"Are 'Friends' Electric?" The English Electric Lightning F.1 by Airfix 1/48

[The Spadgent]

Here's a pic I linked from imgur.

seems to work.

Looks like it might be a Flickr problem after all.    Johnny

 

[The Spadgent]

Right then that was all a bit of a pain in the neck. It looks as though Flickr is totally broken for me.  nothing will post into my threads so I have set up a IMGUR account and I’ll continue from there.

Let’s carry on eh.

The landing gear instructions are a little bit vague to say the least.  

No locating pins or points of contact. It looks as though through some kind of zen you bring the parts together and they just fit. Well I looks for other people’s builds and I found that folk and the instructions seem to come to a conclusion like this.

but this isn’t what the plane is like. I want to add more detail to the Wells too so I had a look at the real thing.

and a better look underneath.

there is a little bracket between the two arms. I’m going to add that along with some wires and other bits and bobs. I’m not doing it tonight as I’m having a rest before the office party tomorrow. 

Thanks for all the help with the pics and thanks for dropping by to see the madness.

all the best and Happy Modelling.

 

Johnny pictures.

 

[TheBaron]

Glad you got your pictures sorted Johnny. 

The kit seems to have presented you with a Crystal Maze task regarding the structural arrangements but I've no doubt that your detective-work will suss that out in short order.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I noticed the same issue with the landing gear being vague. I had to use photo’s much like yourself to get things close. Im sure mine aren't 100% correct, but i can live with them. I like what you did in the wheelbay’s with the foil.  

 

Dennis

[The Spadgent]

 

2 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I noticed the same issue with the landing gear being vague. I had to use photo’s much like yourself to get things close. Im sure mine aren't 100% correct, but i can live with them. I like what you did in the wheelbay’s with the foil.  

 

Dennis

Yeah ah they are a bit of a dark art. I’m going to have fun making them look busy though.

 

oh and for those that that are interested on Imgur (iPhone app) you can post hidden pics too by holding your finger on the image and copying Link from there. The share link button doesn’t work. 

Here’s a Christmassy Custard Factory pic for a test.

See you all on a drunken train ride tomorrow.

 

Johnny party. 

[Leonl]

I do love your foil rivet work, very effective...

[propforward]

On 12/20/2017 at 12:49 PM, The Spadgent said:

The landing gear instructions are a little bit vague to say the least.  

 

 

Oh yes. They really didn't think out the landing gear well enough - well perhaps for the day they did, released as this was in 1997 or so. But still, the vague "put the strut over there somewhere", with no real locating features is frustrating. At least the main strut is good and stout, and will support the model on its own, so for the rest of the gear it's a matter of finding a way of making it look right. I'll be interested to see what you come up with, so that I can , er, proactively and non fiscally replicate the approach (rip the idea off without paying for it).

[matto21]

I'm building the Airfix 1:72 version of the Lightning at the moment and it has all the same fit issues, especially around the cockpit.

 

You're doing a great job with it!

[TheBaron]

Wishing you a Happy Christmas along with you and yours Johnny!

[The Spadgent]

9 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Wishing you a Happy Christmas along with you and yours Johnny!

Right back atcha buddy. Hope you get a whole bunch of Christmassy good ness tomorrow.

[The Spadgent]

Well who da thunk it? Amongst all the hustle and bustle I got an hour or so at the bench today.  The pesky rear cockpit bit got glued in place, gaps ‘n’ all.

Then I built the dashboard bit. For some reason “the instructions say clear” but the view finder bit is solid plastic so I cut it off ready for a scratch clear part later on. I also built a square radar thing out of tiny bits of plasticard. (Very tiny)

The gaps got filled with plasticard shins and PPP then sanded, sprayed and sanded again.

And on the bottom. I’ll come back to this after Christmas, I really wanted to have a go at a wheel well. So best intentions and a vague stab at what you get in the real thing we are here.

I have to add the other strut when I put the leg in but I’m pretty happy with that.

right I’m going to settle down with Agatha Christie and a nice glass of red. I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas time and best wishes to each and every one of you. Thanks for dropping by for a wee snifter. Happy Modelling chums.

 

Johnny ho ho ho!  

[Bigdave22014]

A snifter? Don't mind if I do old boy! Bit less of the wee and more of the snifter though, eh? 

Have a good Christmas Johnny Christmas.

[Martian]

Lovely detailing Johnny!

 

Martian

[The Spadgent]

On 25/12/2017 at 7:05 AM, Bigdave22014 said:

A snifter? Don't mind if I do old boy! Bit less of the wee and more of the snifter though, eh? 

Have a good Christmas Johnny Christmas.

I will and enjoy. 

9 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

Lovely detailing Johnny!

 

Martian

Thanks M.

and guess what? BM is down for a few days and Flickr works again!

Merry Christmas From Zero.

Model day tomorrow. 

 

Jont.

[rob Lyttle]

1 hour ago, The Spadgent said:

d guess what? BM is down for a few days and Flickr works again!

YEAYY....!

Well spotted!👍

[The Spadgent]

Morning. 

As a wise man once said, “You can’t have enough clamps”. So

and the seams and wobbly bits got fixed on the main fuselage.

this got a prime and the other wheel well got detailed.

now this might seem like a silly question but do the wing flaps stick down or up/down or straight when parked on these things?  I need to walk the dog so if you know and your not too hungover a few pointers would be lovely.

Thanks for popping in for a cuppa, more in a bit. (So glad Flickr works again)

 

Johnny simple things.

[Darth Vader]

Flaps and airbrakes are always retracted when parked. Very rare to see a lightning with either out.

[stever219]

Ailerons were generally left neutral as well: the Lightning has irreversible powered flying controls, so an erk trying to waggle the ailerons whilst walking round the aeroplane wouldn't be able to budge them and the pilot probably wouldn't want to fork out for extra beers in the mess for parking his aeroplane looking untidy.  The rudder would also be left neutral for a similar reason.  

 

If you want to animate your model how about a "see off" diorama?  Pilot in office, auxiliary engine intake doors open, flaps down, 'brakes out with an erk stood ahead of the jet making appropriate hand signals to the pilot confirming operation of these surfaces.

 

I'm very jealous of your workmanship in the man undercarriage bays, particularly the plumbing.

[The Spadgent]

16 hours ago, Darth Vader said:

Flaps and airbrakes are always retracted when parked. Very rare to see a lightning with either out.

Ok thanks for the heads up.  I might still pop the air brakes out for my own pleasure but I might be sick of fiddly bits by ten so probably just pop ‘em in.

13 hours ago, stever219 said:

Ailerons were generally left neutral as well: the Lightning has irreversible powered flying controls, so an erk trying to waggle the ailerons whilst walking round the aeroplane wouldn't be able to budge them and the pilot probably wouldn't want to fork out for extra beers in the mess for parking his aeroplane looking untidy.  The rudder would also be left neutral for a similar reason.  

 

If you want to animate your model how about a "see off" diorama?  Pilot in office, auxiliary engine intake doors open, flaps down, 'brakes out with an erk stood ahead of the jet making appropriate hand signals to the pilot confirming operation of these surfaces.

 

I'm very jealous of your workmanship in the man undercarriage bays, particularly the plumbing.

Right then , I think I have the rules, thanks. I have seen a few “museum” Lightning’s with their flaps down and I light the look so I might do that and everything else in and straight. The diorama idea is nice but I’ve put all the detail in the seat and I dont want to cover all that up. I’m doing her canopy open too, so it’s a bit of a mosh mash anyhow. Thanks for all the info.

[ModellerUK]

E

3 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

Ok thanks for the heads up.  I might still pop the air brakes out for my own pleasure but I might be sick of fiddly bits by ten so probably just pop ‘em in.

Right then , I think I have the rules, thanks. I have seen a few “museum” Lightning’s with their flaps down and I light the look so I might do that and everything else in and straight. The diorama idea is nice but I’ve put all the detail in the seat and I dont want to cover all that up. I’m doing her canopy open too, so it’s a bit of a mosh mash anyhow. Thanks for all the info.

Unless you have decided on a theme maybe you could one of the QRF Lightning’s scrambling as a diorama. 

[TheBaron]

Aaaah. Master Johnny. Tis a cold morning to be poppin' yer bits out. They Stourbridge men must be a hardy race.

You have a modeller's hands me Lord...

[The Spadgent]

Out last night with old friends so I didn’t get time to post so here’s what went on.

tttthhhhhheeeeee wwwwiiiinnnnggggssss!

yup the wings went on. although I hadn’t checked the anhedral wings. I was looking at @Navy Bird‘s wonderful 1/72 lightning build and he had talked about adding it to the Trumpy bird so I checked mine this morning and they were straight.

soooooooo I tried to bend em down but no luck.  another warning, while bending everything around one of the small lead shot balls came lose and was rattling around inside making the model feel cheap somehow. So luckily I managed to snap the wings off and squeeze the ball out of the gap. I have now glued the wings back on with the correct anhedral. (Down bend) there is a slight gap but I’ll sort that. It’s I’ll post pics of that later.

before I head back to the bench I’ll leave you with a dry fit of the new pit area and canopy.

I have painted this now but I need to weather it. I’ll also add some spot details here and there including an opening strut.

Thanks for all your help.

im off to sort those wings.

 

John.

[CedB]

Nice Johnny, very nice. Belated Christmas greetings to you and yours

[giemme]

Great progress, Johnny Lightning!

 

The excellent job you are doing on this model would deserve a thinner windshield, though

 

Ciao

[The Spadgent]

2 hours ago, CedB said:

Nice Johnny, very nice. Belated Christmas greetings to you and yours

Thanks ced. You too fella. 

58 minutes ago, giemme said:

Great progress, Johnny Lightning!

 

The excellent job you are doing on this model would deserve a thinner windshield, though

 

Ciao

Thanks G. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to spend on extra bits for this, and there’s no way I’m sanding it so it’ll have to do. It’ll look fab when she’s finished.

probably. ....