Tempest was developed in Britain during the Second World War as an improvement to the Hawker Typhoon. The Typhoon had proved highly effective as a low-level fighter-bomber but had limitations as a high-altitude fighter. Hawker's chief designer, Sydney Camm, therefore began work on an improved design incorporating a much thinner wing and other aerodynamic changes.

The new aircraft eventually received the name Tempest. One of its most important changes was the adoption of a new thin wing, which reduced drag and significantly improved high-speed performance. The Tempest was also designed around powerful liquid-cooled engines, with the Mk.V becoming the principal wartime version.

The Tempest Mk.V was powered by the Napier Sabre II, producing approximately 2,200 horsepower. The aircraft could reach speeds of more than 690 km/h (approximately 430 mph), giving it exceptional performance at low and medium altitude.
Wartime service

The first Tempests entered RAF service in 1944. Their speed and low-altitude performance made them particularly useful for ground attack and interception missions.

One of their most notable assignments was the interception of German V-1 flying bombs launched against Britain. The Tempest's combination of speed and acceleration made it one of the RAF aircraft capable of catching the V-1.

Once Allied forces established bases in continental Europe, Tempests operated extensively against German ground targets, including transport, airfields and other military infrastructure. Their ability to carry bombs and rockets made them effective fighter-bombers as well as air-superiority aircraft.

The Tempest also encountered German piston-engined fighters and the new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Tempests were among the Allied aircraft capable of attacking German jets during vulnerable phases such as take-off and landing.
The Mk.V

The Mk.V was the most important wartime production version. It combined the new Tempest airframe with the Napier Sabre engine and carried heavy cannon armament.

The aircraft's standard armament consisted of four 20 mm Hispano cannon, giving it considerable firepower. It could additionally carry bombs and rockets for ground-attack missions.

The Tempest's combination of speed, low-altitude manoeuvrability, heavy armament and substantial weapons-carrying capability made it particularly versatile during the final year of the European war.

After the Second World War, Tempests remained in RAF service for a period, although increasingly capable jet aircraft were rapidly replacing piston-engine fighters.