Tempest V - The RAF’s new V-1 killer

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

As we continue to chart the development of new model kits announced at the beginning of this year, our latest blog will be focusing on two new tooling projects, one in 1/72nd scale, with the other in the slightly larger 1/48th scale. One of the models represents our scale representation of one of the most potent piston engined fighters of the Second World War, whilst the other is Britain’s first single engined jet fighter, an aircraft which may have been a record breaker in its own right, but was just too late to see combat during WWII.

Our blog update itinerary for this edition is a look at the two scheme options which will accompany the first release from our new Hawker Tempest V tooling, which will be followed by exclusive built sample images from our new 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire F.3, a model which has been finished in the lead scheme of three options to be included with the initial release from this much anticipated new model. We will follow these updates with a reader supplied feature which once again shows an abundance of modelling talent and project foresight, whilst at the same time being the latest build of an aircraft type which is something of an obsession for one Workbench reader. Settle back for your latest on-line meander through the very latest updates from the world of Airfix modelling.

Hawker’s sky dominator

Thanks to our new kit’s designer Tom, we have been supplied with a further selection of CAD screenshots from the Tempest project, images which are being shown here for the very first time

Historically, there are a number of reasons why the powerful and extremely agile Hawker Tempest does not enjoy more widespread recognition than it does, even though it was undoubtedly one of the most potent piston engined fighter aircraft of the Second World War. An aircraft which was the culmination of the Hawker Company’s desire to produce a ‘Super Hurricane’, the Tempest was a development of the slightly troubled Typhoon, with its eventual service introduction coming at a time when Allied air forces had gained a semblance of air superiority over the Luftwaffe. As a result of this, Tempest pilots simply didn’t have the number of enemy aircraft opposing them to allow for large victory tallies to be built up, despite the fact that they clearly had an extremely capable aircraft in their hands. Had that service introduction taken place just twelve months earlier, things may have been very different and aircraft such as the Spitfire and Mustang may have found themselves very much in the wake of Hawker’s mighty Tempest. 

The intended fighter replacement for the famous and dependable Hawker Hurricane was actually the Hawker Typhoon, an aircraft which attempted to combine the most powerful piston engine available to designers at that time, with a relatively small, yet rugged airframe, inheriting the popular wide track undercarriage of its predecessor. In addition to this, the proposed new fighter would have extremely heavy armament, making this an aircraft to send a chill down the spine of any Luftwaffe pilot. Although designed to be an interceptor fighter, it became apparent during development that the new aircraft would not be able to fulfil this crucial role, as the thickness of the wing was not conducive to high performance at higher altitudes. In fact, the Typhoon would be forced to endure something of a troubled development and service introduction, to the point where cancellation of the entire programme was seriously considered at one time. Nevertheless, the Typhoon would eventually go on to find its aviation niche as a hard-hitting ground attack aircraft and one which would come into its own during the summer of 1944 and the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Aware that their Typhoon design possessed great potential but was in need of further development, the Hawker design team started work on a new fighter project, one which incorporated many of the same philosophies included in Typhoon, but importantly, several significant modifications and improvements. Indeed, the new aircraft was initially referred to as the Typhoon Mark II, but this was changed to Tempest as the prototype aircraft neared the date of its first flight. Although this was still a relatively large aeroplane for a single engined fighter, its airframe was light and would be pulled along by the massively powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine, a powerplant which would give the new fighter spectacular performance in the air. Making its first flight on 2nd September 1942, the new Hawker Tempest featured a newly designed laminar flow wing, which was much thinner than the wing used on its predecessor and allowed the new fighter to slip through the air at incredible speeds.

Differences between Hawker’s Typhoon and Tempest fighters

The front profile of the Hawker Tempest is dominated by the huge four bladed propeller and distinctive chin air scoop and radiator assembly. This beast was built for speed

At first glance, the Typhoon and Tempest do share many similarities and it can be a little confusing, however, if you know where to look, it isn’t difficult to tell the two aircraft apart. Without doubt, the wing is the most obvious distinguishing feature, as not only is this thinner than the one used on the Typhoon, it is also a completely different shape. With a straighter leading edge and more elliptical trailing edge, the Tempest’s wing was designed for speed, even though it could still be used effectively in a ground attack role. Other Tempest design differences include a slightly longer nose and a tail section which appears to be much larger, with a more generous tail which features a pronounced dorsal fillet. During the prototype aircraft’s maiden flight, it posted an impressive top speed of 477 mph in level flight, to the delight of both the Hawker design team and the watching Air Ministry.

Moving on to the Tempest V variant on which the new Airfix kit is based, this mark was produced in two distinct variants, with each displaying differences which clearly identify the individual production series. The first 100 series 1 aircraft were built by Hawkers at Langley and still used some components left over from Typhoon production. These aircraft featured Hispano Mk.II cannon, the fairings of which protruded beyond the leading edge of the wing, the most visible identifier between these aircraft and subsequent production runs. The Series 1 Tempests also incorporated the tail strengthening ‘fish plates’ which were used on the Typhoon, with this additional reinforcement dictating that these particular aircraft did not have a detachable tail unit. The first 100 Series 1 aircraft were all fitted with larger Typhoon main wheels and built at Hawker’s Langley factory, allocated serial numbers with a JN prefix.

The next 300 Series 2 Tempest fighters were fitted with the new short barrelled Hispano Mk.V cannon, a gun which could be completely housed within the wing of the aircraft, leaving just the gun ports visible in the leading edge of the wing. The reinforcement measures applied to the first 100 (Series 1) machines were now deemed unnecessary, which meant that from this series onwards, the tail assembly of the Tempest could be detached, with additional provision for two underwing 45 gallon drop tanks to be fitted if required. The first 300 of these Series 2 Tempest V fighters were built by the Gloster Aircraft Company and had serial numbers prefixed by the letters EJ. Two further additional orders for Series 2 Tempests would be placed, bringing the total production of Mark V variants of the fighter to 801 aircraft.

With this new kit certain to be a popular addition to the Airfix range, particularly as it will present modellers with a stunning representation of one of the most potent fighter aircraft of WWII, let’s take a look at the details behind the schemes which will be included in the initial release.

Scheme A - Hawker Tempest Mk.V JN751/R-B, Aircraft flown by Wing Commander Roland Prosper ‘Bee’ Beamont, No.150 Wing, Newchurch, Kent, England, June 1944.

When reading about the life and flying career of Roland Beamont, it really is like reading a story from the Boy’s Own Paper, a true British hero and one whose exploits continue to inspire anyone lucky enough to discover them to this day. Graded ‘Exceptional’ during his RAF Officer Training, Beamont passed out as a pilot officer on 21st October 1939 and was almost immediately sent to join the Hurricanes of No.87 Squadron in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, despite only having 15 hours on the type. Taking part in the frenetic fighting during the Battle of France, Beamont would be credited with his first aerial victory on 13th May, when he shot down a Dornier Do.17 bomber, but whilst he would probably have at least shared in the destruction of several others, this was the only victory officially credited to him.

Following the fall of France, Beamont and the rest of No.87 Squadron returned to England and prepared to face the might of the Luftwaffe once more, this time as they attacked the Royal Air Force, in advance of a planned invasion attempt. During the Battle of Britain, he would be credited with a further five enemy aircraft destroyed, giving him the coveted status of ‘air ace’ and a growing reputation as an influential leader of men. As daylight raids gave way to the night blitz, Beamont would become part of Britain’s fledgling nightfighter force and whilst flying on clear moonlit nights, began to lobby his superiors about mounting raids across the Channel to harass Luftwaffe airfields in northern France, something RAF officials would soon sanction.

At the end of his tour of duty, Beamont turned down the opportunity to be Trafford Leigh-Mallory’s personal aide to take up a position as a production test pilot with the Hawker company, where by his own admission, did he only then start to gain an understanding of the technical aspects of flight dynamics and an appreciation of the valuable work performed by test pilots. He would spend the majority of his time flying newly built Hurricane fighters, however, he would also become involved with the development of the new Typhoon, an aircraft he would go on to champion, despite some significant official opposition to its continued operational use. Having been so involved in the development flying of the Typhoon, Beamont was keen to return to operational flying and in July 1942, he first joined No.56 Squadron and was later given command of No.609 Squadron, both units operating the mighty Typhoon.

Full scheme details showing the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, an aircraft which would claim many aerial victories, including 30 V-1 flying bombs

Returning to Hawkers once more in May 1943, he would become influential in imploring the RAF to keep faith with the Typhoon, an aircraft which may have had its problems, but one which Beamont passionately believed to be an excellent aircraft and one which had a big part to play in the coming months of war. Test flying the Typhoon as well as Hawker’s new high performance fighter the Tempest, he would be heavily involved in the final development of the Tempest V, an aircraft which would once again tempt him back to operational flying.

Charged with forming the RAF’s first Tempest Wing (No.150 Wing), it is thought that Beamont went on to score the Tempest’s first aerial victory, when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109G two days after D-Day, a victory which was certainly the first for No.150 Wing. Beamont’s Tempest Wing would also be used extensively in a home defence role and particularly in combating the V-1 ‘Doodlebug’ threat which was hurled towards southern England in the aftermath of the D-Day landings. By the end of August 1944, No.150 Wing had accounted for no fewer than 638 flying bombs, with Beamont himself destroying 32 V-1s.

On 12th October 1944, Beamont was shot down by flak during an attack against a troop train near Bocholt in Germany, whilst flying Tempest V EJ710 (JF-L). Captured by the Germans, he would spend the rest of the war as their guest in Stalag III, but on his repatriation back to Britain after the war, would take up a position as a test pilot with the Air Fighting Development Unit. He would leave the air force soon after, first to take up a post with the Gloster Aircraft Company and later as the Chief Test Pilot at English Electric Aviation Ltd. In this role, he would famously work on and fly the futuristic BAC TSR.2, as well as the Lightning, going on to be regarded as one of the nation’s most accomplished airmen. With a string of awards to his name, Beamont would also become famous as the first British pilot to exceed Mach 1 in level flight and the first to achieve Mach 2 in a British aircraft. His glittering career would see him flying an impressive 170 different aircraft types during 8,000 individual sorties - in fact, he probably spent more time in the air than on the ground!

Another fascinating design screenshot supplied by Tom, this time revealing some of the internal detail he has included in the new kit

Hawker Tempest V JN751 was built at Hawker’s Langley factory in early 1944 and delivered to No.20 MU at Aston Down on 20th February 1944. She was initially allocated to No.486 (NZ) Squadron, but subsequently passed to No.3 Squadron, where she would become the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, wearing the distinctive fuselage codes R-B. On 8th June 1944, this aircraft became the first Tempest to shoot down an enemy aircraft, when Beamont brought down a Bf 109G-6 near Rouen, quickly followed by two further victories by other 150 Wing Tempest pilots. This famous aircraft (and its pilot) would go on to shoot down 32 V-1 Doodlebugs over the following few weeks, as the Wing’s priority became home defence against these indiscriminate and terrifying flying bombs.

On September 1st 1944, JN751 suffered an in-flight engine failure and was forced to make an emergency landing at Langley, thankfully suffering only limited damage during the incident. The repaired aircraft was collected by Beamont on 5th September, who flew it back to his base at RAF Newchurch in Kent, however, this would be the last time he would fly this particular Tempest. Later transferred to No.287 Squadron to perform anti-aircraft co-operation duties, it was lost in an accident on 18th May 1945, tragically claiming the life of its pilot.

Scheme B - Hawker Tempest Mk.V JN766/SA-N, No.486 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force, RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire, England, April 1944.

The Hawker Tempest was a beast of an aeroplane and one which had some known vices, which is why its squadron introduction was intentionally entrusted to pilots who had experience flying its immediate predecessor, the Typhoon. The powerful Napier Sabre engine and the massive four bladed propeller it turned produced a huge amount of torque and on take-off, the aircraft would attempt to immediately swing to port, something the pilot needed to counter with the application of full opposite rudder. Although not quite as violent, the Typhoon had a tendency to do the same thing, so the take-off procedure was something Typhoon pilots had become accustomed to, but for the new pilot, this could be quite a frightening experience, even though they would have been expecting it to happen. If they hesitated in correcting the swing, it could prove to be a very short flight indeed and sure to incur the wrath of the station commander. 

Once in the air and with the heavy, wide track undercarriage retracted, the Tempest was a thoroughbred fighter and the consummate low to medium altitude interceptor, possibly the finest aircraft of its type ever to see service. Roland Beamont famously said of the Tempest, ‘You can keep your Spitfires and Mustangs, give me a Tempest every time’, during his combat missions towards the end of WWII. The fighter did not achieve its true air combat potential simply by virtue of the fact that there were far fewer Luftwaffe aircraft in the skies over Europe following its introduction and those which did venture into the air were keen to avoid contact with the RAF’s impressive new fighter. Following the end of the war, interviewed Messerschmitt Me 262 jet pilots recounted how the aircraft they feared most whilst engaged in their combat flying was the Tempest - fast, manoeuvrable and heavily armed, the Me 262 was no match for the British fighter if it were not already at combat speed.

The Tempest and the Typhoon before it, did suffer from an unforeseen problem during combat operations and that was regularly coming under friendly fire. These high performance aircraft were regarded as relatively unfamiliar types and twitchy Allied gunners on the ground would regularly fire upon the aircraft, fearing they were enemy fighters. This was despite the fact that their operation had been widely circulated amongst AA units and until 20th April 1944, they even carried identification markings under their wings to act as a clear indication of its friendly use (these markings were similar, but not identical to D-Day invasion markings). Even worse than this, Tempest pilots regularly found themselves being bounced by USAAF fighters and whilst this was potentially a very dangerous situation, they were usually able to outrun them and avoid damage, describing the situation as being ‘mildly annoying’, in true British style.

Full scheme details of this Castle Camps Tempest V, showing just how attractive this aircraft is without the inclusion of any additional identification markings

RAF Tempests were fully engaged in the fight against the German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters and would employ a tactic known as a ‘Rat Scramble’ to challenge these fearsome adversaries. Aware of the bases where these aircraft operated from, Tempest pilots would be scrambled following reports of Me 262 activity and fly at high speed not to challenge them in combat, but to loiter in the vicinity of their home bases, awaiting their return. This way, the exceptional fighting qualities of the Tempest could be brought to bear against the German jets when they were at their most vulnerable, when they were slowing down for landing, with their slow to respond engines making their escape highly unlikely. Scoring some initial successes, the Germans quickly counteracted these missions by placing murderous flak corridors around the Me 262 bases, scoring some notable victories of their own, so much so that the ‘Rat Scramble’ operations were soon withdrawn.

RAF No.486 Squadron was a New Zealand manned fighter squadron established during the Second World War under the Empire Air Training Scheme and serving in the European Theatre of operations. Initially formed at Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire in 1942, they were equipped with the Hawker Hurricane and trained in night fighting tactics, often working in conjunction with modified turbinlight equipped Douglas Boston twin engined bombers which were attempting to illuminate enemy aircraft to aid interceptions. Exchanging their Hurricanes for Typhoons, the squadron would later fly defensive missions to counter enemy fighter raiders attacking southern Britain, with the low altitude performance of the heavily armed Typhoon being particularly suited to this type of work. In preparation for D-Day, the squadron’s pilots would later fly numerous low-level strike missions against targets in northern France, which proved to be some of the most dangerous missions undertaken by any pilots during the Second World War.

No.486 Squadron would be the first squadron to receive Hawker Tempests, however, their conversion to the type would be a little stop/start, leaving No.3 Squadron to actually take the accolade of being the first to be fully equipped with the new fighter. By the end of April 1944, the squadron would join Nos 3 and 56 Squadrons in forming No.150 Wing, exclusively flying the Tempest under the command of Roland Beamont. Following the successful D-Day landings, No.486 Squadron would be charged with the air defence of the UK and the battle against to new threat facing the nation, Germany’s V-1 flying bomb offensive. The squadron’s pilot would take to the task with bravery and tenacity, shooting down 223.5 Doodlebugs during this period, making them the second most successful unit engaged in this dangerous work.  

By the end of the war, No.486 Squadron had flown 11,000 sorties and claimed 81 enemy aircraft destroyed, a figure which included two of the new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters. They would also destroy 223.5 V-1 flying bombs, 323 vehicles, 14 railway engines and an impressive 16 ships. Despite the fact that the Luftwaffe was not the force it was following the D-Day landings, the unit would be credited with 59.5 aerial victories flying the Hawker Tempest, making them the most successful Tempest unit of the war.

With its powerful engine and new laminar flow wing, the Hawker Tempest was an adversary to be feared by any Luftwaffe aircraft brave (or foolish) enough to venture into the air during the final months of WWII

Hawker Tempest V JN766 flew as SA-N with No.486 (RNZAF) Squadron from Castle Camps in Cambridgeshire during April 1944 and was the subject of several wartime photographs documenting the introduction of this potent new fighter into RAF service. It is interesting to note that its introduction occurred at the time when the practice of painting identification markings under the wings of Typhoons and Tempests had finally ended, only weeks before all aircraft would be painted with the famous black and white D-Day invasion markings, required to prevent Allied aircraft suffering friendly fire incidents in crowded skies. It is thought that this aircraft was flown by New Zealand pilot Flt. Lt. William ‘Dusty’ Miller during anti V-1 ‘Diver’ operations, and may have helped him in securing several of his 7 victories over these feared flying bombs.

Tempest JN766 was written off following engine failure during take off on 12th March 1946 at RAF West Malling in Kent - with the pilot unable to abort safely, the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, through the perimeter fence and careered into woodland which surrounded the airfield. Thankfully, the pilot is thought to have escaped from the incident unscathed. 

This beautiful new model is speeding headlong towards its intended winter release and with just the built sample model and box artwork reveal still to bring Workbench readers, that release will be upon us before we know it.

Vampire built sample exclusives!

We are delighted to be able to bring you these built sample images so soon after revealing the box artwork and scheme options to be included with this fantastic new 1/48th scale kit

If classic British jets in the slightly larger 1/48th scale are your modelling thing, you will no doubt be thinking that the past few years have been rather bounteous from an Airfix perspective, as newly tooled kits featuring aircraft in this category have been quite plentiful. With new kits offering different versions of the Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter and Canadair/North American Sabre, the latest project to join this early jet trio is a real classic, Britain’s second Jet fighter to enter RAF service and the first to be powered by just a single jet engine, the diminutive de Havilland Vampire. 

An aircraft which has been described as the ‘wooden war jet’, the Vampire’s fuselage construction is a source of absolute fascination and even though the aircraft was powered by an early turbojet engine, much of the fuselage and cockpit section of the aircraft was of wooden laminate construction. Making full use of de Havilland’s laminated construction technology which they perfected during Mosquito production, the Vampire’s fuselage used this same construction method, with the addition of an aluminium outer skin, the last time this wood/metal construction method would be used on a high performance military aircraft. A beautifully distinctive aeroplane, we are pleased to be in a position to provide Workbench readers with the latest update from this exciting new tooling project, as we bring you a first look at a fully completed sample model, finished in the colours of the lead scheme option to be included with the first release of this kit.

The story of Britain’s entry into the jet age centres around two aircraft types, particularly when discussing aircraft which would go on to make it into Royal Air Force service, the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Vampire. Historically, the Meteor always had its nose in front in this jet powered race, as it can trace its development origins back to 1940 and even earlier than that when it comes to work on jet propulsion, a lead which would extend to it making its first flight before the Vampire and ultimately, entering service before its rival. With both projects advancing under the highest levels of security, anyone in the vicinity of the airfields where these first jet powered aircraft were making their first flights must have been astounded and a little confused at what they were seeing (and hearing) - where were the aircraft’s propellors?

Making its maiden flight a full six months after the Meteor, de Havilland DH.100 ‘Spider Crab’ (as it was still called at that time) LZ548/G took off from the company’s Hatfield airfield on 20th September 1943, in the capable hands of chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. Highlighting the secret nature of the project, the aircraft carried a large yellow P in a circle in the outer booms of the aircraft, just forward of the serial number, denoting that this was a prototype aircraft and the ‘G’ after the serial meant that this aircraft must be guarded at all times whilst on the ground. That first flight lasted just over 30 minutes, during which time the aircraft exceeded 400mph and showed great promise, despite highlighting some stability issues which would require investigation, however further frustrating delays would be just around the corner and it would be April 1945 before a production aircraft would take to the air. Despite its protracted development, Britain’s second jet fighter to enter service, which by then had been named ‘Vampire’, would prove to be something of a classic and is now regarded as one of the most successful early jet aircraft in the world, one which could hardly look more different to its Gloster built rival.

Scheme option in which this model is finished - de Havilland D.H.100 Vampire F.3 VT812/N, No.601 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, North Weald, Essex, England 1952.

The first production Vampire F.Mk.Is entered Royal Air Force service in March 1946, to be followed two years later by the revised and more capable F.3. The Vampire F.3 was basically a longer range version of its predecessor, featuring increased internal fuel capacity and the ability to carry two external fuel tanks. This latest variant also differed visually, in that it incorporated taller and more rounded vertical stabilisers, a lowered horizontal stabiliser and distinctive ‘acorn’ fairings at the base of each vertical stabiliser. Although this was still relatively new technology, de Havilland cleverly designed the aircraft to be simple to maintain and operate, earning the aircraft an enviable reputation for reliability amongst air and ground crews alike and allowing more pilots to safely make the transition to jet powered flight. With a number of significant firsts to its name, the Vampire was the first RAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph, with the extra range of the F.3 also allowing this to take the honour of being the first jet fighter to cross the Atlantic. The Vampire F.3’s of No.32 Squadron were also the first RAF jet fighters to be deployed outside Northwest Europe and the first to operate in the higher temperatures of the Mediterranean. 

This next selection of exclusive images all show fully built and decorated production sample frame parts from our new 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire F.3 kit, which has been finished in the lead scheme of three options which will feature with the initial release from this tooling

No.601 (County of London) Squadron was a unit which enjoyed quite a colourful history, the first of the RAF’s Auxiliary Squadrons (sometimes unfairly referred to as Weekend Warriors) and one which had the notoriety of being known as the ‘Millionaires Squadron’, by virtue of the fact that many of the unit’s first pilots were well-connected and from extremely wealthy families. Indeed, it was claimed that these initial appointments were made by Lord Grosvenor at his favourite Gentlemen’s Club, selecting from a pool of his wealthy friends and acquaintances who had a love of fast cars and a passion for flying. It was even claimed that the only test these potential recruits were put through was to be subjected to a heavy drinking session, to see if they maintained their decorum when the worse for drink, something which was deemed incredibly important to Lord Grosvenor.

Whilst there may be some truth in these rumours, the squadron would perform admirably once the war came and despite suffering some heavy losses during the Battle of Britain, the unit’s pilots would show themselves to be brave and tenacious in facing an enemy which often outnumbered them by 4 to 1. Reformed as a fighter squadron within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force at the end of the war, the unit were initially equipped with Spitfire LF.XVIe fighters, but entered the jet age with the de Havilland Vampire F.3 in 1949. Flying out of North Weald airfield, the unit were still charged with providing fighter defence for the country and specifically the capital, with North Weald being just to the northeast of London. Whilst not a full time service, they were required to support the RAF during a particularly volatile period in world history and when the main force were deployed overseas, this often resulted in periods of full-time service. In the main though, these pilots would join their squadron mates at weekends and during holidays, with the popular annual gunnery camps keeping the group together for longer periods and in overseas surroundings, allowing less experienced members to have a taste of what service life was like. 

In September 1952, the squadron exchanged their venerable Vampires for the latest F.8 variant of the Gloster Meteor, which they continued to fly for the next five years, until swinging defence cuts brought about the disbandment of the entire RAuxAF network and a service which had been in place for over 30 years.

More images of the stunning new de Havilland Vampire F.3 kit

De Havilland Vampire F.3 VT812 was one of a batch of 117 aircraft built under contract by English Electric at Preston between April 1947 and May 1948. Delivered to No.5 Maintenance Unit at Kemble in November 1947, she was destined for overseas service in the Mediterranean and Middle East, joining No.32 Squadron over the next couple of months. At a time where jet technology was advancing rapidly, the aircraft returned to the UK in 1950 where she was allocated first to No.614 RAuxRF Squadron and then to No.601 RAuxAF at North Weald, where by the spring of 1952, she had suffered an extremely heavy landing and was categorised as being ‘beyond the repair capacity of the unit’. The necessary repairs were carried out by de Havillands and whilst she would fly again in the hands of No.602 RAuxAF, by 1954, she was classified as non-effective stock.

A rather pristine example of a Vampire F.3, she would spend the rest of her life on display at various locations around the country, before ending up as an RAF Museum exhibit, first at Cosford and later Hendon. She would benefit from a concerted period of restoration during the late 1990s and is today to be found on display at Hendon, resplendent in her No.601 RAuxAF markings, a fine example of this early British single engined jet fighter.     

Our new de Havilland Vampire F.3 kit will be a hugely welcome addition to the Airfix range and a model which will allow us to make our own modelling tribute to an aircraft from the early days of jet powered aviation, the RAF’s second jet fighter to enter service, but the first to be powered by just a single engine. Scheduled for an October release, this is our final Workbench Vampire project update and we now join readers in eagerly awaiting its arrival.

A Hawk for heroes

As we are all fully aware, the world has been through some challenging times over the past couple of years and even though we are all slowly getting back to something close to what we used to call ‘normal life’, this dreaded virus is still proving to be reluctant to relax its grip on us just yet. With most of us having to spend much more time at home during this period, many companies and organisations tried to introduce initiatives which were intended to provide a little light relief from the situation we all found ourselves in and in our own small way, we at Airfix attempted to play our part. One of these initiatives encouraged an outpouring of creative flair, with the chance for one lucky respondent to have their design immortalised as a future Airfix model scheme option for thousands of people to enjoy building.

The competition was to design a livery to grace the rather distinctive profile of a scale British Aerospace Hawk jet, the like of which had never been seen before, but one intended to mark the affection in which the nation held the NHS workers battling so hard to turn the tide of the pandemic. Anyone interested in getting involved could download a blank pdf line drawing of a scale Bae Hawk jet and then it was over to you, time to let your imagination and creativity run wild. There was absolutely no restriction placed on colours to be used, intricacy of detail or design flamboyance, everyone had a totally free design rein and we couldn’t wait to see what you all came up with. Completed entries could either be e-mailed in to our marketing team, attached to social media posts on any of our official channels or posted in the time honoured manner, but importantly, each entry would be admired by members of our team, who would ultimately also have the difficult task of having to choose a winner.

As our NHS liveried Hawk kit is now available, it has been interesting to see the many impressive build images which have been uploaded to enthusiast social media pages over recent weeks, but one build in particular had us reaching for the phone, in an attempt to gather further information. As usual, we discovered a fascinating story behind the build and one we would like to share with fellow blog regulars now.

Mark’s stunning dual NHS Hawk build and the imaginative way he decided to display the models

There were two things which really caught our eye with this impressive dual Hawk build, obviously the first one being the dramatic presentation of the models themselves, but closely followed by the inclusion of an NHS patch. Had this build been completed for a special reason, or was the modeller themselves an NHS staff member? On making contact with the model’s creator Mark, he did indeed confirm that he worked for the NHS, but how the build was really just for his own enjoyment, albeit with something of a twist. As a keen modeller, Mark had been aware of this project more or less since initial announcement and had always planned to complete a dual build once the kit had been released. He was even more committed to the project once the flamboyant colours schemes the Hawk kit would include had been made public, not to mention the fact that he is a self-confessed Hawk nut, but we will come to this a little later.

As Mark works within the NHS, we had to ask him if his modelling had offered something of a release during the past couple of years and whilst he told us that a bit of quality time spent at the workbench is always an effective way to escape into your own little world for a while, the rigors of the past couple of years have definitely had an impact on his modelling. Working long shifts and often having to work rest days due to other colleagues having to take time off, Mark said that most of the time, he was simply too exhausted to model most of the time, but on the odd occasions he did, it proved to be just as mentally rewarding as ever. 

A British Aerospace Hawk obsession

For this particular build, he knew he wanted to finish Hawks in both scheme options, so he had two kits on order for the project, knowing one of each decal option would be taking their place in his burgeoning spares collection. He also knew that he wanted to do something a little different from a display perspective, having both Hawks positioned in a dramatic ‘mirrored’ pose, similar to a manoeuvre the Red Arrows might attempt, but further adding to the aesthetic appeal of the build. Certain to attract the attentions of anyone fortunate enough to see it, the finished models have a length of clear plastic rod fixed into the jet pipe of the Hawks, with the other end fixed into holes drilled into a wooden display plinth, with the models finally positioned to display at the correct angle. The display was finished off with the addition of an NHS patch, something which really does seem to be an appropriate and rather poignant addition to the display - it also happens to perfectly compliment the model’s colour schemes.

Shot from above, this image really does show how effective Mark’s display idea for his dual NHS Hawk build actually is

Like many Workbench readers, Mark has been modelling from an early age, however, his enjoyment of the hobby would have to take something of a lengthy sabbatical once he embarked on a career in the Royal Air Force. On leaving the force, Mark once again returned to his love of modelling and by his own admission, went a little bit mad and became rather prolific in the building stakes. His usual modelling subject matter of choice is aircraft and one type in particular, the British Aerospace Hawk. Mark told us that the first model kit he built as an adult was an Airfix Hawk and he enjoyed the experience so much that he immediately built another, then another and so on. In fact, this famous British jet which has now been in Royal Air Force service for an impressive 45 years, became such an obsession with Mark that he has built well over 100 Hawk kits since his return to modelling. With so many attractive schemes applied to the aircraft over the years and it representing so many different RAF squadrons over the past 45 years, Mark would certainly have had plenty of inspiration for his ever growing Hawk model collection.

With so many built Hawk models to display or store, Mark told us that he was fast running out of space for his collection, which is probably the reason why he started looking at innovative ways in which to display his models, and the use of clear plastic rod to allow more models to be displayed in the space available. To underline his fascination with all things Hawk, Mark told us that over the years, he has managed to produce a file which contains details and photographs of every Hawk to ever see RAF service, with a few others included for good measure. Armed with this knowledge, it is perhaps not surprising that a new Hawk kit featuring two colourful ‘what if’ liveries might attract his attention.

Mark went on to tell us that with some of his modelling friends, he regularly exhibits his models at shows arranged by the Newark Air Museum and when not showing off his impressive collection of Hawks, his other modelling themes are aircraft which served with No.41 Squadron and generally anything in RAF markings.

A final look at this project and the two scheme options included with this special release, first the profile artwork of the scheme produced for the box artwork and below, Mark’s beautifully finished build of the winning entry scheme

We would like to thank Mark for sharing his modelling story with us and particularly for allowing us to show pictures of his impressive NHS Hawk build, which just looks fantastic. Knowing that this has been produced by someone who has been on the front line in fighting the pandemic really does make this feature all the more poignant and has actually been quite humbling to produce. On behalf of everyone here at Airfix, thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to keep us all safe, fed, watered and reassured over the past eighteen months or so - we really do appreciate your efforts. We will also extend a final thank you to Mark.

       
We are afraid that’s all we have for you in this latest edition of Workbench, which we hope you found to be an enjoyable read. As always, if you have any suggestions for particular subjects you would like to see covered in a future edition, please do drop us a quick line, using this workbench@airfix.com link to contact us.

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The next edition of Workbench is scheduled to be published on Friday 17th September.

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The Airfix Workbench Team