binbrook87

Fine Lightning! Looks really great especially with that sharkmouth marking. The grey camouflage colours are spot on! Nothing worse than having some problems at the eleventh hour like you had with the paint reaction. Shame that it sounds like another Airfix kit that is let down by small niggles 😕 I've got four of these in the hoard so thanks for the tips and heads up. 👍

Very nice. It's a great looking aircraft and you've done a fine job 👍

Very nice indeed 👍

Fantastic! The finish and weathering is faultless👏

Thanks! That's one of the great things with the Lightning, there's so many various schemes to choose from... luckily I've a few aftermarket decal sheets to plough through yet so plenty to keep me going during the lockdown... and beyond! 😁

I think its Aires? But when you add on the cost it makes the kit pretty expensive 😕

Latest aircraft off the bench today. I resisted buying Trumpeter's version of the Lightning for a long time as it always looked a bit 'out of shape', but now that the Sword F.1/F.3 offerings are becoming harder to come by there is no other game in town really if you want an early mark 'out of the box'. So I bit the bullet and thought I'd see what I can do to improve it. After seeing several builds on here and noticing what people were saying plus using one of my Sword kits as a template I modified two key areas. The Trumpeter versions have always appeared 'front heavy' somehow, but having compared the fuselage shape with the Sword kit it's actually not bad at all. So what else could it be? The main problem seems to be that the undercarriage is too long making the aircraft sit too high. So I cut 3-4mm off all the legs until it matched up with the 'sit' of the sword kit. Next I looked at why there was a 'front heavy' look. Again comparing the two kits it seems that the wings that are set too far forward...which also takes the main undercarriage with it, giving that 'bunched up front heavy' look. So.. with some minor surgery I moved the wings back about 3mm and 'voila'..... it actually looks like a proper lightning now! I didn't have the skill or parts to modify the other problem area.. the exhaust nozzles...but maybe next time. It's far from perfect and I'm sure there are lots of other details that are not correct but with a little bit of work I'm now able to produce some more early mark Lightnings for my collection. Paint was airbrushed Vallejo Metal Color (White Aluminium) , although I can't see it has any advantages over my go-to Model Air Aluminum really. I used some dark grey panel wash to try and highlight some of the panels but really wish I hadn't as it was hard work removing it and also took some of the silver paint with it! Xtradecals were to finish off for one of the most striking of early Lightning schemes...No. 111 squadron at Wattisham early 1960s. Thanks for looking, comments and tips appreciated. Cheers!

Absolutely stunning 👍

Fabulous. Brings back happy memories of me building this when it first came out. I made a mess of it back then though so it's nice to see how it should have turned out. Great job 👌👌

That old frog kit has scrubbed up really really well. 👏 I love to see people breath new life into these old kits. Great job 👍👍

Fabulous build. 👍

That's a really neat effect with the oils. I like it 👍

Fabulous. I do like the pre-shading that you've done, really lifts an otherwise plain colour like overall green. Brilliant job 👏

Wow! Awesome P-47. Love the colour scheme and the weathering looks just right 👍 I built the Revell one in 72nd scale some time ago in a similar camouflage. Hard to believe this was used for real in wartime but it was!

Thanks for all the comments guys, much appreciated. 👍

Superb! Just superb! I love the early RAF Buccs and you've captured it beautifully. And the background sets it's off a treat. 👍

What a stunner. Looks great in the early colour scheme. Thanks for sharing 👍

That is really great. Fantastic work on the splinter camo. 👏👏

I use Humbrol Clearfix which I prefer over PVA as it can be brushed on or applied with a cocktail stick precisely along the edge of the canopy or along the cockpit area where the canopy is going to be fitted. It dries quite firmly and will not fog or leave much of a residue. I find that PVA can start to go rubbery very quickly before you're ready and also any gaps can have a rubbery edge which is difficult to get smooth again. Just my experience.

Great Gustav! 👍Yes the 109 is addictive isn't it? I've got 5 built and another 6 or so in the stash. So many variations and colour schemes to choose from.......

Fabulous!

Very very nice indeed 👍

That is superb 👍 Nice to see a P.1 for a change from the norm

Very nice indeed Miguel 👍 Unusual subject beautifully finished

Well here's the latest from the lockdown production line. The classic Esci F-104G. A great little kit that i picked up off a well known auction site. It brought back many happy memories of when i built several of these when i was a lad when it was first released. Lovely fine engraved panel lines that stand up even by today's standards and simple construction. Unfortunately the decals were shot so i used some from a Hasegawa kit. Everything went together easily until the final parts of the build where i almost chucked the thing in the bin. I somehow managed to fix the tailpipe in at an angle (so don't look at the photos too close!). I had paint peel off from the tip tanks that required many many repaints. The pitot tube then snapped off and went missing, so had to replace with brass rod....which also snapped off countless times. Then while attempting to redrill out... the nosecone cracked requiring a repair job. I'm still not happy with this area but I'm afraid to even breath on it now so it will have to do. Then at the eleventh hour the nose wheel bay collapsed! Just one of those kits that didn't want to be finished! Paints were from Vallejo and Mr Hobby, final matt varnish from Vallejo. It's far from perfect but at least i finally have a German Hooter in my collection, hoping to join it with a Marineflieger, Dutch, Canadian, Danish and Belgian examples highlighting what a widespread aircraft this was in my youth. Long live the 104. Thanks for looking!