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Why no love for new 1/72 Airfix BAC Lightning?


Steven Corvi

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I would like to see some exhausts for the Airfix kit - if you compare the Aires exhaust for the Trumpeter kit to the Airfix ones you will see why, they have a lot better detail, so if Aires give us some for the Airfix kit ( and the ones for the Trumpeter almost fit and would require just a little sanding to make them flush with the fuse) I would buy them.

Your wish is one step closer to reality, though I don't know the planned release date. ;)

Also: they're not from AiRes.

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What we need now are slotted wheels for the F.1. Over to you, Colin... :D

You got me thinking about this so I took a look through the few meagre references I've got on the Lightning and the truth of the matter is they don't seem to have used the slotted wheels for very long. In the Aircraft Illustrated Special on the Lightning there's a picture of XM163/Q in the initial 74 Sqn scheme (although it was really 'H' of the AFDS) in 1961, it has the slotted wheels. Below that is a 1963 picture of XM137/D also of 74 Sqn in the later black spine/fin scheme and that has the more common wheels with the holes. The same publication also has a picture of XM137 when it was 'F' of the AFDS and it had the slotted wheels at that point.

The only other pictures of got of Lightnings with slotted wheels are T.4 XL628 at Farnborough in 1959 (in the Aircraft Illustrated book) and good old F.1A XM192/K in its initial 111Sqn scheme in the Warpaint book.

It would appear that the slotted wheels were replaced by the holed wheels fairly early on.

Nick them from the old F1a/F3?

Well, there's the rub, I found some of the slotted wheels in the spares box, and compared them to the new kit wheels, the older ones are smaller in diameter by between 1 and 2mm (still haven't got my vernier caliper to measure them accurately), without modification they'd significantly affect the sit of the model (unless you shortened the nose leg to compensate).

From what I've seen the slotted wheels didn't stay around for very long but if you want to make a slotted-wheeled jet, the older Airfix ones will at least need some work to make the right so there's a case for some AM items. I guess it depends upon how much it bothers you really.

It boils down to the same old story, check photo's of the aircraft you want to model.

Wez

Edited by Wez
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I found similar results when looking for references for my F1 build, they had mostly moved onto the later wheels within a couple of years. IIRC the Flightpath Lightning set contains white metal slotted wheels along with the more common type.

Duncan B

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Not slotted, but they should add some detail to the kit:

<Pictures of gorgeous stuff deleted>

Crikey!

I'm glad I was sitting down when I saw those.....

These are in 1/72 scale, yes? If so, to whom do I send my cash?

Cheers,

Andrew.

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'fraid not Duncan, the Flightpath set is for the F6/F2a

I'll have to check my stash, I'm sure I have a set by someone with white metal slotted wheels in. Sorry for the duff gen folks.

Duncan B

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Did the original Airfix kit have these slotted wheels or did it have the final type ? And if it had the slotted ones, were they any good ? I have a wreck of this kit from which I could clone the wheels...

See above in one of my earlier posts (#53 in fact), the Airfix F1Akit wheels are slotted but undersized compared to the new F2A wheels.

Wez

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OOpsss... sorry Wez, it was probably too early in the morning when I posted... should have read better :banghead:

Giorgio my friend, we're all guilty of that!

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Crikey!

I'm glad I was sitting down when I saw those.....

These are in 1/72 scale, yes? If so, to whom do I send my cash?

Cheers,

Andrew.

Glad you like 'em. Not sure about a release date (I'm just paid to do CAD, but hopefully it'll be soon), but they'll be coming from a well regarded American aftermarket company.

And I might as well take the opportunity to ask again...

Does anyone have detailed Red Top walkaround pics and/or dimensions? ;) ;) Please?

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  • 6 months later...

'fraid not Duncan, the Flightpath set is for the F6/F2a

I'll have to check my stash, I'm sure I have a set by someone with white metal slotted wheels in. Sorry for the duff gen folks.

Duncan B

I've checked my stash and the slotted wheels were either included in the white metal parts supplied with the Aeroclub Tbird conversion or with the Whirlybirds Tbird kit (I can't tell for sure as I'd separated the bag of white metal parts from the kit and stored along with my other Lightning spares but I do have them at any rate).

Duncan B

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