Vickers Valiant leads Britain’s deterrent force

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

The new Airfix project developments just keep on coming here on our Workbench blog and in this latest edition, we report on the continuing development of four current 2021 kit projects, including two new tooling’s, one popular re-issue and an absolute civilian aviation classic. As model shops everywhere have just welcomed our newly tooled Avro Vulcan B.2 to their displays, we look forward to the impending release of our 1/72nd scale tribute to the first of Britain’s V-bombers, the graceful Vickers Valiant, where we will be exclusively unveiling the new artwork produced for this release, before moving on to look at the two scheme options which will accompany this kit. Next, we head back to the always interesting world of Quickbuild and the latest new model which will soon be joining this popular range, the sporty Audi R8 Coupé.

Not content with two headlining updates this edition, we will also be looking at a classic return for a classic civilian aviation kit, one which will bring back happy memories for thousands of people who either built or admired the beautiful artwork of our Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C, a real speedster of a medium haul jetliner. Our final subject is another exclusive for Workbench readers and the latest test shot images from our new 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V tooling. Will our designer Tom be pleased when he sees how the tooling work from his CAD files have turned out? All will be revealed in this latest comprehensive round up of Airfix development updates.

Britain Valiantly into the nuclear age

Feast your eyes on this … the latest box artwork reveal features this beautiful work which will adorn the box of the second release from our 1/72nd scale Vickers Valiant tooling

When researching details of the development of the majority of aircraft types, it has to be said that you can usually be certain of coming across something which makes that aircraft particularly interesting, noteworthy or even historic in its own right, which is possibly why the subject of aviation continues to hold such an enduring fascination for many. Fascinating facts are definitely in abundant supply when looking at the immediate post war period for Britain’s successful aviation industry, especially when the Vickers Valiant is your subject aircraft, the first of Britain’s trilogy of V-bombers and the one which is always overshadowed by the more famous Vulcan and Victor. Beating both of these aircraft into service, the Valiant was a triumph in modern design and manufacturing capabilities, acting as something of an aviation insurance policy for a Britain desperate for a seat at the nuclear table and to hold an autonomous deterrent threat of their own.

After an understandable period of military stagnation after the end of the Second World War, a thawing in East West relationships once again had the world worried about conflict and with both sides possessing nuclear technology, the very real possibility of an impending global catastrophe. With nations in Eastern Europe becoming increasingly wary of the West’s intentions, Europe and its respective allies settled on either side of an iron curtain, with the view over the top being one of fear and mistrust. This period also brough about a significant increase in military capability, a show of strength designed to prevent either side from attacking the other, whist at the same time increasing the risk of conflict through confusion and ever rising international tension. The battle lines were further drawn as the western allies formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a joining together of nations for mutual protection, where if any member nation were attacked, the others would immediately react in their defence. Providing reassurance for those in NATO, the agreement only served to strengthen Soviet suspicions that the west were up to something and they would be in the firing line.

It was in such volatile times as these that specifications for a new high speed, high altitude British jet bomber were issued in 1947, an aircraft capable of carrying a 10,000lb bomb at speeds approaching the speed of sound and at an altitude of 50,000ft. It should also have the range to strike at the heart of the perceived enemy to the east and would be developed at the same time at Britain’s indigenous nuclear programme, serving as both deterrent and instrument of unimaginable destructive power. These were extremely demanding requirements considering the current four engined bombers of the day were still powered by piston engines and possessed nowhere near these performance levels, however, in order to deliver a nuclear free-fall weapon over enemy territory, whilst being able to avoid interception by either enemy fighters of surface to air missiles, a new breed of aircraft would be required.

Three of Britain’s most successful wartime bomber manufacturers would submit proposals, Avro, Handley Page, and Vickers, however, on paper, the Vickers aircraft failed to meet all of the demanding performance criteria set, so when the Ministry of Supply authorised development of the other two designs, it appeared as if the Vickers bomber had fallen at the first hurdle. With the two aircraft which would eventually become the Vulcan and Victor being rather ambitious and technically advanced designs, the team at Vickers implored the Ministry to reconsider - their design was much simpler, using existing manufacturing techniques and technologies. They were confident that their bomber could provide the RAF with what they needed in a timely and cost effective manner and should its rivals suffer protracted development and delayed service entry, their bomber could be in service, providing the deterrent threat the military were looking for.

The built model images used to illustrate this section of the blog were finished using scheme and decal options included with the initial release from this magnificent tooling and will NOT be included as an option with this latest release. The two options to feature with this second release will be detailed later in this section

The delegation from Vickers presented a good case and development of their new bomber was duly authorised, something which would actually place huge pressure on the company for the next few years. Playing on the fact that their design was more conventional than their competitors and therefore easier to produce, there was an expectation that a prototype aircraft would be available in no time and that delays and development issues would not plague the new Vickers jet bomber. In actual fact, as the world watched their every move, the first few Valiants were basically hand built examples, as the pace of its development had absolutely no leeway whatsoever and represented a monumental effort and significant achievement for everyone at Vickers. Making its maiden flight on 18th May 1951, it is interesting to note that the lead test pilot for this flight was Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers, the man who had taken the first Spitfire into the air some fifteen years earlier - could two aircraft produced by the same manufacturer have looked more different?

When the prototype Valiant performed at the Farnborough Airshow only weeks later, this huge gleaming jet bomber was the undoubted star or the show and the pride of Britain’s aviation industry. With its high shoulder mounted wings and 4 Avon engines buried deep inside each wing root, the Valiant must have made for a wonderful sight, filling the sizeable crowd with an immense sense of pride and the reassurance of knowing that the RAF would soon have its first V-bomber and an aircraft to strike fear into the hearts of the Eastern Bloc. Showing a spritely turn of pace at lower altitudes, it was the high altitude performance of the aircraft which made the world sit up and take notice, as this aircraft would be the first one capable of carrying Britain’s nuclear free-fall bombs all the way to perceived targets in the east and provide the RAF with a potent means with which to keep an uneasy peace. Understandably, the Valiant was given a priority production status by the Ministry of Supply and the nation awaited the service entry of Britain’s first V-Bomber.

When the first Vickers Valiant B.1 bombers arrived with No.138 Squadron at Gaydon on New Years Day 1955, they had just become the operators of the most powerful, the most costly and the most complex aircraft in Royal Air Force history. Significantly, a single Valiant possessed more potential destructive power than that delivered by Bomber Command during the entire Second World War.

Again, these images show an Airfix Valiant kit built using one of the original kits released from this tooling, using one of the four decal options included with this kit 

Although arguably not commanding the same public affection as the other two aircraft in Britain’s famous V-bomber aviation trilogy, the Vickers Valiant is still an impressive looking aircraft and one which holds a unique place in the history of British aviation. The first of the three V-bombers to enter RAF service, the Valiant was also the only one of the three aircraft to actually release nuclear bombs, although thankfully this was just in a testing and evaluative capacity. 

From the perspective of Airfix modellers, the Vickers Valiant impressively joined our kit range as a new tooling project back in 2011 and was a kit many people feared they would never see in this scale. As can be seen from the built model images used to illustrate this feature, the Valiant builds into a stunning model and one which can now boast plays a similar role to the one it did when in RAF service. As both the Victor and now the Vulcan have been newly tooled in 1/72nd scale since 2011, the Valiant led the way in Airfix service for this scale V-bomber trio, especially in a modern new tooling sense. As this kit was last released ten years ago and knowing that our new Avro Vulcan was also scheduled for release this year, modellers will have been delighted to see the inclusion on the Valiant when inspecting the 2021 range at the beginning of the year and for some, this would have been their first opportunity to get their hands on this post war bomber classic. The original release came with instructions and decals to finish your kit in one of four schemes (with XD857 being one of them), so to mark this kit’s impending release and the first look at the impressive new artwork showcased above, let’s now also look at the two new scheme options which will be included with only this second release from our Vickers Valiant tooling.

Scheme A - Vickers Valiant B(PR)K.1 WZ393, RAF No.90 Squadron, Honington, Suffolk, England, 1957

Having spent much of the war engaged in the night bombing campaign against Germany, flying such aircraft types as the Fortress I, Stirling and Lancaster, RAF No.90 Squadron continued to operate 4 engined bombers in the immediate post war years, first continuing their association with the Lancaster and then with its replacement, the Lincoln. In late 1953, the squadron would enter the jet age, when it took delivery of Canberra jet bombers, an aircraft it would operate for the next two and a half years. Reforming at RAF Honington on New Years Day 1957, the unit was later designated as one of the RAF’s V-bomber squadrons, operating the Vickers Valiant (the first of Britain’s four engined jet bombers to enter service) from March of that year. The first Valiants to enter RAF service wore a smart natural metal finish and must have looked absolutely magnificent as the pride of the Royal Air Force. Designed to deliver Britain’s nuclear munitions, the Valiant was not only at the forefront of the country’s defensive planning, but was also serving during the actual development of the nation’s autonomous nuclear capability, albeit at that stage, just free-fall delivery munitions.

There is not all that much information available regarding the service career of Vickers Valiant WZ393, other than the fact that she was one of the first aircraft delivered to RAF Honington following the reformation of No.90 Squadron at Honington in 1957, resplendent in her natural metal finish. As the pride of the Royal Air Force at that time, the aircraft attended several Airshows over the coming years, much to the delight of the huge crowds who flocked to see the RAF’s latest jets and she was certainly either photographed or logged at both Blackpool in 1957 and Horsham St. Faith the following year, doing her bit for Royal Air Force public relations.

Full details of the lead scheme for this second release from our Vickers Valiant tooling and the one which inspired the box artwork featured at the beginning of this feature 

Before joining No.90 Squadron, Valiant WZ393 was one of Britain’s most powerful aircraft to take part in actions to bring about an end to the Suez Crisis in 1956, where British aircraft took part in the bombing of Egyptian airfields during this short and rather politically damaging conflict. RAF Valiants were flown to Luqa in Malta, from where they would strike against their Egyptian targets, a mighty show of strength in a combined attempt to keep the Suez Canal open. WZ393 was one of five aircraft from No.214 Squadron to take part in this operation, out of a total assigned force of some 24 RAF Valiants.

After serving in a bombing role for 4 years, WZ393 and the rest of No.90 Squadron began their conversion to a dedicated in-flight refuelling unit, a task for which the Valiant was deemed eminently suitable. Unfortunately, advances in Soviet SAM technology would soon see the entire V-bomber force have to change their mission profile from high to low altitude operations, something for which none of the three aircraft were actually designed for. The remaining Valiant bombers were given an impressive camouflage scheme and joined the rest of the V force in training for low altitude strike penetration missions, until routine inspections revealed signs of metal fatigue in many airframes, resulting in the grounding of the entire Valiant fleet. Although these were still extremely useful aircraft, particularly in the flight refuelling role, officials decided not to proceed with a planned repair programme and the Valiant was permanently grounded at the beginning of 1965.

The Valiant would ultimately be judged as the shortest serving of Britain’s trio of V-bombers, with a production run of 104 aircraft, plus four sub versions, they would eventually equip 11 RAF squadrons in bombing, reconnaissance and in-flight refuelling roles. Vickers Valiant WZ393 made her maiden flight on 9th March 1956, but would be unceremoniously scrapped at RAF Marham only nine years later, a sad end for one of Britain’s first V-bombers.     

Scheme B - Vickers Valiant BK.Mk1 XD818, RAF No.49 Squadron, Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Pacific Ocean, ‘Operation Grapple’, 1957

With the atomic bombs dropped at the end of the Second World War taking the world into a new era of unimaginable destructive potential, the post war years found Britain somewhat side-lined by America in attempted to secure a nuclear deterrent of their own, despite being heavily involved in the development of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Desperate to secure this technology for themselves, Britain embarked on a programme of testing and detonations, with the aim of providing the RAF’s V-bomber force with a weapon which was powerful enough, whilst at the same time being stable and reliable. It is not known whether the actual intention was to force America to share data and to collaborate on future projects, or to actually go it alone, but whatever the plan, Britain would eventually get what she wanted, a viable nuclear deterrent.

Initial research and test detonations took place at Maralinga, a remote part of South Australia, but as the next phase of the programme required more powerful weapons to be tested, a new, even more remote location would be required. It was decided that Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Pacific Ocean would be the research base for this concerted period of testing, with the Island of Malden, some 250+ miles to the south, selected as the initial detonation zone. Known as ‘Operation Grapple’, the programme was effectively to provide scientists with the data to produce an effective Thermonuclear bomb - an H-bomb - which could be carried and delivered by Britain’s V-bomber force, providing the country with the destructive reassurance only nuclear power could now provide, in a world where two powers already held such fearsome weapons.

Central to these testing plans were eight Vickers Valiant bombers from No.49 Squadron, which had been modified by Vickers specifically for use during these vital tests. The many modifications over standard RAF Valiants ran into the hundreds and included the addition of scientific equipment, navigational and bombing improvements and additional equipment for crew protection. Perhaps the most visible of these changes was the adoption of a distinctive all-over white ‘anti-flash’ paint finish, designed to protect the aircraft and its crew from a nearby Thermonuclear blast. Valiant XD818 would be the first of the eight specially modified aircraft to arrive at RAF Wittering prior to Grapple deployment.

The aircraft left Wittering for Christmas Island on 3rd March 1957 and a place in history not just for Britain’s V-bomber force, but also for the future of the nation’s defence through strength strategy. Taking a route which saw landings at Aldergrove, Goose Bay, Namau, Travis AFB and Honolulu, XD818 arrived on Christmas Island on 12th March, where the crew saw the size of the operation behind this programme. With the island basically turned into a massive research station, the airfield would also be shared by RAF Shackletons and Canberras, all with specific tasks to perform over the coming months.

Full scheme details for the second option to be included in this latest Valiant release, markings applied to one of the most noteworthy aircraft in the history of British aviation

On the morning of 15th May 1957, Vickers Valiant XD818 was tasked with dropping Britain’s first live H-Bomb, off the coast of Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean. The device was code named ‘Green Granite’ and was contained within a Blue Danube ballistic casing, giving the device a combined weight of 10,000lb. XD818 would be joined by a second Valiant (XD824) acting as an observation, or ‘Grandstand’ aircraft for the detonation, again with the intention of yielding valuable data. Crews boarded their aircraft at 07.50 on Christmas Island, and embarked on a lengthy series of pre-flight checks. At exactly 09.00, Valiant XD818 and her shadow aircraft left the runway at Christmas and set course for Malden Island, with ships laden with scientists and servicemen waiting in the vicinity, aboard ships on the edge of the blast area, detailed to record the spectacle.

Having first made a navigational run to check the accuracy of their equipment and then a dummy run over the target, Valiant XD818 released her bomb off the coast of Malden Island at 10.38 at a speed of Mach 0.76 and from an altitude of exactly 45,000ft. This was extremely significant, as this was to be an air burst detonation and as a clockwork timer was being employed, to ensure the correct detonation altitude, the bomb had to be released from exactly 45,000ft. Once the bomb had been released, both of the Valiants had 40 seconds to make good their escape, executing a maximum rate 60 degree turn and putting as much distance between their aircraft’s tails and the blast as they could. The test was successful and both aircraft returned safely to Christmas Island just over an hour later.

Other Valiants would drop weapons during the remainder of the Grapple series of tests, however, Valiant XD818 would embark on her return journey to RAF Wittering on 21st June, even though this would not be the end of her Operation Grapple involvement. It is fascinating to note that this aircraft would actually make the journey from RAF Wittering to Christmas Island a further three times in support of the overall ‘Operation Grapple’ project, which would continue until late September 1958, only ending due to Britain’s inclusion in a testing moratorium pact agreed with the US and the Soviet Union. On the cancellation of the programme, XD818 would resume a busy career as an RAF V-bomber and not resting on her laurels as one of the nation’s most significant aircraft.

An exclusive first look at the packaging which will herald the arrival of this much anticipated second release from our Vickers Valiant tooling

This would not be the end of this particular Valiant’s achievements, as on 9th December 1964, she conducted the final sortie of a Valiant bomber in RAF service, lest than 48 hours before the official decision to ground all Valiants was made. The following year, with Valiants being scrapped at airfields up and down the country, XD818 was struck off charge at RAF Marham, but due to her unique history, was earmarked for ‘Exhibition Purposes’. As the only complete Vickers Valiant in the world, this incredible piece of Britain’s aviation heritage can be found on display in RAF Museum Cosford’s impressive National Cold War Exhibition building, where she is displayed next to preserved examples of the RAF’s other V-bombers, the Vulcan and Victor.

Our Vickers Valiant kit is already certain of being an incredibly popular addition to the 2021 Airfix range and taking its place at the head of our own 1/72 scale tribute to Britain’s mighty trio of Cold War V-bombers. With the models early September scheduled release now just around the corner, if you haven’t placed your order for one (or perhaps two) of these much sought after kits, now may be a good time to act. Although the Valiant was the first of Britain’s V-bombers to enter service, she is perhaps the least well know as far as the general public are concerned, but having said that, she was the only one of the three to actually deliver a nuclear munition, albeit in a test capacity. Hopefully, following the reissue of this kit, the historic role the Valiant played in keeping post war Britain safe during extremely dangerous times will lead more people to have a better appreciation of this fabulous and extremely good-looking aircraft.

Trident 1C a ‘Classic’ addition to the 2021 range

We wonder how many Workbench readers remember seeing this classic Airfix artwork and perhaps more importantly, how many it inspired to delving into the world of civilian aviation model kit building?

Since the launch of our Vintage Classics range of kits in 2019, the heady mix of historic Airfix model kits, original box artwork and general modelling nostalgia has found real favour with thousands of modellers and as a consequence, their introduction has been much more successful than we could have ever imagined. For many Workbench readers, reacquainting ourselves with some of the kits which were so important to us in our youth not only brings back a flood of pleasant memories, but also presents us with an opportunity to attempt these kits once more, perhaps with the possibility of making a slightly better job of things than we did back then. Of course, no Airfix modelling enthusiasts could ever talk about the kits from our youth without commenting on the magnificent box artwork, which not only resulted in us spending the vast majority of our spending money on these wonderful models, but which also provided plenty of inspiration when it came to finishing the models themselves. If we could make ours look something like the box artwork, then we weren’t doing so bad.

One piece of Airfix box artwork which could even inspire a die-hard military aviation fanatic into the unfamiliar world of civilian aviation, back in the day was the Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C and many Workbench readers would have no doubt been delighted to see this classic kit’s inclusion in the current 2021 range. A kit which first appeared as a new tooling release back in 1966, the new model featured the artwork of Airfix modelling legend Roy Cross and showed this attractive British jetliner in arguably its most iconic livery, that of BEA’s large red square livery. A beautiful aeroplane which was only made better looking by the addition of these attractive markings, several members of the Airfix team remember exchanging their more usual Spitfires and Mustangs for some quality build time with the Trident, also remembering how good it looked once completed and sitting amongst their model collections.

The Hawker Siddeley Trident was a real triumph for the British aviation industry in its day and an aircraft which could claim to be arguably the most advanced jetliner in the world at the time of its first flight in early 1962. To most observers, the Hawker Siddeley 121 Trident should have gone on to be sold in large numbers to operators all over the world, but would eventually lose out to an American built competitor, the similarly configured Boeing 727 tri-jet. This was mainly due to the fact that at that time, British manufacturers built their aircraft around the specific requirements of their customers, rather than assessing world market potential for themselves. Originally envisaged as a longer range airliner capable of carrying a large passenger load, the project’s major customer, British European Airways, eventually decided that what they actually wanted was a high frequency, short haul aircraft for their domestic and European routes, a decision which resulted in a significant design change for the Hawker Siddeley team. Over in the US, Boeing continued undaunted with their longer range jetliner design, an aircraft which possessed performance which would eventually attract much more operator interest, both to fly domestic routes in the US and across the wider aviation world. 

A03174V - 1/144th scale Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C

The H.S 121 Trident was a revolutionary three engined ‘Tri-liner’ which incorporated many advanced design features for the time, not least of which was a fully automated instrument landing system, an incredible innovation which is now standard on many of the world’s jetliners. Allowing the aircraft to effectively perform blind landings in zero visibility conditions, the first commercial fully automatic landing was performed by a Trident flying from Paris to Heathrow on 10th June 1965, another significant first for the British Aviation industry. Powered by three Rolls Royce Spey engines, the Trident was a bit of a speedster and was well liked by both crews and passengers alike, especially when passengers learnt of the aircraft’s many in-build safety features. One of the most interesting features of the Trident’s design was its undercarriage. The main undercarriage was extremely robust, with four wheels on each side of the aircraft giving the Trident a very smooth ride on the ground and the ability to operate from rough or damaged runways. When retracting, the bogies rotated through 90 degrees before entering their bays, much like on a C-5 Galaxy military transport aircraft does.  

The nosewheel was rather strange and was offset to port due to the need to house additional navigational and blind landing equipment in the nose of the Trident, in the floor underneath the cockpit. As a result of this, the nosewheel retracted sideways, as opposed to the more usual front or rear retraction of modern airliners. As the need for a short haul feeder-liner diminished and an aircraft with greater passenger carrying capabilities over longer distances was favoured by carriers, Hawker Siddeley designers attempted to produce uprated versions of their exceptional aircraft, however, the Boeing 727 had already secured this business. In the end, only 117 Tridents were eventually built in four major variants, with the largest operator, British Airways, retiring their aircraft in 1985. For the Trident, it was definitely a case of what could have been. Had the design team persisted with their original intention of building a larger airliner, they may have taken many of the sales later taken by the rival Boeing 727 and maybe even exceeding the forecasted 550 unit minimum production run for the aircraft. Having said that, adopting this strong stance would have probably lost them the support of BEA and the only firm advanced orders they had.

A really appealing addition to the Vintage Classics range, our Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C is scheduled for a late summer release, but is available for pre-order now. 

Everyday Supercar joins the Quickbuild range

Having rarely featured a new Quickbuild model kit within our Workbench blog until last year, its seems as if of late, they are rarely out of the blog news, a development which not only underlines the popularity of these unique models, but also how the range has benefited from significant recent investment. The latest new tooling addition to this ever expanding range is a real stunner, a German made Supercar which was introduced to take on similar cars from the likes of Porsche, but one which has since been described as the ‘Everyday Supercar’, the Audi R8 Coupé. At the time of the 2006 Paris Motor Show, Audi may well have been the last German motor manufacturer to have a genuine supercar in its range, however, when it entered this high profile arena, it did so with a bang. Already possessing impressive engine and transmission technologies, the manufacturer simply needed access to the right design and chassis to produce something with real presence and their acquisition of the Lamborghini brand gave them just that. Getting straight to work, they produced the small, light yet powerful, mid V-8 engined all-wheel drive R8, a vehicle which may have used many components from existing Audi designs, but stuck steadfastly to the principle that despite its supercar appearance and performance, it was reliable enough to be used every day and in a wide variety of situations. Significantly for them, despite quite a hefty price tag, the R8 proved to be a real hit with the public - those who could afford one bought one and those who couldn’t simply dreamed of owning one.

Our Quickbuild range of model kits has become an established part of the Airfix range over recent years and is a combination of Airfix quality and construction simplicity, models which can be built without the need for paint and glue. If so desired, they can be built, broken down and re-assembled many hundreds of times, but equally, would not look out of place if left assembled and given a spot in any display cabinet. These impressive little kits may appear to be quite a divergence from the kits most people would regard as ‘traditional’ Airfix models, but they now have a huge part to play in both the future of the brand and in attracting potential new, younger modellers to a hobby which has brought to much pleasure to so many people over the years. They also have one specific quality oozing from ever protruding brick construction part - they are FUN! 

Brick construction? You wouldn’t think so when looking at a fully constructed model of one of our latest Quickbuild kits, including the beautiful new Audi R8 Coupé

The design brief behind every Quickbuild model tooling project is to produce a brick based model which whilst intended as an introduction to modelling for youngsters, can be enjoyed by people of all ages, whether they have previous modelling experience or not. Construction is a simple push together exercise and does not require the use of either glue of paint, with the finished model being decorated with a selection of high quality self-adhesive stickers, but once finished, there is little or no evidence of the model’s brick based construction. This means that after construction and some serious playing time, the model is accurate and appealing enough to take its place on your shelf as a display model, or taken apart and returned to its box, to be constructed again when the mood takes you.  

In many ways, the design of a Quickbuild kit can be more challenging for our designers than working on a traditional Airfix model kit. The moulds themselves can be extremely complicated and incorporate additional ‘side actions’ to create the unique parts for a Quickbuild kit – this also which means that tooling costs associated with these models can actually be much higher than with other Airfix kits, just heaping a little more pressure the designer leading the project. This is mainly due to the fact that each Quickbuild kit may require four or five separate moulds when creating the parts, as different coloured section of brick components and any clear parts will all require separate tooling moulds.

When looking at the fully constructed Quickbuild Audi R8 Coupé model, you really do get an appreciation of how clever these little models are and how talented our designers are in producing them. Despite their no glue, brick based construction, the assembled model is a really attractive representation of the actual car, but in scale form, all smooth lines and graceful curves. Indeed, illustrating just how far this range of kits has progressed, it would be difficult to tell this built model apart from a standard Airfix kit, unless you were already aware of its lineage, it really is that impressive.

Expertly designed and fun to build, once a Quickbuild Audi R8 Coupé has been constructed, it wouldn’t look out of place amongst any model collection

As far as Supercars go, these beautiful machines are a constant source of fascination for many and whilst few of us will ever be fortunate enough to own one, this minor inconvenience could never diminish our interest in these vehicles. With the R8 series, Audi now have a seat at this ultimate motoring table, but they have taken it by staying true to their design principles, producing a car which is as much about practicality as it is about performance. A great looking car, the R8 is definitely a head turner, but if you take one to let it loose on a track day, you will find that it is all about performance, with the speed and handling to keep it up with all its competitors, especially as Team Audi have plenty of Le Mans 24 hour victory experience behind them - these guys know what they are doing. Similarly, if you do need to use the R8 for a little shopping trip, it has been designed to be extremely reliable and a very pleasurable drive in these circumstances - can you imagine having such a striking looking car and continually stalling it whilst everyone looks on … oh the shame! 

At the end of the day, if you have just paid £130.000 for a German Supercar, you will definitely love driving it, but you will also want as many people as possible to see you in it, just to let them know how hard working, successful or just plain lucky you are. Having said that, leaving it in the ASDA car park without an armed guard could definitely be a stress inducing exercise. For those of us who are still saving up for our Audi R8, our new Quickbuild model kit example could serve to re-focus our saving efforts and keep us all dreaming about that future purchase - it could even be argued that you would have more fun with our Quickbuild and you certainly wouldn’t mind letting the kids have a go with this one. The new Quickbuild Audi R8 Coupé is scheduled to be available in all good model shops and webstores by early October.

Tempest test frame time

A real muscle aeroplane, the Hawker Tempest was not only one of the fastest aircraft of the Second World War, it represented the very pinnacle of piston engined fighter technology

As one of the high profile new tooling projects announced at the beginning of the year, our new 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V adds to our growing range of kits in this hugely popular scale by presenting modellers with an example of one of the most potent fighter-bombers of the Second World War, an aircraft which could be described as Hawker’s ‘Super Hurricane’. Despite the fact that the Tempest was only introduced during the final few months of the war, it still proved itself to be one of the most capable single engined fighters of the war, continuing Hawker’s proud legacy of producing world class fighting aeroplanes. We are pleased to report that we are now in a position to share the very latest images of the test frame shots produced by the new Tempest V tooling with our readers, the first time these will have been seen outside the high security confines of the Airfix office. It does have to be said that despite the fact that these represent the latest frames produced by the Tempest tooling and several previous iterations have already been produced and inspected, they may still be subject to alteration before the model is released for its first production run.

An aircraft which has to be considered one of the finest fighting aeroplanes of the Second World War, the Hawker Tempest V could trace its design lineage back to the Hurricane fighters which proved so decisive during the Battle of Britain only two years earlier and indeed back to the inter-war biplane Fury, which was the first RAF fighter to exceed 200mph in level flight. The Tempest represented the absolute zenith in piston engined fighter design and when accomplished designer Sydney Camm was looking to produce his ‘Super Hurricane’ replacement for the aviation saviour of the Battle of Britain, the aircraft he surely had in mind at that time was something possessing the performance of the Tempest V. As it was, the Tempest is often confused with its predecessor in Royal Air Force service, the Typhoon, even though the two are very different aeroplanes.

The original fighter replacement for the Hawker Hurricane was the Typhoon, an aircraft which attempted to combine the most powerful piston engine available at the time with a small, yet strong and heavily armed airframe. Although intended as an interceptor fighter, it became apparent during development that the new aircraft would not be able to fulfil this 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 quite a troubled development and service introduction, to the point where cancellation of the 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 time of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Aware that their Typhoon had great potential but was in need of improvement, the Hawker design team started work on a new fighter project, one which incorporated many of the same philosophies included in Typhoon, but also, 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’s first flight approached. Although this was still a relatively large aeroplane for a single engined fighter, its airframe was light and it would be powered by the massively powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine, a powerplant which would give the new fighter spectacular performance. 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.

At first glance, the Typhoon and Tempest do share many similarities, however, if you know where to look, it is not difficult to tell them 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 vertical stabiliser 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, impressing both the design team and the watching Air Ministry.

The Hawker Tempest V entered Royal Air Force service in early 1944, with the first two squadrons to receive the type having both previously operated the Typhoon. It was thought that managing the incredible power generated by the Tempest’s engine could pose problems for pilots converting from smaller aircraft types and that former Typhoon units would be best placed to negotiate its squadron introduction. In advance of the D-day landings, Tempests were being used in a similar ground attack role to the one being flown so effectively by Typhoon squadrons, however, should it be required to make the shift to air combat operations mid-mission, the Tempest was much more suited to this task. Possessing significantly greater range than the Typhoon, Tempests could loiter in the combat zone for longer periods, allowing offensive strikes deeper into occupied Europe, or allowing pilots to wait patiently for the Luftwaffe to come up and fight, where they could show them what their new fighter could really do.

As the fastest Allied fighter at low and medium altitudes, Tempest squadrons were held back for home defence duties in the weeks which followed the successful D-day landings, due to the onslaught of a sinister new weapon, the V-1 ‘Doodlebug’ pulse jet flying bomb. The Tempest proved to be an excellent V-1 killer, using the speed of the fighter, effectiveness of its guns and bravery of its pilots to destroy large numbers of these terrifying weapons before they could wreak their havoc on British towns and cities. Britain’s most effective force against these indiscriminate weapons, hundreds of Doodlebugs were shot down by the RAF’s Hawker Tempest V squadrons, with Squadron Leader Joseph Berry proving to be the most proficient at this work, with no fewer than 61 V-1 ‘kills’ to his name.

An exclusive Workbench first look at the test frames produced from our new 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V tooling, where we can begin to see what took up so much of our designer Tom’s time during the design process. This kit will be a spectacular addition to our 1/72nd scale aviation range

With the V-1 threat diminishing, the RAF’s Tempest V squadrons were free to embark on aggressive seek and destroy missions into occupied Europe, using the speed, range and firepower of their latest fighter to great effect. Looking for potential V-1 launch sites and increasingly, the new German jet fighters which had started operating against the Allied air forces, the Tempest began to show that it was undoubtedly one of the most capable fighting aeroplanes in the world. Indeed, it has been reported that the aggressively flown Tempest was the Allied aircraft Messerschmitt Me262 jet pilots most feared during those early days of jet powered operations, particularly if they were caught during the landing and taking off phases of flight, when their jets were much more vulnerable. 

There is no doubt that the Hawker Tempest V was a real brute of an aeroplane, fast, heavily armed and possessing performance which could better any fighter the Luftwaffe had in service, perhaps with the exception of the Messerschmitt Me262 at full speed. Pilots who had experience flying both the Tempest V and its predecessor, the Typhoon, describe the difference as being like night and day - they actually said that it was like comparing a cart horse with a race horse. Although this seems a little harsh, as they flew the aircraft in combat, we should certainly bow to their judgement. Although appearing relatively late in WWII, the Tempest V still takes its place as one of the most effective piston engined fighters of the Second World War and was perhaps the ‘Super Hurricane’ designer Sydney Camm had always envisaged developing.

Designer Tom’s thoughts on his new Tempest frames

As we knew we would be featuring the Tempest V test frame shots in this latest edition of the blog, we wanted to speak to the model’s designer Tom, not only about what he thinks of them, but also about the part they actually play in the development of this new model tooling project as a whole. As always, Tom was generous with his time and was excited to return to the Tempest for just a few moments, as he has already moved on from a design perspective. Indeed, even though the Tempest is still in development, Tom has already worked on 2 further projects since this one, only returning to the Tempest when he needs to check on the latest stage of its progress.

In respect of these particular test frame images, Tom told us that these are actually quite advanced in the Tempest development process and represent the fourth round of test frame components he has received from the tooling. This is quite normal for a new tooling project, with the first frames usually being the ones which require the most work to be done, as he must assess not only how his design has been replicated, but also all aspects of how the parts have been manufactured. Checking for short shots, sink marks and ejector pin markings are just as important as checking how the detail in the design has been replicated. It is also important to construct the kit from these parts, again to check the detail, but also to assess the fit and finish of the kit, to see whether any modifications may be required.

CAD screengrab showing why the Tempest will be such a popular addition to the Airfix kit range

Once Tom’s report has been produced and sent back to the manufacturer, with any required changes fed back to them, they will get on producing the next set of test frames for evaluation. The time between sending in change requests and receiving of the latest test frames usually takes between four and six weeks, however, as the project progresses through these various stages, as less things need to be addressed, so the time between receiving the latest test frames reduces.

The importance of actually building the model from the test frame components can’t be overstated, as this is an absolutely critical phase of a new model’s development and may initiate quite a few changes, not just in the actual design of the tooling itself. Equally important in the development of any new kit is the production of the instruction booklet, something thousands of people will be inspecting for construction guidance in the months and years to come. Building the kit can have a significant impact on the production of this booklet, as it may dictate a change in the kit’s build order, or require our illustrator to produce more detailed sections (or exploded detail) to highlight various build options or to clarify more challenging aspects of the kit’s construction.

We also asked Tom how easy it was to switch between projects, when the receipt of test frames means you have to leave your current project and return to one you may have been working on many months previously. He told us that he has never really struggled with this aspect of his work and how in many respects, this can actually be an effective way of keeping you fresh and if nothing else, an appealing break from your current project. Having invested so much time designing and developing the new Hawker Tempest V, Tom told us that ‘there will always be a small part of his brain which will forever be Tempest!’

Looking at the test frames, you will notice that Tom has cleverly included several build options into this tooling which only appeared on the first few Hawker Tempests to enter service, such as the use of larger five spoke Typhoon wheels and the Hispano cannons which protrude from the leading edge of the wing. You will also notice that unusually, the clear parts frame includes components to make two drop tanks, something which is definitely in need of further explanation. On the Tempest, the fairings which attached the underwing drop tanks to the wing itself were made of a clear acetate material, intended to allow ground crews to be able to clearly see that the unit’s securing latches had engaged onto the wing stations correctly. As a consequence, the latches and fuel pipework can be seen through this clear section, something which Tom wanted to incorporate into this new kit’s design. 
  
In summary, we asked Tom how he thought his new Tempest would be received by modellers and what they would potentially be most impressed with? He told us that clearly, he hopes modellers will like the kit, but how the most important thing to him is that he hopes they will enjoy the build experience, essential if they are to continue with the hobby. He thinks that along with the detail and optional parts he has built into the kit, he also thinks that the actual split of parts will impress modellers, along with how the model comes together. Things like the cockpit floor being an integral part of the upper wing structure and the fact that you can model the unusual clear wing tank fairings will hopefully help to make this an enjoyable build project, with just a few little differences from other builds people may have attempted.

Another one of Tom’s fascinating Tempest CAD screengrabs, this time showing the undercarriage and undersides of the model, including the two drop tanks which have been designed as clear parts

What is of no doubt whatsoever, the sight of these test frames shows that the new Hawker Tempest V tooling is advancing towards production and we are looking froward to being able to bring readers the next development updates from this exciting new project. These will include a built sample model from the test frame components, box artwork reveal and scheme detail confirmation and finally, fully built and painted models using advanced production samples of the kit, all exciting stuff! How we love bringing our readers all these exclusive updates every fortnight.

From a release perspective, it has now become clear that for a number of reasons, this new Hawker Tempest V kit project has suffered some delays during its development and with production slots in our manufacturing facility proving to be incredibly tight at the moment, it is likely that the Tempest will be delayed somewhat. This will not impact on how we continue to chart its development within the blog and as soon as we have more accurate potential release date information, we will certainly let our readers know. For all those displays of 1/72nd scale Hurricanes and Typhoons out there, fear not, your Tempest is definitely on the way!  

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 Airfix Workbench Team