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Showing results for tags 'Lightning'.
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Again, breaking own rules regards 2 models on the bench with time constraints (2 builds in the F16 STGB!) I am in with another Lightning.....I know there are a few around, in different scales and NMF, but I will build out of the box, depicting the 92Sqn DG over Aluminium finish. In my view you can never have too many cold war lightnings, its in my stash, so, im gonna build it! I have tended to build 1/48 since I returned to the hobby (I built a lovely Airfix 1/48 F6 in the Lightning STBG) but have started on some projects that need 1/72, so have started playing with fiddly bits again and re-engaged the carpet monster in that ongoing war over small parts! The Airfix starter kit is quite big and complex for a starter kit, with acrylic paints (never used may try!?) etc. Bit of a hiccup! Looks to me as if the ground crew are in the older style NBC suits. Any experts tell me if the missiles are live? -
This is my forst foray back into modelling, after about an 18 year absence. Technincally I started this in 1999, but since all I did was paint the ejector seat black I don't think that counts a lot. There are a few things "wrong" with this, but overall I'm quite happy. It nearly went in the bin after I applied the alclad finishes, because I really messed them up, and if you were to see the model in the flesh you would see a great deal of nasty imperfections. However, after I made some effort to recover the model, I ended up with some rough metal finishes, which in the end (from a distance and through the camera eye) have given the model a bit of a patina look, which is not entirely unpleasant. So anyway - here it is, a 92 squadron F2 straight from the box - not a single aftermarket add on except paint. I painted it using alclad metal finishes, and Vallejo acrylics. Some weathering was applied using flory washes, their "grime" and "black" washes in this case. Decals are from the Airfix kit - and certainly not nearly as crisp as the cartograph decals found in a lot of kits now, but they went on alright with liberal application of micro set and micro sol.
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Got this finished last night. Not massively happy with my pictures, not up to the usual standard, white was prob not the best colour to use as a background. Unfortunately Shes off to her new home tomorrow (commission for a Christmas present) so wont be able to get any better pics. Quite pleased considering its my first metal finish, I dont think ill be rushing to do another though! You seriously need a perfect black gloss finish and had to rub down the whole model a few times! Still, an enjoyable build and nice to learn something new! Scale: 1/48 Manufacturer: Airfix Paint: Tamiya and Alclad Extras: None Weathering: Flory Black wash Decals: OOB
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As a change from things with propellers on and 72 scale, I've just completed this in 48. It's been an enjoyable build (HERE) which apart from a bit of extra plumbing in the cockpit and some additional surface riveting, it's OOB including the decals. Painted mainly with Citadel Chainmail silver and Tamiya rubber black for the anti-glare areas. XS452 entered service in 1965 in the scheme it is modelled in here. It's career followed on with 11, 111 & 56Sqn before ending the first chapter in its life doing fast taxi runs having been delivered to and restored at Cranfield. 452 lived a charmed life compared to many as it was then purchased by Mike Beacheyhead and flown in Capetown with several other classic jets along side its sister XS451 which was tragically lost in 2009 resulting in the grounding of the fleet. XS452 took to the air again in 2014, although from what I can gather is currently up for sale again. Thanks for looking, Neil
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P-38J Turbochargers & Air Intakes (648283 for Academy) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The P-38 was an innovative and agile fighter with a speed and grace that defied its large size, making it a formidable foe in late WWII combat. Engine power delivery via the two counter-rotating props was significantly improved by the addition of a large turbocharger unit that was mounted on the top of each engine boom, which makes it quite a focus of attention on any finished Lightning model. This new set from Eduard's Brassin range arrives in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside are the two main bodies of the turbochargers, two large intake fairings, four smaller ones, and a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass for the surrounding heat shield. The only modification needed to the kit is to remove the two small intakes on the top of the engine booms. The other parts are just drop-in replacements, even the PE parts. Cutting the parts from the casting blocks will require some patience, as the block for the main turbocharger part is quite large, and lends itself to removal by either a razor saw, or for expediency, a motor tool. As usual, take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding resin, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in. Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them. Review sample courtesy of -
Evening all. The lightning is done. For me a fairly quick build but mostly a really enjoyable one. The kit is one of the best I have ever built. So obviously I ballsed it up several times. I had a few problems with the Klear amongst other things, but any issues are mine, not the kit's. The instructions could be better - I often ended up referring to pictures of the real thing, but that's no hardship with a laptop next to the desk. This makes 3 builds now for this year, since around ..err. July. I had forgotten how relaxing and theraputic modelling can be: It's helping a lot with the mentals. Paints were mostly Tamiya Acrylics, which I love for airbrushing, with some Vallejo acrylics for some of the brushed stuff - every time I try and brush Tamiya it all goes horribly wrong and behaves like paint stripper. I have no idea either, but there you go. There is some Humbrol enamel here too - an old favourite but a lot of the new tins don't seem to be anywhere near as nice to work with as my old ones. Clear coat is Johnson's Klear mixed with a little Tamiya flatting agent, and this is one area when everything went all horrible. The stuff bubbled like there is no tomorrow. I've not had this happen before - I brush paint the stuff as it's self levelling ( and you need to clean airbrushes with ammonia if you spray it ) and normally get a flawless finish: I went over a paint mule with it and it worked fine so I must assume the brush I used for the lightning was contaminated with dust or something. The model is nowhere near perfect, but it's good enough for me and it really is a beautiful kit. I think of it as a two footer: it looks great from a couple of feet away :-) I know lightnings weren't generally parked with flaps down and brakes out, but I like the way it looks. Right here you go:
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Having built the 72 scale one last year, when the 48 version was released, it was a no brainer to get one! It is typical short run quality in respect that there are no location pins and plenty of dry fitting and fettling is needed, but the detail is very nice and includes resin exhausts and ejection seats. To overcome the lack of location pins, I added some plasticard on both halves to act as tabs making assembly easier and the joins stronger... The intake assembly is complete. This was quite fiddly as you have to ensure that when everything goes together, it all aligns centrally or else it's going to look a little drunk on completion! The cockpit rear bulkhead has been busied up a bit using brass rod although not much will be seen once the bang seats are in place. As people have mentioned before, the wing to fuselage profile doesn't quite align near the front of the wing, so some fettling has been done to improve the joins. TonyOT also gave me some advice to reinforce the fuselage between the wings to enable pressure to be applied when fitting the wings, so I'll use some large diameter plastic rod to beef the interior up. Quite enjoying working in the larger scale, the old eyes are particularly pleased with the decision!!! Cheers Neil
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For my second WIP build I've chosen another vintage kit from the stash, this time its the Hasegawa Lightning F6. Rather than use the supplied decals I'm using some 74Sqn markings from an Xtradecal Lightning sheet. I'm also going to try my best to recreate a nice shiney aluminium finish using Humbrol polished aluminium metalcote rattle can.
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Eduard P-38F Cockpit (648277 for Academy) 1:48
Mike posted a topic in Aftermarket (updates/conversions)
P-38F Cockpit (648277 for Academy) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Academy's Lightning kits are about your best bet in 1:48, even though the original tooling dates back to the 90s, which probably helps explain the relatively sparse detail in the kit cockpit. Here comes Eduard with a new cockpit set to put that right, as under the large blister canopy, a lot of the detail will be visible if you managed to keep the glazing clear. The set arrives in the familiar Brassin rectangular box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between, doubling additional protection. Inside the box are three bags of resin parts, plus a bag of pre-painted nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE) and a small decal sheet containing a few cockpit stencils. There are twenty grey resin parts, plus two in clear resin, all of which appear to have been mastered using 3D processes, resulting in incredible detail that is far more crisp than even the best traditional masters. Casting is first rate too, with no bubbles, and some tubular parts that are so thin you wonder how the resin would find its way through them. Construction begins with a complete set of pre-painted PE seatbelts, which attach to the resin chair, fixed to the cockpit floor with fine tubular frames and a portion of the main spar at the rear. The rear deck and its finely detailed radio gear is separated from the pilot by head armour and a small circular cushion, with each section locking together using keyed tabs to ensure a concise fit. A set of rudder pedals, laminated pre-printed PE instrument panel, control yoke, and detailed sidewalls go together to create the finished tub, which drops into the fuselage "pod" after the coaming is removed from the kit part. Additional detail is added to the sidewalls before installation, providing throttle quadrants, plus a few other knobs & bobs. The canopy is detailed with a gunsight as well as a section of the roll-over hoop in PE, which will require a little care with the glue. Review sample courtesy of -
The quality of the Airfix 48 scale Lightnings is well known. I have a dream to build one of each Lightning mark in 1/48 - I have all the base kits, we'll see whether it happens. Anyway, made a start by obtaining a resin cockpit set to give the office a little more oomph. I'll model the canopy open on this one. Quite a nice bang seat: Cockpit fit seems OK at the dry fit stage: In the meantime I have been working on other sub assemblies. The wing tips need a little attention for sink marks: But that shouldn't be too hard to deal with.
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Good morning! I picked up this kit from Bruntingthorpe on Sunday along with a 1:48 Airfix Lightning. I will be quite honest- this kit is a mixed blessing: Pros: -Great surface detail -Resin exhaust cans and seats -An Eduard photoetch fret included (this contains the instrument panel, belts and various aerials -A large decal sheet (which was barely used, decals sourced from the spares box for my alternative scheme) -Relatively straightforward to build and paint -Positionable flaps Cons: -Almost nothing in the way of guides to tell you where you should place the various parts (cockpit tub, intake cone and nose gear bay) -Nothing in the way of guide pins for the rudder and elevators -Main wheels with no hole through them (a hole had to be drilled to fit the axle through) -A myriad of ejection pins inside the fuselage, specifically of concern were those in the intake area -Wing-fuselage locating pins did not fit at all and these were subsequently filed down -No option to have open airbrakes!!! What I've done: Well, with a bit of fiddling around I apparently managed to get the intake cone, etc and the cockpit to line up correctly in the fuselage- once that was done I closed it up, added the various surfaces and painted her in Alclad. It's my first time with Alclad! I put down a coat of black Vallejo paint followed by a coat of Alclad gloss coat. I then sprayed on the Alclad, building it up to what it currently is. I didn't need to re-paint the black rudder because that was masked over before I sprayed the Alclad. I then masked and painted the yellow stripes on the wings and rear fuselage, added the IFR probe, small intakes and attached the PE aerials. Kit: Sword Lightning t5 1:72 Paints used: Vallejo model air: black, gold yellow. Alclad II Aluminium Note: Decals used and colour schemes are based off reference pictures but are to some extent fictional Thanks for having a look! Many thanks, Sam
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Hi all Here's my latest finished 48th Lightning (I'm up to 4 now). I finished it a few days ago but thought id take advantage of the glorious weather were having in the UK to take a few quick pics. Its built OOB with the exceptions of a resin Mk.4 seat from Quickboost and decals from Model Alliance. I've built it as XM144 'Golden Arrow' of 60MU at RAF Leconfield in 1967 as another addition to my collection of military aircraft based in Yorkshire. ​ ​ ​ ScottC
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I wondered if anyone else was currently building this and what they thought? I started mine a few weeks ago and so far so good - the build has been fairly straight forward and in fact a little easier than the 1:72 version. I made a cock up of the decals (Xtradecal) so am just awaiting some more from MJW so I can finish it off. Here's where I'm at anyway Chris -
Please see the link to the progress page. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234995376-english-electric-lighting-f3-xp753-74-tigers-squadron-148-airfix/ Built out of the box with only Humbrol products and in tribute to all those who lost their lives in this exciting aircraft, XP753 crashed in the 1980's but here she is with 74 Squadron in the 1960's at Leuchars.- 17 replies
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After a winter break moving the house around I've completed my second build since coming back to modelling. A lot of lessons learned on this one !!!!! Had several stickers fold over on me and split / break but i've finally finished this after months of trying to find the time. -
All in all a nice, easy build. There are a few amateur tell tale signs (like that big paint smudge on the fin insignia) I need to neaten up. But by my standards this is pretty good, and overall i'm very happy with this Chris x
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Good afternoon, I got this kit in early January at RNAS Yeovilton (along with the new Airfix sea king) and decided to build it as XR728- a lightning which I had seen fast-taxi during my first visit to Bruntingthorpe last year. The kit itself is Airfix's superb 1:72 Lightning F.6 which has a high level of detail and from what I gather- accuracy, except for the box-front which was missing both tailplanes... (I won't expand on this evaluation of the kit because there are plenty of reviews out there already) As metioned above, I did the Lightning as XR728, it just so happens that on closer examination the kit decals were for XR728 so I didn't have to purchas any aftermarket decals. It was painted with the Vallejo "Air" paints, I mixed a variety of greys to use as the colour for the top of the wings and fuselage, I used "USAF Light Grey" for the underside and "Medium Olive" for the shock cone. For the appropriately named Red Top missiles, a range of reds, camouflage greens and a light grey was used to paint them. -Modifications to the kit include, opening up one or two of the panel lines on the wings to allow an AK Interactive wash to flow through them after painting, the air vents/intakes (?) on the side of the fuselage just behind the cockpit were cut open as per reference pictures. And alas, apart from a few bits and pieces of plasticard in the cockpit, that was it. Profile view, note the opened air intakes/vents (?) behind the cockpit The cockpit, very little was added here- only one or two pieces of plasticard to highlight some more prominent items A close-up of the nose, also note the belly cannons just below the rear of the missile's tail A close-up of the shock cone (I tried to create a slight weathering effect on it) The underside of the Lightning An AK Interactive- "Engine and Turbines" wash was applied into the main gear bays A closer view of the rear of the aircraft, showing the tailhook and some crisp decals from Airfix The afterburner cans, try and ignore the slight defect that was created by myself (upper nozzle) And finally, a wider view from the rear of the aircraft So that's it for this build, overall a pleasant kit from Airfix, the decals were a nightmare to put on (white line decals along the upper surfaces of the wing) but I think it was worth it in the end. Thanks for having a look, Sam -
There was a proposal for the Lightning to be used in the Fighter/Ground Attack role, here is my take on it. My thinking on the scheme was because GB still had a presence in the Middle East, something low and fast was needed. I have used the larger tank and 1000lbs bombs and the matra overwing pods from Freightdog Resins, the kit is Airfix. Baremetal foil was used for the nose ring and the pitot tube was replaced with a Master metal one. So far the undercarriage is still supporting the weight of all that extra resin ! Thanks for looking Robert
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Italeri is to release a 1/32nd Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II kit in 2017- ref.2506 Sources: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/f35a-lightning-ii-2506s-italeri-it2506s-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=134766 http://www.italeri.com/imgup/Preview%20Italeri%202016(1).pdf V.P. -
I built this one during two weeks after christmas. A relaxing build that turned out to be a little more complicated than I first thought. But just a little, this is still a great kit, pretty easy to build. Why complicated? Well, fit is great - but just almost. Almost every piece had to be a little adjusted to fit. But almost no filler was necessary, so compared to many other kits this one still had a great fit. Painted with Xtracrylics green and Vallejo aluminium. And here it is compared to Trumpeter's F.6. The main difference is the nose and the exhaust. But Lightning experts (I am not) can surely spot lots of other differences. And finally: Few planes are more situated for christmas builds. -
Hi, I`m building a 1/48 Airfix Lightning f6 and I want to put detail on the belly where the canon barrels protrude, if they do, I have found many pictures of the opening and guard but none which show a barrel, does anyone know how far the barrels stick out and maybe have some pics? Hopefully, Dave
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Anyone remember this one from the Lightning GB? http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234968483-early-airfix-48th-lightnings/ Poor thing has been lingering at one corner of the bench while other projects were completed but a determination to finish off various stalled models this year seen her get some attention lately. Been working on the seat that comes with the Cutting Edge cockpit set. Some base coats of Humbrol enamels got it to here; Then plenty dry brushing and detail painting, along with the addition of fuse wire handles got this; Once this is installed it'll be time to sort out the undercarriage legs.
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Hello all This is my first completion in almost 6 months after a barren summer dominated by looking after the kids followed by a short-term loss of building mojo. Finally got my backside in gear to finish this Lightning as a Christmas present for my father in law, who used to paint Lightnings with 5 Squadron based at RAF Binbrook in the late 60s and early 70s. I wanted to do the model in a 5 squadron scheme like he would have worked on, so had to depart from my usual out of the box method. Did a bit of research online, and chose this pic to base mine on: Dipped into the aftermarket for the required 5 Squadron decals (thanks to Gary West for pointing me in the direction of the Model Alliance ones), and also pushed the boat out and went for a SAC undercarriage set, and a Montex mask for the canopy. Been wanting to try a natural metal finish for a while, so played around a bit with how to try and get some variation in the metal tones. I pre-shaded different bits of the airframe in white, grey and black to see if that would make any difference when a single shade of aluminium (Tamiya XF16) went on over the top. There are some subtle variations to the naked eye, but I'm not sure my photos really pick this up. I picked out selected panels and control surfaces in Tamiya XF56 to break it up some more. Kept the weathering light, with just an oil paint wash to lightly accent panel lines. I know there are some errors and omissions in it, but am hopeful it is a reasonable representation of an F6 from that era. Overall very happy with how it turned out (hope the old boy will be too). Thanks for looking Adam- 21 replies
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You may be wandering why this isn't in the what-if section... Let me explain... At the moment I'm planning on what kits (whiffs) to construct after the what if III GB, so far these include: - Second generation BAC-TSR.2 GR.8, barely started. -Vengeance class aircraft carrier, barely started - some sort of F-18 - A-10D Thunderbolt III - Annnnnd the one which is the cause of inquiry, a navalised EE Lightning (preferably based on the F.6) My following question is: What sort of aerodynamic (realistic) improvements are needed for a nasalised version, would an extended/revised wing be needed; if so how would realistically look like (I'm thinking mig-21 style)? How beefed up would the undercarriage need to be and would I need a new canopy for better visibility? The reason why this isn't in the what-if section is because I thought that the people who don't do whiffs (might) have a better knowledge... Of course I may be catastrophically wrong Still any tips and enlightenments are COMPLETELY welcome no matter how stupid or unrealistic they are! Many, Many thanks chomp chomp -raptor
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As a side topic to the 'what should Airfix be making' and the inevitable 'why?' and 'why not' posts that follow can you list your personal wishlists in 3 categories: Near term - those you feel are likely to come to fruition in a year or two, even if you won't be buying it Medium term - within say 5 years, and can include those models You want to see that are a faintly realistic proposition. Long term - when you will be planning a release from your cryogenic chamber. (note: whilst the long term plans may include unlikely makes or marks, or even a corrected version of a current bestseller please try keep them fairly realistic - I doubt Airfix will be making a Tibetan homemade glider at any point despite the clamouring for one) .... Ok I'll start off (and I'll try to keep it as new kits only not rereleases) Near: Single seat Vamps P-47 (razor and bubble) D3A Val (extending the pacific WW2 niche) Buccaneer (a big UK seller and the old one is aged) Meteors (including at least 1 each T & NF) 2 seat Lightning (so many fighters, needs a matching trainer) Medium: Whirlwind (the forgotten WW2 fighter) DH106 Comet (4s please, RAF & Dan Air schemes) Victor (much demanded to replace the aging Matchbox) F-4 Phantoms (a European sized hole will persist unless FujiGawa get cheaper, or Revell add to their F) Panther/Cougar - (expanding the USN theme in to post war) Long: Vulcan (old mould is creaking) Wellesley (Forgotten type, fits with a WW2 desert theme) Gazelle (hard to find, simply needs updating to modern standards) Wasp/Scout (a missing link so long oop) Viggan (actually pretry much any Saab as the reborn Heller seen reluctant to mass market, and non-Gripens aren't commonplace) *I reserve the right to change my mind if I think of new options (and given time I could extend to top 100s!)
