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1/72 Airfix Lightning F.2A - Flt Lt B.L. "Blight" Ightning


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I've been making slow and not very photogenic progress. The seams are as smooth as I'm ever going to get them, and I've sanded down the wings and airframe with 800 then 1000 grit to smooth out the pebbly surface. It really worked - the plastic even feels much smoother now.

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I've begun masking the canopy and anti-glare strip, as well as the spine and fin that are to be blue. I figure I'll get those done first before attaching the wings.

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Oh, and thanks Giorgio, I've rescribed most of the panels I've lost along the seams.

Edited by Cookenbacher
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Thanks PC! It is kind of a bummer - the Airfix 1/72 Harrier GR7/9 is such a great kit that I may have had too high of expectations for this one. Had to file (not sand) the top of the instrument panel down to get the coaming to fit. That said, I'm still having a wonderful time building this bad boy.

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Thanks Hockeyboy, even the canopy needed some careful sanding to fit. And then it was pushing on the ejection handles. I tried making a couple of thin shims, but then everything was out of alignment. So I ended up putting a tiny drop of super glue (CA) under the front of the main canopy rails and then forcing it to stay in place for a few seconds while it cured. The canopy is now under permanent tension, but I think the super glue will hold just fine.

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Nice work so far, especially curing some of the fit problems. Have to agree with you on the need for polishing out that horrible texture on the plastic if you're doing an NMF option.

Mark.

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Well, I have abandoned the brush-on metalizer idea. It is very difficult to get the areas where the brush has been reloaded to blend with one another. It is also very easy to craze the plastic if you load too much metalizer on the brush. I experimented with three or four different brushes and they all lead to different results - some better than others. I am shooting for a more 'used' look, but this is ridiculous.

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I decided to mask off small bits of the brushed areas for variation and then don my trusty respirator and airbrush the whole thing with metalizer.

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You know how everybody says that you have to be extra careful with seams, as metal paint exposes every blemish. Well it's true! The seam along the bottom of the jet doesn't even look like I attempted to fill it, even though I went over it several times, and it looked non-existent under gloss blue paint. Live and learn.

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Pity about the underside seam, but the upper surfaces look great! Your decision to airbrush was a good one - keep at it. I like the patchwork effect you're creating too.

I'm sure the seam can be tamed, even if it takes a few more passes with filler. Have you tried thin beads of superglue in the joint? Ideally, it should lead to the best results when you apply metaliser.

cheers,

Andrew.

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The change to an airbrush for the NMF was definitely a good one! Another vote for superglue as a filler, just don't leave it overnight to harden as it'll take ages to sand.

Mark.

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The change to an airbrush for the NMF was definitely a good one! Another vote for superglue as a filler, just don't leave it overnight to harden as it'll take ages to sand.

Mark.

Ditto (both things he said). One thing I like to do when filling with superglue, is mixing it with talc powder. It dries much faster and you can start working on it after a few minutes (but first test it on a scrap part, if you want to go there ...)

Ciao

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I'm sure the seam can be tamed, even if it takes a few more passes with filler. Have you tried thin beads of superglue in the joint? Ideally, it should lead to the best results when you apply metaliser.

I had never considered this either. Great tip!

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Thanks Mark and Giemme.

I've used superglue a little bit as a filler - mostly on drop tanks and the like, as it seems to require pretty aggressive sanding. I've tried mixing it with talc and I think this allows it to feather a little better. I might also try Giorgio's suggestion of paper correction fluid (white out) since the seam is very pronounced but also very shallow.

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Good move to employ the airbrush for this paintwork. That and your tenacity to eliminate that seam will reap the reward of a stunning model you can be proud of once done.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Col. I'm glad you assume that I will tenaciously attack the bottom seam. Because you said that, now I have to!

This is after two rounds, I think that one more round will do. It had better anyway, as I'm running out of metalizer!

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The front half is looking OK now, but the back half still needs some work. Slowly but surely...hopefully.

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Humming A-Team theme now.

"In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team."

Nice work on the seam too!

Mark.

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