david sMiGielski Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 A built Lightning at a local shop got me interested in doing one myself (mmm...natural metal). They had the Hasegawa kit for something like $9, but I wanted to see what the consensus was on other Lightning kits out there. Is there one in particular I should be looking for? -David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Of the mainstream kits, the Matchbox one is by far the best. Sand off the overscale raised detail and it looks fine. It really needs a shom of 20 thou card on the underside to beef that up, but that's about it. Shapes on the Hasegawa kit are way off around the nose and spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Yeah, what Dave said, the Matchbox kit has the shapes but not the detail (if you can find one), the Hasegawa kit lacks the shapes and the detail, the Airfix F.3 was based on their old F.1 and perhaps only useful as a source of parts to cross kit with the Matchbox. I think MPM have a Lightning in the works if you can wait for that, or you could upscale to 1/48 for the Airfix kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 In my experience it'll probably be the one that Revell of Germany announce exactly fifteen minutes after you finish one of the other ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 In my experience it'll probably be the one that Revell of Germany announce exactly fifteen minutes after you finish one of the other ones. Sadly not in this case. They have already announced a Hasegawa re-pop later this year. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cop Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Heritage Aviation were releasing an all resin one imminently, I believe. Nige. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gengriz Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 (edited) Having done all three at one time or another, I reckon the Hasegawa/Frog one (yes its the same kit from the days when H & F shared moulds) is actually quite good. It almost looks as though it was copied from the Airfix F1 mould, updated to the later variant and with more detail added (mine even has an exact copy Airfix pilot figure on the sprue - crossed legs and all). Certainly not to modern standards of detail, but not a bad kit worth a go. Not sure whether the NOVO repops are any good though - stick with Hasegawa or original Frog. Airfix: Matchbox 2 seater (after a bit of fiddling): Fred's Models Edited July 21, 2007 by gengriz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek burton Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 I agree with Jonathan wait for MPM and you can bet Hannants/Xtradecal will bring out shed load of markings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Afternoon all I have collected a couple of Lightning kits and found that nearly all of them are the same, basically 90% of Lightning kits are from the Frog molding, it depends mainly on what year and where they came from as to the quality of the molding. For instance the early Frog kits are basic but good and crisp clean molding, obviously the decals in the early kits are only fit for the bin but there are plenty of aftermarket ones that are readily available. After Frog came Airfix and in the early years the kits were still good but as time went on they gradually get worse, they are still a usable kit but some filler and graft is required, decals are usable but it's down to preference. The worst kits IMHO are the Revel, chemtech, Novo (Russian issue), UPC (again Russian one), these kits are from the Frog mould but with the exception of the Revel one are made from a bakelite type plastic and are dreadfull, amusingly the Revel kit has a note inside the box issued by the Revel management appologising for the poor quality of the kit due to the age of the Mould. The best kits are the Tamia, Revel (144th scale), Hasegawa and matchbox, again it's down to preference as to which to choose but still the Matchbox kit seems to be the one and also there are plenty of aftermarket bits to improve decals and whatnot. Keep an eye on E-bay and Lightninig kits come up quite regular, also as said before MPM will be doing one and Revel will be re-releasing the 1/72 kit soon, also there is a full resin kit available from a company here in Britland. Happy modelling, John. Edited July 25, 2007 by Fmk.6john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 also there is a full resin kit available from a company here in Britland. That's from young Ian at Heritage Aviation, who has a forum here. Last I heard, he was doing some fine-tuning before releasing it proper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Mike the kits have been released and They aren't to bad but then again I have never done a resin kit so it would be nice if a pro resin boffin did a review. Regards, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I always find it amusing that the best sub-48th Lightning and Buccaneer kits are the 30 year old Tamyia 1/100th kits (Got Revell issues of both) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 What's the Revell boxing top right of the collection? I don't think I've come across that one. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 What's the Revell boxing top right of the collection? I don't think I've come across that one.John Its the Mk.53 RSAF boxing of the 1/144 kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thanks. Thats not a kit I'm familiar with although I did have the Revell 1/100 ex-Tamiya boxing. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 All this talk of Lightnings now has me hankering after the Matchbox F.6 and doing an almost SFTB build, just to see what some basic modelling and paint effects can do to the kit. But then when do I need an excuse to buy anything Matxhbox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 These are all 1/72 scale: First the most recent Hasegawa model - second row up, extreme left on photo of boxes. Decals are Matchbox. Next an Airfix F1A - covered in kitchen foil. Actually an F3 kit with tail from an F1A. Then and Airfix F3 with Modeldecals. One of these Airfix kits has an Aeroclub canopy - and I think it's this one. Matchbox F2A - straight from the box. Matchbox F6 - with decals from the Hasegawa kit Matchbox T55 - converted to an RAF T5 with belly and wings from an Airfix kit. Matchbox T55 converted for FAA carrier use And in landing mode There are other completed models (11 in total) - but I'm unlikely to build any more in 1/72. As for which is best - I'm going for the Matchbox kit, she scrubs up very well indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Funnily enough i'm just starting a T2 matchbox conversion. Have bought the Hasagawa F6, but thats for a later date, and have completed the Merlin Models P1. I only use the Airfix jobbie for the slipper tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 The VG Navy birds look fantabulous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 No-one with comments on differences between the Hasegawa/Frog tooling and the later ones Frog did for themselves? Or inded the revisions Hasegawa did to theirs? (Which I suspect wasn't much.) I thought the Matchbox one too thin and the Hasegawa looked the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 From what I remember, the only difference between the Hasegawa Lightning and the Frog copy of the mould is that the panel lines on the Frog one are a bit chunkier. Subsequent Novo releases have if anything made them worse with age. The F6 that Revell have announced is this kit. As for Hasegawa's "retool", the only differences were added blisters and gunports on the ventral tank and the cockpit got a floor and a stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 The F6 that Revell have announced is this kit. I suspect it is the hasegawa one, and not the Novo one - they did release that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I suspect it is the hasegawa one, and not the Novo one - they did release that before. This was confirmed somewhere - sorry can't remember exactly where. Interesting box art: Linky peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 This was confirmed somewhere - sorry can't remember exactly where.Interesting box art: Linky peebeep What's going on with those overwing tanks? Looks like the perspective's the wrong way round, as the rear one is bigger than the front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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