keefr22 Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Why would we mind, twice the viewing pleasure!! They would lend themselves to a nice little flightline diorama at the end James! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
propforward Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Nice score on the T4! I think it's a decent kit. The more Lightnings, the better! Bring it on! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 I will add the Sword Lightning to the build as well then. It's good timing and I will probably do it as XM995 T of 92 Sqn in the dark green, as depicted in the kit. I was thinking of an earlier natural metal finish one, but I would have to source the decals. It will make a nice Gutersloh Lightning pair with the F.2A. Had a quick look in the box, the Sword kit looks nicely detailed with finer surface detail than the Airfix kit, but more involved to build. There are resin and PE bits for the cockpit and seats. There is no intake trunking as such, and the nose ring is molded integrally with fuselage halves, so this area could be more tricky to get right. The plan is to get this kit up to the same place as the F.2A is at the moment, make up and paint the jet pipes, get the cockpit painted, and get the external dark green on the fuselage & wings. Then both kits can proceed together. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 (edited) Sounds like a plan to me. So, are you going to change the title of the thread to.... Lightning Lightning Lightning?!😃 Dohhh!! Beat me to it! Edited March 19, 2017 by rob Lyttle catch up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Actually I did consider that title! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Are you sure you don't want a nice shiny one? If it was me, I'd use the transfers and pretend they were the right ones!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Two for one? What's not to love It's Lightnings Plurally 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) Here it be, Swords' 1:72nd Lightning T.4. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr Really does look nice, lovely surface detail. Decals are really good, and more comprehensive than the Airfix sheet. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr The etch stuff looks very good, it's in colour which I've never encountered before. . I shy away from PE normally, so this could be interesting. There's enough ejector seat handles included to be able to put one on my F.2A seat. Instrument panel is lovely BUT as with the F.2A kit, is the wrong style. T.4s were essentially based on the F.1A and had the black with conventional dials, the one depicted in etch is for the T.5 with the OR.946 panel. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr I'm not going to have any time with these kits for the next four days, but managed to get an hour today. First thing I did was to shorten the external cable ducts. The kit obviously shares the fuselage moldings with the T.5 and the ducts are the full length ones as found on the T.5, & F3 & 6. Used a scalpel to carefully slice them off until just proud of the surface, then finished off with a file and fine grit paper. Shape the new forward part of the duct as per the original. This operation isn't mentioned in the instructions, so be ready for it. The plans show the shorter ducts though. The red arrow pointing aft shows where the kit ducts start, the downward arrow showing where the T.4 duct starts. Quote Are you sure you don't want a nice shiny one? @rob Lyttle Actually the decal option for the 56 sqn T.4 gives me the number to do one of the natural metal 92 sqn Lightnings so may consider that, however something appeals to me in having two versions in the same paint finish of the same era, but showing the technical differences between them - we will see Edited March 20, 2017 by 71chally 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Liking the look of this thread immensely, nothing like a really good Lightning "how to" to go with the Lightnings I have in stock. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 That does look like an above -average kit that's landed on your table. Hope the airfix kit can hold its own, in tandem with this! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Liking Lightning Lightning! Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tornado 01 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 As much as I like the fact that Sword has done both the T.4 and T.5. Its still got that basic problem of the nose shape being wrong. In that the kits doesn't have the look of the real thing and the squashed tub/coke can below the cockpit.... After years of living near Binbrook Its not something you forget. Tim S 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonl Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Double fun.... this gets better.. imdo do like the foil nose ring, very effective. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Great stuff, I have both Airfix F2a and F6 kits and the Sword T4 in 1/72 on the to-do pile and currently building (or bodgeing more like) an Aeroclub F1a in 1/48 so will follow this with interest! Cheers Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Right, a day back in the seat - let's set fire to tears people! First job, get Sword Lightning wing halves together and cleaned up. I actually glued them together the other night, so today I rubbed down the join on the leading edges. As with the Airfix kit the join is superb and no need for filler. I did a bit of fettleing for the wing to fuselage join, about half an hour with a scalpel and a small file, and again achieved a great join between the two. The tabs on the wing assemblies that fit in the fuselage holes needed cutting down length ways for the wings to sit in their proper position, using the wing spar and fuselage frame lines to align properly. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr Nice clean leading edge join, and good comparison of the early and late Lightning wing planforms. On 20/03/2017 at 0:33 AM, rob Lyttle said: Are you sure you don't want a nice shiny one? If it was me, I'd use the transfers and pretend they were the right ones!! You've got a lot to answer for! After (too much) umm'ing and ah'ing I sided with a metal finish for the T.4. It still has to be 92 sqn though. The obvious one to do would be XM995 in the gorgeous natural metal with the mid blue spine and chevrons finish, and is available on a aftermarket decal sheet. However that would break with my original brief of spending more money, and a quick look on Google shows that this example has understandably been done a few times. So a really good look around has found me another, not often seen scheme for XM995 which I could achieve with the kits' decal sheet and help from spare decals in the stash. Time for foil finish. For this, I apply Humbrol 35 polyurethane varnish very thinly on the surface to be covered, and let it dry. Then I use thin kitchen foil, and cut it into panel size sheets, turning each adjoing panel through 90 degs. After the varnish has dried for about 20 mins I start applying the foil sheet, rubbing it down on the plastic with a finger or cotton bud until the detail underneath shows through. Once the sheet has sealed down firmly, using a very sharp scalpel trim the foil at the panel lines to be covered. Apply the next sheet at 90 degs, go through the same process. Turning the sheet this way gives very subtle variations to the different panels. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr The B& W image hopefully shows the slight varying in panel tone. The foil sheet is fairly tolerant, and can be rubbed down over raised scoops etc, it can be burnish, polished and dulled afterwards as well. I'm not that happy with some of the aft panel work (haven't done this for a while!), so I will probably remove that and start again. This is fairly easy to do as the varnish takes a while to fully cure when covered like this, and the foil can be peeled off. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Brilliant. Nice to see you in action with the foil. Impressive looking so far. You have my full attention.... I got questions, but I expect they'll be answered as this goes along . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Thanks Rob, ask away at any time, you never know it might even help with my build! Edited March 30, 2017 by 71chally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) I'm glad now that I stripped some of the work that I did yesterday, as it was only then (and after looking through many photos) that I realised that most of the raised scoops on this kit are not applicable for the T.4 (guessing for the bigger Avon T.5s), so these were removed by knife and filed smooth. This does make the job of applying the foil a lot easier as well. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr The red circles show the raised scoops to be removed, the orange circle a vent to be filled in. There is a circular vent where the removed upper aft scoop was, that will be drilled open. Most of the port side is done now. This is a far easier job while the fuselage halves are separate, though the undersides and spine will have to be done once it's all buttoned up of course. Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr Sword 1:72 Lightning T.4 by James Thomas, on Flickr For some reason these pictures don't really show the subtle differences in the panel shades. You can see how well the foil contorts and can be smoothed out, by the way that it has covered the tailplane mounting area which is an awkward bulge shape The fuselage halves join really well, in the last shot they are held together by three small bits of tape Edited March 30, 2017 by 71chally 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Looking fast already. Im guessing that the underside is a paint job . Here's the thing - I just picked up a little airfix P51D and it looks like a great kit, fine panel engraving and just right for a foil job. You know my method, but I'm wondering if this kitchen foil method would be more delicate. Why gloss varnish? I've read about a PVA method - what's the advantage of varnish? Are you just teasing the foil with a cotton wool stick, or give it a bit more of a drubbing? I sometimes double layer to get a little imperfection going, especially on WW2 planes, looking more like separate panels. Does that work with this , or is it just too thin to notice? Edited March 30, 2017 by rob Lyttle not paying attention 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Fascinating to watch you at work with that thar foil James. Those last two shots give a great sense of the fine metallic quality you're achieving here. Two Lightnings eh? Sounds good to me. Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) In order Rob, No it will be foil all over, but you want to join the two halves and clean the seams before applying foil to top and bottom. I do use paint for awkward areas or heavy curves etc, and any touching up that might be needed. The P-51 sounds a great place to start or practice, I first did it on Monograms' B-36! I would say yes, the foil sheet is much finer to work with, and really takes to curves/bumps quite well I've found gloss polyurethane varnish to be perfect, it remains tacky for the time your applying the foil, it's fairly easy to peel the foil back off (say within an hour), responds well to the rubbing down process and holds the foil really well when dry I tend to use the cotton bud for initial rubbing down of the foil, starting in the middle of your panel and working outwards. Avoid getting it near the adjoing uncovered varnish though. The foil is tough and I use the back of my finger nail the most, and the edge of my nail to find the panel lines. One way you might be able to get deliberate imperfections is by using slightly thicker varnish layers, this means the foil can deform when pressed down on to it. It's really worth experimenting with, and don't forget to turn the foil 90 degs at adjoining panels to get the different shades. Sheet foil has a grain, and you can get four basic shades from a sheet. Thanks Tony, it seems to be taking me an age - again! Edited March 30, 2017 by 71chally 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Lovely work with the foil, it really does look the part! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted April 1, 2017 Author Share Posted April 1, 2017 Managed to get 45 mins of unbridled freedom this morning, which I wisely invested in foiling the Airfix F.2A wing undersides. Airfix 1:72 Lightning F.2A by James Thomas, on Flickr The differing shades show up better here. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonl Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 That foil work is flipping brilliant! Nuff said! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sten Ekedahl Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 As someone pointed out, the intake rim is not one of the strong points on the Sword kit. I found that an easy way to improve this is using the Quickboost resin nose ring instead. Although it is intended for the Trumpeter kit (IIRC), by removing a few mm from the front of the Sword kit, and attaching the Quickboost part, you'll get a far better result. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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