Lightning cockpit colours

[Scratchbuilder]

Hi all, you won't find me in this section very often, but I can't help lovin' a Lightning.

I got my 48th scale kit this morning and had a look at the instruction booklet and duly painted the cockpit matt black, but while drinking my coffee I had a butchers' on the 'net and the cockpits were, it seems, mid grey!  

Would anyone knowledgeable like to comment on this?  I am not using any fancy aftermarket stuff, just what the kit provides, which looks great to me, but the colours seem a bit off.

 

Cheers,

Martin

[JohnT]

Early Lightnings cockpit black and late marks changed to grey

 

No doubt someone will be along in a minute who is a Lightning expert and will be able to say exactly when the change took place.

 

which mark are you modelling?

 

John

[tempestfan]

Nowhere near the books, but IIRC 1 (the few), 1a and 2 were predominantly black, I ***think*** the Change occured with the 3. Not sure what that'd mean for the F.2A, but as those were extensively modified...

[Scratchbuilder]

Thanks, gents. That explains it. I'm doing an F1, as to me, it ain''t a Lightning without the pointy fin.

 

Many thanks,

Martin

[Scratchbuilder]

The matt black, after a little use looks like a dark grey!" But very irregularly, so probably best left as simple matt black.

 

Martin

[Vultures1]

4 hours ago, tempestfan said:

Not sure what that'd mean for the F.2A, but as those were extensively modified...

 

If I may slightly hijack the thread, can anyone give a definitive answer of what it does mean for the F2A?  

 

I think the cockpit should be grey, having been modified to later standards but would appreciate word from one who knows for sure

 

Thanks!

[Scratchbuilder]

Mine is now matt black with a slight, almost imperceptible coating from a brush of cleaned off white.  Then some grey. It gives just a tiny hint of texture, no more than that. The decals in the kit have a grey background and it's a wrong grey at that, so worse than paint. As the moulded parts hint at needles on gauges I have been able to suggest the different colours of white and various shades of black with a little wear thrown in. The likelihood is that there will be very little visible through the canopy.  I am including the pilot as I want a roll out version with the canopy shut. I had to cut the back of his knees to get him anywhere near fitting and his backside still isn't in the seat, but you can't see that either.

 

I am enjoying building a kit for the first time since I was 8 years old!

 

Martin

[Darth Vader]

The f1,1a,2 and t4 were black and the f2a,3,3a,6 and t5 were dark admirality grey.

[Scratchbuilder]

Thanks, Darth,

cockpit painted, pilot painted, jet tract in, cone painted, fuse halves together, fin on.   Just falls together apart from the pilot needing his legs breaking!  I also painted some tiger heads on his sleeves and helmet.  74 sqdn. RAF Coltishall for me.

 

OK, my time's my own largely, but this thing has fallen together so far.

 

Is it possible to get details of a start up compressor, (Hoochin is it?)  It would look good on the concrete next to it.

 

Cheers,

Martin

[stever219]

29 minutes ago, Scratchbuilder said:

Is it possible to get details of a start up compressor, (Hoochin is it?)  It would look good on the concrete next to it.

 

Cheers,

Martin

 

It is: David J Parkins' Flightpath Models does a 1/48th Houchin 25KVa GPU for less than £20.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Alas that is much more than I paid for the model aircraft kit itself!  If I can get some basic measurements, I could make one.

 

Thanks,

Martin

[Scratchbuilder]

There seems to be an Italian made resin kit for 10 Euros by Video aviation. That's a possibility if I can find it from a British supplier, but where does one start looking for the smaller suppliers?

 

Martin

[Vultures1]

21 hours ago, Darth Vader said:

The f1,1a,2 and t4 were black and the f2a,3,3a,6 and t5 were dark admirality grey.

 

Thanks Darth, most helpful!

[Darth Vader]

Lightnings didnt / dont need a ground starter just a battery cart. It has its own starter that runs off Avpin. Check out Bruntingthorpe s lightnings on youtube or better still get along to one of their open days and feel the noise .

[Scratchbuilder]

I realise that's all they have at Bruntingthorpe,( I have been and felt the thunder) although I don't see how they get 3 phase AC out of a trolley, but in the day, they used Houchins.  

 

Martin

[tweeky]

For daily use we used to use AC and DC from a Houchin at Binbrook but we could do a DC start (just like the trolley Acc's the LGP use)  but the pilots did like the AC on as it was used to run up all the other bits and bobs. 

[Darth Vader]

Well you learn something new everyday, cheers Tweeky

[Red Dot]

On 26/07/2017 at 9:20 PM, Darth Vader said:

The f1,1a,2 and t4 were black and the f2a,3,3a,6 and t5 were dark admirality grey.

why did the air force use a navy colour? can of worms opened!