Matchbox T55 Lightning to RAF T5 Standard

[will2017]

I've managed to find a Matchbox Lightning T55 Lightning, and want to build/paint it up as a RAF T5,

I know that I've got to find a pair of straight wings, but is there anything else?

And is there a step by step conversion I can follow?

[bentwaters81tfw]

You need a smaller belly tank from an F.Mk1 or F.Mk3.

[chrisrope]

I did this a good while back. 

I used a belly tank section from an Airfix F3 I got for free  Not too hard but the MB kit fuselage is slimmer than the Airfix from memory. Needed some filler and plasticised to line everything up 

 

I had a look at using the Airfix wings but ended up cutting out the F6 kink and just straightening the wing. Not accurate at all but worked better than trying to make the Airfix wings fit. 

 

 

I actually ended up making it into a T4 using a resin fin I think came with the Airfix kit but it was based on the T55, long before the Sword kits came out. 

 

Personally, I’d just build the T55 as it is and look at picking up a Sword kit for a dedicated T5

 

Cheers

Chris

 

[theplasticsurgeon]

I built this T5 in 2008.   

Matchbox fuselage and square fin,  I left the cable ducts long.

Airfix belly tank faired in.  Airfix wings from an ancient F1A needed a small amount of trimming to fit the wider cockpit.

Decals from spares.

 

I've got a Sword kit for a T4 in the stash.  And another T55 has come my way, probably for a what-if scheme.

[will2017]

Thanks for the advice, and the great pictures.

I may do as advised and build the T55 as a Saudi or Kuwaiti one, and find a Sword T5 for the RAF version.

[Timbo88]

As mentioned above, a T5 can be made quite easily from the Matchbox T55 and an Airfix F3, though to be honest it's probably easier to get your hands on a Sword two seater these days than it is to obtain the two older kits and merge them together (though perhaps not so much fun!)

I was looking through some old copies of Scale Aircraft Modelling this morning and there were articles about converting various kits to create otherwise unobtainable versions. How time has moved on. We are spoilt for choice these days.

 

 

[Duncan B]

Oh how times have changed1 I remember looking at doing the same thing as the OP to get to an RAF T bird Lightning and then finding an Aeroclub conversion set. Before I got around to doing anything with that I bought the Whirlybird resin T5. Before I got around to doing anything with that (but I was just about to start) the Sword kits appeared.

I still have the Whirlybird and Aeroclub kits somewhere deep in the stash but doubt they will ever be built now.

 

Duncan B

[tweeky]

The F3 and T5 had different ailerons to the F6 so you really need the F3 wing. 

[Paulaero]

On 05/08/2019 at 20:37, theplasticsurgeon said:

I built this T5 in 2008.   

Matchbox fuselage and square fin,  I left the cable ducts long.

Airfix belly tank faired in.  Airfix wings from an ancient F1A needed a small amount of trimming to fit the wider cockpit.

Decals from spares.

 

I've got a Sword kit for a T4 in the stash.  And another T55 has come my way, probably for a what-if scheme.

How about all Grey in 74 Sqn marks as the Ones from Saudi almost made it …………  Fin code would have been C-  5 sqn Were A, 11Sqn B and the LTF were D.  C was left for the 'next' sqn 

[theplasticsurgeon]

3 hours ago, Paulaero said:

How about all Grey in 74 Sqn marks as the Ones from Saudi almost made it …………  Fin code would have been C-  5 sqn Were A, 11Sqn B and the LTF were D.  C was left for the 'next' sqn 

I built it as a Lightning T66, finishing earlier this month.  RAF big-belly trainer.

5 Squadron Arctic camo on Port side.

11 Squdron Desert camo on Stbd.