EE Lightning F6 - 1/72 Revell

[CedB]

I've decided my next build should be something easy. Again.

Phil ( @HP42 ) kindly gave me some of his 'spare' kits on the understanding that I WiP them here and the next one to go is Revell's acclaimed Lightning F6:

 

(Image thanks to scalemates.com)

 

Just joking. After looking through 15 pages of results from a BM search on “Lightning F6” very few are the Revell kit.

Why’s that? The Airfix kit is better? Ho hum…

 

I’d really like to do a camouflaged version as I already have 'a silver one' so I've ordered the Xtradecal X72155 1/72 English Electric Lightning decals from MJW.

Starting soon, all welcome - but no sausages this thread thanks, I'm on a diet  

[PhantomBigStu]

It’s a Hasegawa tooling that is pretty old, even by Hasegawa standards 

Edited April 10, 2019 by PhantomBigStu

[amblypygid]

I'm sure you'll make something very Frightening-like from it, Ced. Looking forward to it!

[giemme]

I'm in.  I know very little about this aircraft, and hope to find out more 

 

 

Ciao

[philp]

I still prefer the other Lightning but if you are building it I will watch.

[Biggles87]

Front row seat again! 

I built a few of the Hasegawa  Frightening kits many years ago but had moved on to 1/48 by the time it was released by Revell

 

John

 

[Hamden]

 

I'm in, looking forward to seeing this come together.

 

      Roger 

[CedB]

Welcome Stu, Chris, Giorgio, Phil, John and Roger!

 

Giorgio I don't know much about the type either (there's a Wiki entry here), except that it was the first operational aircraft to be able to climb vertically above the speed of sound and reach Mach 2. A Lightning flying at optimum climb profile would reach 36,000 ft (11,000 m) in under three minutes. Not bad for the 1960s.

This was mainly thanks to the two huge Rolls Royce Avon engines, 'uniquely' mounted one above the other.

An old colleague was an ex-lightning jockey and was certainly impressed by the performance. Of course it used fuel, gone in (he said) about 45 minutes, but you could go a long way in that time.

 

You weren't necessarily expected to come back though. When I had my brief RAF career we were told that, when in it's expected interceptor role, the Lightning had three weapon systems. Air-to-Air missiles, Avon cannon and then, when you ran out of ammunition, flying the aircraft into the nearest enemy bomber. 

It got crossed off my list.

Not that I would have qualified anyway - at 6'2" any attempt to eject would have taken my legs off at the knees. That stings.

 

Hasegawa re-pop eh? Hmmm. Not many parts on the trees:

 

 

 

Nice clear canopy:

 

 

The pilot's been prepared and primed with Ratskin Flesh as usual:

 

 

On my other Lightning build (pre-BM) I bought some Humbrol gloss black and sprayed the nose ring with Alclad Chrome. Smelly.

This time I thought I'd use my thick Molotow chrome pen:

 

 

Good enough for the ceiling.

That's after three coats and you can see on the paper in the background the results of me pumping the pen after a very, very good shake.

Stew and I have both found that if you just shake it a bit you just get a fizzy mess.

I think the secret is to shake it, then shake it a bit more and then give it a good shake.

Then pump the tip until you get chrome rather than fizzy silver.

Messy, but much easier than Alclad IMHO.

 

An email from MJW Models at 23:20 last night (  ) tells me the decals have been picked and will be posted today - great service!

Not sure what scheme I'll choose (yet) except that it'll be camo.

[keefr22]

20 minutes ago, CedB said:

but you could go a long way in that time.

 

Once watched a fantastic display by a 23 sqn F3 at a Greenham Common IAT (before it became RIAT & moved to Fairford) - lasted about 10 minutes or so, much of it in burner and finished with the usual spectacular vertical barrel roll into the wild blue with a roll off the top to position for landing. Commentator said when he rolled out at the end of the runway he was at his diversion fuel limit!! 

 

Looking forward to this - are you going to rescribe it...?!  

 

Keith

[perdu]

I might join you along the way Ced, the Frog/Hasegawa Lightning was one of my favourites back in the day

Still got two in the box to build along with an old Airfix or two for twin seating, my late summer intended build

 

(Message to Ced... Pen envy... I've got it... Must get chrome pen like that...)

[Courageous]

A good start Ced, love the chrome nose ring.

I have one of those pens but haven't used it yet so thanks for the 'shaky-shaky' tip. Do you have a drying time for that pen as I've heard that it takes a while?

 

Stuart

[CedB]

3 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Once watched a fantastic display by a 23 sqn F3 at a Greenham Common IAT (before it became RIAT & moved to Fairford) - lasted about 10 minutes or so, much of it in burner and finished with the usual spectacular vertical barrel roll into the wild blue with a roll off the top to position for landing. Commentator said when he rolled out at the end of the runway he was at his diversion fuel limit!! 

 

Looking forward to this - are you going to rescribe it...?!  

 

Keith

Thanks Keith, sounds exciting but short - typical! And of a Lightning - fnaar!  

Rescribe it? I didn't realise it had been scribed… knowing me, what do you think?

2 hours ago, perdu said:

I might join you along the way Ced, the Frog/Hasegawa Lightning was one of my favourites back in the day

Still got two in the box to build along with an old Airfix or two for twin seating, my late summer intended build

 

(Message to Ced... Pen envy... I've got it... Must get chrome pen like that...)

Please join along Bill - nice to have you. From this morning's session you'll be able to pick up some West Country vernacular  

 

7 minutes ago, Courageous said:

A good start Ced, love the chrome nose ring.

I have one of those pens but haven't used it yet so thanks for the 'shaky-shaky' tip. Do you have a drying time for that pen as I've heard that it takes a while?

 

Stuart

Thanks Stuart  

I think 'a while' is probably right. I've had to strip it off again (see below) and it was still tacky after a couple of hours.

 

Ah, now then. Old Revell kits. Bit like old Airfix but with hard, shiny, **$£%%# plastic!

I'd forgotten about that stuff.

Nasty.

It laughs at most tools, shrugs off sanding sticks and then produces deep "I give in" grooves under a scalpel of chisel.

 

I've decided this is going to be a quick and dirty easy build. Said that before.

But this time I mean it. Probably.

 

For example, I have no intention of improving the 'it'll never be seen on the ceiling' internals:

 

 

Just one dial on the i/p then and no decal.

Bet it's a fuel gauge.

 

Painted following the always accurate Revell instructions:

 

 

… and hidden away:

 

 

Closed up. That'll teach it:

 

 

Look at that seam. Easy to sort, you may think.

Think again.

With this plastic, when you sort the seam you end up with a different colour seam as the underlying, non-shiny plastic shows through:

 

 

This makes it almost impossible to decide whether you have a dented seam or not.

Hate it.

 

Anything else?

Well, I don't think the nose wheel doors are going to be much good, even if I get that horrible gate sorted:

 

 

 

Didn't think so:

 

 

Hasegawa re-pop. Don't talk to me about Hasegawa re-pops. I've seen it. It's rubbish.

 

In other news, a tip. If you're using a chrome pen, make sure you don't get paint on the chrome or it'll go dull when you try to wipe the paint off (ask me how I know).

However, I think the fizzy bit may be part of some sort of self levelling. I watched it this time and, as the fizz goes, the surface settles down.

Here's Mk II after removing Mk I and the paint with IPA:

 

 

At least I'm happy(ish) with that.

You're going to say that the green is too light aren't you?

Following orders I was…

[amblypygid]

That chrome really is bright and shiny; I'm sufficiently impressed to be browsing Amazon for one. I see also that they do a masking liquid pen, what an idea (if it works).

[perdu]

Well that looks properjob to me Ced

 

Apart from     

 

Seat should be greenish bum/backpads and black seat

 

But on the ceiling? Who'll know

 

And the nose cone should be a cone not a nipple

The colours can be almost any in the green to beige range of colours so do NOT let anyone mither you about that

 

It is cured fibreglass so take it from there

 

The point, just a tiny tad silver-Y

[keefr22]

Oooh nice shiny ring Ced (there ya go pal....!!)

 

3 minutes ago, perdu said:

Seat should be greenish bum/backpads and black seat

 

But on the ceiling? Who'll know

 

Especially with a ratskin flesh primed pilot sat on it!

 

1 hour ago, CedB said:

With this plastic, when you sort the seam you end up with a different colour seam as the underlying, non-shiny plastic shows through:

 

Which is why, for those of us who are dim enough to rescribe things, it should be the law that any kit with raised panel lines must be moulded in silver plastic so you get the ghost guide lines left when you sand it down!!

 

8 minutes ago, perdu said:

And the nose cone should be a cone not a nipple

The colours can be almost any in the green to beige range of colours so do NOT let anyone mither you about that

 

 

What the wise man says!

 

Keith

 

[Rob G]

Lightnings apparently carried enough fuel to defend the airfields that Lightnings were stationed at. I read that on BM, so it must be right!

 

These are my very most favouritest jet airyplaney things evahhhhh, and it's grand to see you making one. I did an 'Asegawaha kit in a GB a couple of years back, and while it's no great shakes, it does look pretty much like a Lightning. When you've finished this one, have a go at the new(ish) and much superior 72nd Airfix version. Don't bother with the 72nd Trumpeter one, it's pants. As is the 32nd version...

 

Now, off you go. I'll be watching...

[corsaircorp]

Hello Ced !

Nice start on the Frightning !

Will follow too, This chrome pen look really interesting !

What's the brand please ?

Sincerely.

CC

[Biggles87]

If the Greenham Lightning display you saw Kieth was around '77-'78 that would have been Geoff Brindle, who later became Display Manager at IAT. He really did have some Frightening stories to tell. You just couldn't beat a Lightning going vertical at the end of a display, we used to ask for an extension to our airspace up to FL180 ( 18,000ft ) for a Lightning vertical climb but it was only  FL120 for a Phantom, sorry Pantom Phanatics but it just didn't have the oomph.

 

John

Edited April 11, 2019 by Biggles87

[Beard]

Ooh, a Lightning... I saw one of them yesterday.

 

[keefr22]

46 minutes ago, Biggles87 said:

If the Greenham Lightning display you saw Kieth was around '77-'78

 

Earlier than that John, 73 or 74 if IIRC.

 

Another Lightning 'display' I enjoyed was when I was in my IOT at Cranwell in my also abortive RAF career, & they took us for a 'day out' at Coningsby when the place was awash with Phantoms. A pair of 5 sqn jets had visited for lunch and lined up for a pairs depature - full burner, rotate, tactical break, pull into the vertical and again barrel roll upwards until out of sight! It was definitely a 'follow that suckers' message to the Phantom mob!

 

Keith

[perdu]

My first year as CI to my ATC Sqn had us visiting Wattisham for Annual Camp

 

What a wonderful place to imbue Air-mindedness to young teenagers

 

We loved being able to loiter round the QRA shed, hell of a good thing children

 

hell of a good thing

 

(Wont dwell on the air experience Lightning ride that didnt, A/C went tech... ) 

 

23, 56 and 111

ISTR

[Steve Coombs]

So what's it going to be - XR727 or XR770?

[hendie]

I think you've done 3 builds in less time than I've managed to get two modeling sessions in!    

 

nice quick start though.  Camo is a nice choice

Edited April 11, 2019 by hendie

[tweeky]

XR770 'AA' was the first Grey Lightning in 81ish huge roundels on the nose. She also wore Saudi markings at one time too.  My profile pic is a 5 Sqn reunion taken a Waddington. Happy 5 years on type.

 

[ivand]

4 hours ago, Rob G said:

These are my very most favouritest jet airyplaney things evahhhhh

Let's rephrase that:

 

http://m.quickmeme.com/img/0a/0a807a3999e0c81ce26fe6b5bcbaeb4b32891a17c44963b190d55e0a4e06d3fb.jpg

 

😉