Matchbox 1/72 Hawker Tempest (PK-23)

The Hawker Tempest was the fastest low-altitude fighter in the RAF's inventory when it entered service in 1944, and it arrived just in time to take on two of the war's most demanding targets. The Tempest was the primary RAF aircraft tasked with intercepting the V-1 flying bomb — its speed allowed it to catch the fast-moving weapons over southern England — and it also proved devastatingly effective against the Luftwaffe's early jet aircraft, including the Me 262, which it could catch during the vulnerable take-off and landing phases. With its powerful Napier Sabre engine, thick laminar-flow wing, and heavy four-cannon armament, the Tempest represented the pinnacle of British piston-engine fighter design.

The RAF's V-1 hunter — and the piston fighter that could catch a jet.

This is a vintage model kit. Box shows signs of age-related storage — see photos. Kit appears complete, but please look at the photos carefully. Instructions and decals are present.