Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Okay... Here's an odd one. Elsewhere in this GB I am building an F1A and an F3 from the new Airfix kit. My original intention was to use the belly tank from the old, old Airfix F1A kit so I found a couple on evilbay. The release of the superb Alley Cat resin conversion set (and later on the Sword kits) put an end to all that nonsense. However, the future availability of the Alley Cat sets remains to be seen. This made the old Airfix kits somewhat redundant but it still seemed a shame to just dump them. They had waited patiently for decades to be part of the modelling process only to have it snatched from their grasp at the last moment... I couldn't be that cruel! In addition, back in the 60s as a young lad I never had the chance to build the Airfix Lightning, so I have decided to build one now as a nostalgia build. In this case I will be following the spirit of my builds in last year's Obsolete Kits GB. There will be no aftermarket bits used (not even the redundant seats and pilots from the new Airfix kits) but I will be using modern decals. You'll see why... Here is the box. It is the snap-together version produced from slightly modified moulds in 1980 - at least that's what the copyright notice moulded into one of the fuselage halves says. The sprues are typical 1960-vintage. The stickers actually are stickers! They match the scheme from the original issue of this kit but I won't even attempt to use them. Instead I will take decals from the new airfix F2A and finish this as an F2 of 92 Sqn. Five minutes later... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Very interesting one ! I remember well these kits for sale in a local supermarket, never bought one but maybe I should have.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Good luck with this one Enzo,.......why not do it as one of the F2`s which were painted green and in sqn markings to be used as decoys around Guterslough? You could weather it to death,...bird poo on he fin etc and maybe cover any `dodgy' areas with a strategically mounted tarp,.....you could also leave out the ejector seat and fog up the canopy. Just an idea but if you can get this kit up to the standard of the new Airfix kits,...you go for it mate! Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 That's an excellent idea, Tony. It won't happen with this one, which is a very quick build, but it's certainly something to think about for the future. In fact, there's the germ of an idea for a future GB - the Flightless Birds GB. Many aircraft are used for ground duties long after their flying days are over. The Lightning F2s used as decoys are a perfect example. Some decoys carried weird and wonderful schemes as well. Jordanian F-104s used as decoys carried a very smart desert scheme which they had never worn in flying service. Folland Gnat T1s and Jet Provost T3s carried a silver and dayglo scheme in service but when they became maintenance airframes at Halton, the silver was replaced with Light Aircraft Grey. On my fitter's course at Cosford I spent a couple of happy hours marshalling a Red Arrows Gnat around the pan. There must be dozens of interesting decoy or maintenance schemes which could be depicted. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 What a great idea Enzo! It will bring back many memories for a lot of us. Are you going hi-viz from the stand-alone kit or toned down from the starter set? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 Are you going hi-viz from the stand-alone kit or toned down from the starter set? Definitely hi-viz with a blue fin! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 This looks good. Never seen a kit like this before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 This should be interesting Enzo, I have never seen any of these Airfix kits and I come from the Betta-Bilda era (upmarket Lego). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Oooh this will be good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 Told you it wouldn't take long... Primed with black auto primer from a rattle can. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I bought a couple of these for the very same reasons, one did become a donor for my F2A to F1 build but then Ali brought out his conversion. I have to say that from the photos the shape looks good and I think you'll turn out a decent looking Lightning from it. Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 The paint went on very quickly indeed. Rattle cans will do that for you! The silver is an aluminium primer colour. The blue fin was sprayed with Ford Isis Blue. Oh, and there is some black primer around the canopy. Then we have some stickers. Although they are actually decals, the redundant 92 Sqn ones from the Airfix F2A kit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Always been a fan of the blue-fined 92 Sqn. machines 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Looking good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Excellent - so that's how it's done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 no mess tins here! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Still looks better than a Trumpeter Lightning! Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Still looks better than a Trumpeter Lightning! Duncan B The fact it looks like a Lightning gives it a head start there 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) Finished!!! In fact, it was pretty much finished weeks ago but I only took the masking off the canopy and added the pitot probe today. I must stress that this was a fun build in the style I might have used when this kit was first released. Okay... maybe ten years after that. I'm not that old...! Edited January 3, 2015 by Enzo Matrix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Very nice Enzo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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