Hawker Tempest Mk V
Mk V Series 2 / short cannon barrels
Colours used
in this example.
Build the main surfaces in light layers. Keep the quiet background softer than the aircraft.
Suggested pencil shades, not exact historical paint matches. Test colours on your paper before building richer layers.
Keep pencil grain visible
Leave a small spinner highlight
Colour neatly within the concentric shapes
Use lighter pressure in the distance
Look a little closer.
Explore the details from different angles.
Comparison reference 1
Tempest NV778 in TT.5 target-tug configuration: yellow underside and nose detail. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. Display copy resized without cropping.
Photo: Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0Comparison reference 2
Tempest NV778: front-quarter view of target-tug paint and chin radiator. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. Display copy resized without cropping.
Photo: Jeremy Oakley · Source · CC BY 2.0Comparison reference 3
Tempest NV778: cowling fasteners, exhausts and yellow undercarriage door. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. Display copy resized without cropping.
Photo: Jeremy Oakley · Source · CC BY 2.0Comparison reference 4
Tempest NV778: chin radiator, red spinner and front undercarriage. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. Display copy resized without cropping.
Photo: Jeremy Oakley · Source · CC BY 2.0Comparison reference 5
Tempest NV778: forward fuselage and chin intake under coloured museum lighting. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. NV778 is a post-war TT.5 conversion of the Tempest V; target-tug markings differ from a wartime fighter. Display copy resized without cropping.
Photo: Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0Historical finishes and markings
The downloaded gallery shows NV778 after conversion to a TT.5 target tug, with a silver finish and conspicuous yellow-and-black underside markings. RAF Museum documents its post-war conversion. These are useful shape references but are not a 1944 fighter scheme.
Markings: Preserve the selected wartime aircraft's code and serial together; Do not add the target-tug stripes to a 1944 fighter interpretation Silver finish with yellow-and-black target-tug underside markings on preserved NV778 Wartime green-and-grey camouflage is a separate creative starting point until a dated aircraft source is selected
In the photographs
The downloaded gallery shows NV778 after conversion to a TT.5 target tug, with a silver finish and conspicuous yellow-and-black underside markings. RAF Museum documents its post-war conversion. These are useful shape references but are not a 1944 fighter scheme.
In the coloured example
This pencil interpretation uses airframe: Olive green, Slate grey, Pale grey; spinner and blades: Pale sage, Graphite, Yellow; roundels and fin: Red, Navy, White, Muted yellow; fields and sky: Sage, Straw, Pale blue. It is a creative colouring example based on the book drawing. It does not reproduce a verified individual aircraft or an exact paint standard.
Make the details count.
Make the chin radiator the darkest large opening.
Use gentle shadows along the thin wing rather than making it look thick.
Follow your curiosity.
Model history and further reading.