Jump to content

1/72 Lightning T.Mk.4 Sword


Recommended Posts

Gah, wish I'd seen this a little sooner! Matt, when I gave it a look, it seemed to me that the nose ring was fine as it was, and that the QB item maybe threw things off a little. However, I currently have a fever, to celebrate American Thanksgiving, and am marooned up in the snow-covered wastes of MI, 380 miles from my stash, so you may freely disregard my words as being disconnected from reality.

Thanks for your comments and it is good to hear that you are enjoying all the builds here as well as your own F3. I think that these Sword kits are really nice and whilst they do take a bit more work to put together they do produce a good result with care, although Procopius may not agree with that comment after all the trials and tribulations he has just gone through. In the end though he has produced a splendid looking model and has now bought another Sword kit for a future build, so he is either determined to slay the beast or just a glutton for punishment.

My wife does, from time to time lovingly (I hope!) tell me I'm an idiot. I hesitate to admit this, but she may be on to something...

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

PC - I followed your build (is that a word that could possibly describe what unfolded over those pages?) and it was this in part that has kept me on the straight and narrow with my build - i.e. checking and testing fit etc all the time...

I have also been spared the attentions of the gremlins that appeared to have held a convention in your basement, seeking to block your route to completion. So while you feel it's a bit of a 'whatever' build, I tend to see it as great inspiration to keep at it when the road gets rough. I've got one of each of Sword's Lightnings, so I need to 'tame them'.

John... I look forward to hearing what the Tamiya tape does to the paint...

Matt

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In truth, I think I would have ended up feeling pretty good about the kit if I'd just rubbed it down with a towel soaked in IPA before applying the primer and Alclad. But counterfactuals are the easiest thing in the world. I hope you'll share your F.3 when it's done!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife does, from time to time lovingly (I hope!) tell me I'm an idiot. I hesitate to admit this, but she may be on to something...

Mine says pretty much the same thing, particularly when I am adding bits to a 1/144th cockpit that nobody will ever see. I just say Ah, but I know it is there.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the extra information on fitting the Quickboost nosing to the T Birds, that'll come in handy when I finally get round to mine.

With regards to the Mr Color Metallics, I would suggest (that from my experiments) they tend to be very fragile and will lift and rub off quite easily. Masking tape will definitely lift some of the paint and adding a clear coat over the top of it seems to dull the finish. Best to apply this stuff last rather than try to apply anything over the top of it in my experience of the stuff.

Duncan B

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's interesting Duncan. I didn't have any trouble with masking the MM metalizers, but I did end up varnishing them because I was tired of getting metalizer residue all over my hands. It did dull the finish somewhat, but the model still ended up shinier than the those in reference pics. Which does bring up a bit of a modeller's conundrum, a very shiny finish is desirable because it is difficult to achieve and looks good, but it rarely looks scale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John... I look forward to hearing what the Tamiya tape does to the paint...

Matt

Hi Matt

Here are the results of the tape test. I applied two strips across the polished side last night and removed it about 45 mins ago, as you can see it has removed very little if anything. The residue that is on the tape has come off the primed side where it was wrapped around. However, I think that Duncans point about using this method is a valid one, in that it is probably best left as the last paint job. It would mean more masking because you would have to mask for any other colurs first, thus protecting the plastic for adding the metaliser and then mask off the coloured areas before applying this. Another suggestion I would make is that you wear gloves at the polishing stage because it is quite a messy process and will leave you with silver hands very quickly.

If you check back to Post #63 of this build you will find a link to the original forum post were the method of brush painted NMF's was discussed. Within that topic there is another link, re-discovered by Cookenbacher, to a P-47 build where this method was used and this will give you some further pointers should you wish to go down this route, I must say that I am quite impressed with the results of this method though. It has the same patina and look of the aluminium sheets that I saw on the aircraft sub-assemblies during my time as an apprentice and employee at the Chadderton site of what was then Hawker Siddeley (ex AVRO) back in the 70's. I want to investigate this technique further in the future, probably on a smaller project first.

The taped up area.

CIMG2937_zps0428ba9a.jpg

Un-taped, as you can see there is very little residue if any from this side.

CIMG2938_zpsdb3c3318.jpg

What is on the tape has been removed from the primed and painted side.

CIMG2939_zps563ab936.jpg

I hope that this has proved useful to you, it has been a worthwhile task for me.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found a way of masking over shiny Alclad Airframe aluminium some time back that did'nt take the paint off with the tape. What i did was to soak a 'post it' in water until it became sft and pliable, but not dripping, and laid that over the shiny alclad. The surace tension holds the paper in place while you paint and the paper comes off straight away when the painting is done.

Regards

Toby

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

people.......like.......the .........Sword kits.......I must be the mad one or somewhat lacking in skills/patience......!!

Great build Nimrod, I will aspire to this when I next build a Sword Lighting...in 2114.....!!!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Made some steady progress on this since the last update the decals are now on and stencil data has been completed on one side. I need to crack on with getting the smaller bits and pieces completed now and then I can wrap this up.

CIMG2963_zps8cc02cb8.jpg

CIMG2962_zps600648f3.jpg

CIMG2961_zps765e6797.jpg

CIMG2955_zpsf0b3002a.jpg

CIMG2952_zpsa59a1799.jpg

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely looking Lightning.

How do their decals perform...? Did you use any extra 'potions' or just the decals themselves (well with water obviously :) )

Matt

Thanks Matt.

As for the decals, I can't say how well they perform because, with the exception of the little red markings on the wings, I have used a set from Model Alliance. The main reason being that the kit decals for this scheme seem to be missing the blue border from around the red and white checkerboard and for the stencils I have used a set from Xtradecal. I did use Micro Sol and Micro Set to get these to settle down though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

This is gradually crawling along to a conclusion. I have fitted the tailplanes, not wanting to trust a butt join I decided to use some pieces of micro tubing to get a positive fit. The undecarriage legs and doors have been fitted. Today I have added a couple of struts from the nose leg to the nose undercarriage door and aerials to the nose, canopy and aft of the cockpit.

The carpet monster has also had another meal having devoured the little box shape that appears to be on one side of the forward canopy, I managed to lose this while bending it to shape.

Tailplanes fitted using micro-tubing for a positive location.

CIMG2985_zps62e70e08.jpg

CIMG2986_zps5eddb7af.jpg

Aerials fitted.

CIMG2988_zpsdb879a45.jpg

CIMG2987_zps17487a1d.jpg

Next up is to paint the aerials, fit the canopy and try and do something to tidy up the anti-glare panel.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...