@Merlin I could have removed my above post so I didn’t have to admit that I haven’t read your review but since I’m an honest person I’ll let it stand as it is… “Teaming up with Eduard” is really interesting, that way we maybe could get a few more of the kits Eduard has done in 1/48 in 1/72, some have been released by Eduard but there are also many that haven’t. I would love a Tempest even if Airfix have announced one for 2021!
Magnus
Hi Magnus
This quote from Special Hobby’s latest Newsletter might interest you:
“Just before being finished is yet another project which originates in our cooperation with Eduard. After the exquisite Bf 109 E-4, the Bf 109 E-3 version is going to hit the market this February, after that we are going to jointly produce the Tempest Mk.II. Our boxing will offer the so-called Hi-Tech style with resin detail parts including a partial replica of the engine with some of the cover panels open. The fire which struck Eduard company only made our collaboration deeper. We were more than happy to offer them the free capacity of our injection machines, to help them recover from the loss of their sprues stock. It also means the Tempest Mk.II kit will most likely be produced using our injection machines. And more joint projects will follow, too.”
I’m guessing this Tempest II will be 1:48, but maybe the companies will collaborate on a 1:72 Tempest series like they did with the Bf 109E…?
Speaking of the Bf 109E - I’d better get cracking if I want to get it painted this weekend! 
All the best
Rowan 
Any canopy mask included?
Not in the kit, but can be bought separately.
Andy 
Great progress Rowan 
Interesting that special hobby are doing a Tempest and if it is 1/72, Hopefully a type II.
That way we’d have both major variants: MK V from Airfix and type II from SH 
@Russelle Sorry to tell you but almost sure the announced Tempest is in 1/48! But if the 109:s sell as well as they should and the SH/Eduard relationship lasts there is lots of hope for 1/72!
Magnus
Hi again
Yep - as I read Special Hobby’s announcement, the new Tempest Mk. II will be 1:48 - and I’ve got to say I’m totally stoked at the prospect of it! But it opens up the intriguing possibility of 1:72 Tempests as a result of what appears to be an increasingly close working partnership between Special Hobby and Eduard.
Back to the Emil - no pics yet, but I’ve got the basic exterior colours on. Tomorrow’s job is going to be mottling, so I think I’ll start with a thorough strip-down of my airbrush and some tests before trying to spray anything in a scale that’s smaller than I’m used to.
All the best
Rowan
Ah well I’ll have plenty to do with Airfix’s new 1/72 Tempest and the rest of the kits in my stash until there’s a 1/72 Tempest II
Hi again
A quick update on the Emil. First a look at how I left things yesterday. I followed the kit’s instructions for the basic pattern, including the odd “nibble” into the RLM 74 at the wingtip:
And the current state of play, with the 4-colour mottle applied:
The tailplanes are only clipped in place at the moment, and the flaps and slats are back off to allow me to paint in some RLM 02.
That’s all for this afternoon - first, I think I need a cup of coffee!
All the best
Rowan
Looks spot on, keep 'em coming! 
KP announced a new tool kit for this year, let’s see how it works out!
Hi again
No fresh pics, but I think I’ve safely reached a good point to take a break for a couple of days - even defeating the dreaded Carpet Monster to recover an aileron mass balance that went ballistic as I attached it to a clothes peg for painting!
I’ve got work tomorrow, so that’ll time nicely with spraying a clear coat and allowing it to cure before thinking about decals.
All the best
Rowan
Hi again
Once again, no pics, but a bit more progress as I masked off the canopy. In answer to the earlier question, Special Hobby’s dedicated masks can be bought here:
They’d have certainly saved an hour or so cutting masks and are well priced at 4.00 Euros. I whiled away the time listening to some interesting podcasts: BBC Radio 4 - The Battersea Poltergeist, Introducing The Battersea Poltergeist 
It definitely feels like the end is in sight - barring disaster with the decals and last few details. Finishing this weekend might be a bit ambitious, so I’m predicting mid next week to wrap things up.
All the best
Rowan 
Hi again
I did tempt Fate a bit today - tinkering with the fuselage mottling before spraying a gloss coat 
… but, thankfully, I got away with it and I think it does look better for the addition of a few darker mottles.
So… still on track. The next stage will be the decals. I promise some pics soon.
All the best
Rowan
Hi again
A quick update - and a pic as promised:
As you can see, I’ve got underway applying the decals. They’re good quality - very thin and snuggling down into the details well. I hit one predictable issue, though - where Special Hobby have included RLM 65 in the swastikas (as though they’d been masked off when the mottle was applied), it’s not a great match for the Mr Hobby colour, so I’ll need to do a bit of blending.
What I didn’t foresee was that the wing walkway markings simply don’t work at all. The trouble is, the red is printed over white to ensure its opacity and, despite the registration being nigh-on perfect, there’s still fringing which stands out like a saw thumb. The sad thing is that, without the white, the red would probably have dulled down really nicely to look like Weinrot. As it is, I’ll have look at using some Fantasy Printshop decal striping.
Once this first round of decals have dried thoroughly, I’ll apply more stencils etc. Touch wood, things are still looking set fair for finishing mid next week…
All the best
Rowan
Micro Scale decals have pin striping in various colors and widths (including red) and are usually available in hobby stores, especially those that sell model RR’s.
Cheers Leo
I think I’ve got some Xtradecals stripes too, but the Fantasy Printshop ones were ready to hand.
So, I’m just about done decaling - I’ll let everything dry thoroughly before moving on:
You can see the problem with the white under the red on the stencil just ahead of the cockpit. You can get away with it on areas like the yellow cowling, but not on dark camouflage. I’ll try to disguise it when I blend in the swastikas a bit.
All the best
Rowan
Lovely work on the paint job Rowan! You ought to do more 1/72!
Magnus
Hi Magnus
Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this build, so I may well dip a toe into the world of 1:72 more often.
All the best
Rowan
I can’t get over the level of detail OOB on this thing. Wow!!! Great progress so far.
