Thank you to Lyric1 for finding me the info for this skin, which is an adoption of one first done by Airmess in 2006.
I was reluctant to attempt skinning the Tempest as it is for some reason the only AH1-era aircraft shape left in the game and so has far more issues than any other shape. However I recently updated the lighting files on one of Airmess' Tempest skins for this month's FSO and was asked to submit it to the MA. I don't like putting my name on someone else's skin though, so decided to do my own template. Like all the old AH1 3D models the Tempest was designed to cope with far lower spec PCs than today's and so it has a low poly count giving it a very basic shape. Also there are numerous texture issues including mirroring, stretched areas, overlapped areas and with some parts of the RH fuselage copied to the LH fuselage. Then there are various 3D sorting and lighting issues....basically it is just horrible to skin.
This 3 Squadron aircraft was flown by Belgian ace Flt. Lt. Remy Van Lierde in June 1944. It's spinner carried three narrow stripes in the Belgian national flag's colours.
As a sergeant in the Belgian Air Force Van Lierde was shot down and wounded in May 1940. Once recovered he escaped occupied Europe via France and Spain and reached England in late 1941 where he joined the RAF. Flying Spitfires and later Typhoons he had shot down six enemy aircraft by late 1943 when he was posted to the RAF's Gunnery School. In April 1944 he joined 3 Squadron as a Flight Lieutenant who were flying the RAF's latest fighter, the Tempest. In August he was promoted to Squadron Leader and given command of the Spitfire-equipped 164 Squadron. At this time both squadrons were tasked with destroying V-1 flying bombs and Van Lierde excelled at this, destroying 44 of them, making him the second highest scoring V-1 ace. Post-war he continued his flying career in the Belgian Air Force, rising to become a senior staff officer before retiring in 1968.
