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1/48 Airfix Lightning


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Look at this beauty, what a cracking kit, and an ebay bargain under £25!

 

The beautiful silver F1s are very tempting but I have another in the stash ready for those, so this one continues my 80s RAF theme and will be a grey/green camo F3 from the Lightning Training Flight, circa 1985.

 

Great decal sheet again, and plenty of little aerials, etc to stick on the airframe. Not sure whether Binbrook's F3s carried their Firestreaks or Red Tops very often, or were usually flown clean? I'll check out some photos.

 

Did they ever sit QRA in the 80s or was that only the F6?

 

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This is what I'm aiming for!

 

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36 minutes ago, Lord Riot said:

Anyone able to advise on the definitive way of getting a nice shiny ring?

 

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Hi Lord,

For a shine like that I've tried everything from Model Master/SNJ buffable paints, Bare Metal Foil film to Alclads without a good result until I came across this wonderful thing:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Gaia-Premium-mirror-chrome-Gundam/dp/B0788KWGLN

 

It's just incredible; it's also buffable, and when done so, the finish is just like that on the label. Give it a try.

Cheers,

 

Unc2

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On 12/06/2019 at 13:55, Lord Riot said:

Anyone able to advise on the definitive way of getting a nice shiny ring?

 

 

I have a memory of a polished stainless steel after market intake ring for the Airfix 1/48th Lightning. 

But i've no idea who made it. 

Looking at the part, a good machinist should be able to make one or ten quite quickly. 

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47 minutes ago, 224 Peter said:

I have a memory of a polished stainless steel after market intake ring for the Airfix 1/48th Lightning. 

But i've no idea who made it. 

Looking at the part, a good machinist should be able to make one or ten quite quickly. 

Aeroclub did a metal one which could be made to gleam. Can still find them on auction sites. Maybe worth asking John on here if he still has any?

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Making Lightning progress today, the cockpit and bang seat done last night and fuselage with various internal gubbins added. Photos show the Martin Bakers in Lightnings had lots of straps! 

 

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Hopefully I've used enough nose weight! 

 

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The intake area looks complex but it fits pretty well. However the fuselage halves take some persuasion to stick without big joins or gaps. 

 

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And, I found this for the nose ring - hoping it's shiny enough.

 

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1 hour ago, guillaume320 said:

 

Note that on this airframe the nose ring was painted! 

 

It was, rather unusual that. I'd prefer it shiny silver so I might choose a different aircraft if I can find serial decals. 

 

Anyone know which F3s remained in camo until withdrawal from service?

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Fighting valiantly against the join lines. I bet they'll still show through after spraying, but hopefully not as much as when I first glued the fuselage together.

 

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15 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

And, I found this for the nose ring - hoping it's shiny enough.

 

 

I think the answer regarding the Rustoleum may be in the sticker on the lid. "this cap is not an exact representation of the finish..".

 

I recently purchased a similar product and found that the "chrome" effect was less that a can of metallic silver purchased in a local bargain shop! Like many modellers I feel that the search for a good quality chrome/metallic finish that is both within our budgets an skill levels remans as elusive as the search for the Holy Grail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Each wing comes in three main parts, plus the flap assembly, but it all fits together really well. I like the extra leading edge underside, it helps squeeze the leading edges together well so should reduce any gap.

 

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Unfortunately the wing roots will need filler like pretty much all my models. Don't know how to avoid it really, I sand them first but can't too much or they'll be too short or mis-shaped.

 

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