EE Lightning

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know some good news - heavens knows we need some... In response to a few requests I've seen on various forums about where modellers can see this incredible kit package being built I have decided to open up the whole in-progress build in Scale Modelling Now that Julian is doing to all visitors without needing to subscribe to www.scalemodellingnow.com It is FREE to all Britmodeller members who want to see it. Just pay a visit and follow the link off the front cover. Best wishes, Geoff Editor, Scale Modelling Now

Hi Guys, I know a lot of Airfix Sea Vixens are coming through your doors as we speak, so I thought I'd just let you know that my own build is well advanced over in www.scalemodellingnow.com I should finish it by Monday and then will upload the final part next week. There's some interesting detail info from Phil S. who worked on HMS Eagle and actually painted some of the nose art featured in the kit onto the real aircraft at the time! There's a bit of it so I won't type it all out here but you may want to take a look at my build where I will upload that interesting info this week. Good luck with all your builds, the kit is very good, just watch it when you are removing the parts from their sprue gates, these are big and shaped in such a way that it's very easy to damage the parts. Best wishes. Geoff

Hi There, Just seen this one and good luck with your build. In fact I am doing a complete build on this Airfix re-release over on www.scalemodellingnow.com This kit suffers the same fate as just about every other Harrier kit in that all the wheels don't touch the ground at the same time! the fix is quite straightforward though by cutting off the outrigger locating tabs and adding slightly larger ones and combining that with flats on the tyres will pretty much fit it. All the best, Geoff

Hello Anthony, I've just seen your posting and I am in the process of preparing the big feature article on the conversion of the Trumpeter A-7 into an EA-7L. It's a superb piece of modelling by Patrick Bouclans and you should see that in the Mag in the next 2 weeks? Best wishes, Geoff C. (Editor)

Really nice, great work! Just goes to show how versatile the BAe Hawk has been in terms of a design? Best wishes, Geoff

Hi Dean, Really excellent work and the ladder and squadron scheme add a lot to your finished project - excellent stuff!

Hi Guys, Some of you may remember that we launched our new scale model mag for those interested in military subjects: Aircraft, Armour and Maritime just before Christmas? While we await Mike's report on the new internet-only mag... Just to let you know that we're listening to you and have just launched a great value monthly subscription rate of £3.95 for full access! Why not take a look, exciting things are happening there too! Have a great New Year all of you in 2010. Best wishes, Geoff Geoff Coughlin, Editor

Hello everyone, This is just a straightforward request to ask for your help. Having recently launched our new magazine above, I have realised that we are probably 2-3 armour scale modellers short! Have you ever submitted a project that you've photographed and could send in? Or, maybe could do in the near future? I'd really like to chat to you about a project that you'd like to do and in turn we could use in the Mag? There will be no pressure from me as Editor, except that if you agree to build a project, there will be steady progress (at your speed) and that you'll finish it - no throwing up the garden guys, not good for the membership...!? Seriously though, if you've taken part in a build, experienced or especially if you've never done this before and would like to submit a couple of pics of your work we can take it from there? Please do get in touch by e-mail at [email protected] No commitment either way, but I'd love to hear from anyone interested. Best wishes, Geoff Geoff Coughlin Editor, SMN

Hi Woody, How nice us that? Superb stuff mate, really like your flawless finish and what a subject. I remember flying in these and you've just captured the Trident so well. I'm usually a military fan, but every now and again someone produces an excellent model like that - superb, love it! You don't fancy doing a BUA BAC 1-11 do you? Really nice nad thanks for posting your pics. Geoff Geoff Coughlin, Editor, www.scalemodellingnow.com

Thanks Nick, glad to hear it and no probs mate - best wishes, Geoff

Hello everyone and thanks for your comments so far. Now that a few of you have left comments I thought it might be a good time to give you a response and some additional information? One of the major additions is the inclusion of a full content listing for each main area - letting all visitors and members know what is available in the members area. This facility is imminent and should be available in the next 2-3 days. A good spot and already in hand, thanks All the Full Reviews and Feature Articles are available to download as a simple PDF. Anything else you want to print can usually be highlighted, copied and pasted into a Word doc if you really need it. Lots of people now access the Net on the move and and so access whenever and wherever you are can be useful I do take a bit of exception to the suggestion made that we have lots of 'celebrity' reviewers and mention of 'elitism' - the fact is that two-thirds of the review team have never submitted a review in their lives but are good scale modellers who believe in the concept and want to help to try and share their experiences, skills and techniques with the membership. Several of the team are working on additional contributions to the growing Techniques Bank that I believe is unique I am very keen to hear from anyone interested in submitting their work: aircraft, armour or maritime project - no problem at all there. Subscription rates - we looked at many of the paper-based mags and an annual subscription with SMN compares well. what I also wanted to do is offer a 6 month subscription option: £29.95 AND the pay-as-you-go option for a very small fee per review. Some of these are outstanding value like the one for the Italeri Type 100 S-Boot that has over 80 images and over 2500 words. I just mention this to illustrate the value for money that you can get because all the articles and reviews offer more images (many with ZOOM facility) and explanation than we are used to getting in the average paper-mag article. SMN is a magazine, not a 'site' - it just happens to be published on the internet saving you all those storage problems! And we wouldn't expect to pick up magazines for nothing... Many thanks for all your comments - I hope you find this additional information helpful and I will now let Mike do his stuff and report back to you in due course. Do keep enjoying your modelling and please come and say hello at one of the shows we will be attending in 2010. Definitely the FAA show at Yeovilton in February and hopefully Milton Keynes if we're allocated sufficient space. Best wishes, Geoff Geoff Coughlin, Editor

Hello Everyone, I'm really excited to be able to announce the launch of www.scalemodellingnow.com a major new scale model mag for all of you interested in military subjects: Aircraft, Armour or Maritime. You may know me, Geoff Coughlin? perhaps from my posts here or from visiting my old website? I've launched this new mag after some serious investment in all senses of the word, to try and bring to modellers a completely new experience that looks to overcome so many of the problems we face these days with paper-based magazines: loads of adverts? Not enough images? Chopped articles? Where do you put all the mags you buy? Can you quickly find an article or review? I guess the list goes on... This new magazine is aimed at modellers of all levels; Feature Articles for those more experienced (with add-ons and extra detail); Club Model for those new to or returning to the hobby and a large number of Full Reviews for the majority in between. SMN is building rapidly and as Editor, I'm leading a team of 17 talented reviewers bringing members: - daily and weekly updates (a full detailed Early Inspection Review of the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IX is already there - within 24 hours of getting the kit) - lots more images per review and more words - we have no specific deadlines and space issues so I allocate what's needed to do the job - special ZOOM images in every review and Early Inspection Review (EIR) - these are great and allow you to actually zoom in to see all the detail in the areas you need like cockpits, turrets, flight decks and wheel wells - whatever? - a large Techniques Bank (TB) - lots of 'how-to' techniques fully illustrated, with short videos demonstrations to follow soon - access to a huge Photo Reference Library (PRL) where you can access type-specific sets of images (aircraft and armour at present) to help with much needed reference - storage problems solved! it's all kept securely on-line so you can just go and refer to, read and even download PDF hard copies of full and Feature Articles when you want - like when you're building a project and want a copy of the review to refer to? - ask the Info Doctor - any technical reference questions you need answered - ask away to our dedicated team (aircraft, armour and maritime questions) Do take a look - Mike has agreed to a sub-forum for all those members and others interested in following SMN here in Britmodeller.com - so chat away there and please let me know what you think? And do contact me directly if you have any questions and suggestions... thanks. Best wishes, Geoff Geoff Coughlin, Editor www.scalemodellingnow.com [email protected]

Nice job mate - very nice. Simply the most beautiful airliner ever built... all the best, Geoff C.

Hi Peter - nice work there! I love the figures, they really make your diorama come alive and add great interest to your finished model. Mine in just going onto the work bench and I hope it turns out as well as yours? Good job!

Simply stunning! Just what the Doctor ordered... Just love the weathering and nice to see yours in the later Barley Grey, rather than the tricky early imported Greeny/blue scheme. Neil (FGR-2) did an awesome job some time back with that scheme for the Osprey model manual, but this is one of your is right out of the top drawer. Great wethering and a real inspiration - I want to do mine now! Best wishes, Geoff

Hi Keith, so sorry mate, but enjoy your project, despite a few issues it was a very enjoyable build. So, if anyone wants a new, complete Trumpeter EE Lightning for £70.00 plus £3.00 p&p just e-mail me off line and we can sort something out. Best wishes, Geoff 0'] Thanks Geoff thats a very kind offer , Its just sods law that i have just returned from shopping with yes you have guessed it a Trumpeter Lightining for £ 85.00 Oh well looks great in the box and i will study your build closely

Hi Keith, I've just finished this project and you'll find a lot of useful info on the build on my site at www.geoffcoughlin.com I bought two of these kits at the time but would like the next one to be a Mk.6 if they produce one so I would be happy to let you have the F.1A/F3 for £70.00 plus £3.00 p&p - if you're interested and I can put this towards the new kit, if and when they do it? I've also put together a full CD package for building the Trumpt Lightning and, again, details are on the site. If you want any specific help / advice when you get started, just ask - no problem - and that goes for anyone else who reads this guys... Best wishes, Geoff

Hi Spence and thanks for posting these images. Now as for you Haris,....Wow! Absolutely superb! Terrific scale modelling by any standards. Some very nice subtle weathering around the struts undercarriage and rear fuselage. Also a great lozenge scheme - great stuff! It's great to see one of the 4 new Wingnut 1:32nd scale models completed. I'm half way through the Brisfit and it's going well, and I just hope that mine turns out half as good as this beauty? Thanks again for posting the pics, Best wishes, Geoff

Nice one Rod - didn't know about this site - some great pics! Cheers, Geoff

Hello there, I've just finished a massive project on the Trumpy Lightning in 1:32 scale and you'll find the whole thing in the RAF gallery section of my website at www.geoffcoughlin.com Also... there are plenty of colour pics of the real seat, plus how I've tackled it in the Trumpeter kit? help yourself and good luck! Best wishes, Geoff

Wow! How nice is that - superb finish and great to see in 1:32nd scale. Nice work, thanks for sharing pics. Geoff

Hi There Smeds, Have to say nice work old son, coming on very well. I've been lucky enough to have had the chance to build 4 of the Tamiya 1:48 models and this new release from Trumpter is all but a scaled up version of the Tamiya offering. Having said that, I loved the Tamiya kit, there is so much modelling in the box, so it's no surprise and very pleasing that you've had a pretty good experience with Trumpy's release. I see you're going for the folded wings option and that's exactly what I'm going to do when my model turns up in the near future - probably a good idea given the large size of the model? The Tamiya kit is so clever in its design that it's ni on impossible to get the struts and rigging wrong so good luck with that, Trumpy seem to have gone for the same set up. Nice work so far - keep it up and I'm really looking forward to your end result! Best wishes, Geoff (www.geoffcoughlin.com)

Hello Jim, Looks like you've got the answer you need. Just a thought though, I have some quite good cockpit refs for the Lightning in the References area of my site. Hope that helps you too. Cheers. Geoff www.geoffcoughlin.com

Hi Andy, I was able to visit you and the guys with Les V. on 4th April and following donations had a fantastic photovisit so all I can say to everyone who is thinking of going - Do it! The work these guys do is absolutely superb and well worth a trip to see and talk to them frst hand. I am about to do a piece on my wbsite www.geoffcoughlin.com about our visit with a few pics suggesting that anyone who can does indeed go and visit you and the team. In addition Andy, I'm putting the finishing touches to the big Trumpeter 1:32nd scale Lightning scale model - admittedly an all aluminium No.111 Sqn F.Mk3, but a Lightning nonetheless! That should end up in Model Airplane International magazive and again, I'll give the LPG an appropriate plug. Sadly I have to work on 23rd May, but hope everyone has a great time! Best wishes, Geoff

Hi Colin, Has pretty much all been said - very nice indeed and really looks the part. A great guy called Ashley who comes to our club (IPMS S.L.A.M.) created the original artwork for the tail on this aircraft, so it's good to see the scheme in miniature as it were! Mine is still coming along - albeit slowly... still I'm at the Alclad stage so hopefully won't be too long now. Thanks for posting pics. Best wishes, Geoff