Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Forgive me if this is in the wrong place or has been answered before. I have searched but can't find the answer. My question is what is the purpose of the line of five small holes that run centrally the length of the belly tank on the EE Lightning F6 1/72 Airfix kit. I have seen builds where they are filled and others where they are not. Any advice would be appreciated so I know how to deal with them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 I was going to guess at vents for the guns but looking at F.6s without the gun packs they are visible on those too. Hopefully a Lightning expert will be along in a flash. Duncan B p.s. I do remember being told what they were for but I'm jiggered if I can remember the actual reason, age does strange things to the memory!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) Fuel/water sediment test points ? but I cant recall ever seeing them being used. Guns vented through the holes in the Gun doors (the gun doors caught the spent cases too) Edited November 25, 2020 by tweeky 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 Thanks to all. I guess it is worth keeping them then once I've cleared up the seams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) Peter, Have a google Ian black or Firestreak books, Ian's an ex Lightning pilot and a cracking photographer got some great air to air photos on the Lightning both here in the UK and South Africa. https://hushkit.net/2015/06/30/english-electric-lightning-english-skies-ripped-apart-by-riveted-lunacy/ https://www.firestreakbooks.com/ this will show you on the title page what you need to know I think. Edited November 25, 2020 by tweeky 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsyouruncle Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 If it's the holes I'm thinking you're thinking about, on page 219 of Tim Mclelland's Lightning book, they're labelled as 'attachment bolts'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 2 minutes ago, bobsyouruncle said: If it's the holes I'm thinking you're thinking about, on page 219 of Tim Mclelland's Lightning book, they're labelled as 'attachment bolts'. "on the underside" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsyouruncle Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 15 minutes ago, tweeky said: "on the underside" Yes, they diagram shows them on the underside of the rear part of the belly tank, on the centreline, but I can only make out four of them, not five. I'd show the diagram if it's not breaching copyrights. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 19 minutes ago, bobsyouruncle said: I'd show the diagram if it's not breaching copyrights. Thanks but I suspect it would breech the copyright. I wonder what they are attaching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 40 minutes ago, tweeky said: Tim Mclelland's Lightning book Is this the best book on the aircraft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsyouruncle Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 24 minutes ago, Pete F said: Thanks but I suspect it would breech the copyright. I wonder what they are attaching? Pete, on the diagram, (although it might seem unlikely), it looks like they go right through the centreline and attach to the fuselage underside?? 24 minutes ago, Pete F said: Is this the best book on the aircraft? I wouldn't claim that it's the 'best', as that's always going to be a matter of opinions. Some are best for one thing and others for another. It's a good general book which happened to include a diagram that I was after (on page 219 as mentioned). Like Tweeky says, if you're after photos (or want to know what it was like to fly the Lightning), you can't go wrong with any of Ian Black's books. Here's a selection of some of mine that I've dug out to try and find your answer. My 'faves' are the Ian Black ones at bottom left and (the very well thumbed photo book) top right. Some are better for period photos and others (like the Danny Coreman one 2nd from left at bottom) show all the intricate details on existing aircraft. Cheers Bob. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 31 minutes ago, Pete F said: I wonder what they are attaching? The fuel tank to the fuselage. There's more fastenings on the outer edges. The belly fuel tank on Lightnings is a conformal tank separate from the fuselage. The bottom of a Lightning fuselage is a straight line when viewed in profile apart from the curves up to the nose and tail. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 The gun tank/ No1 engine hatch was attached via bolts around the edge of the tank. For the life in me I can't remember how the centre and rear ventral tank attached to the airframe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) the English Electric Lightning A comprehensive guide for modellers by Richard J Caruana is a great book, it has a good diagram of the Ventral/gun tank there's two attachment points for both the centre and rear ventral tank. In the forward part of the gun tank there was a similar hole this was the No1 engine starter exhaust exited. Edited April 11, 2021 by tweeky 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 43 minutes ago, bobsyouruncle said: Here's a selection of some of mine that I've dug out to try and find your answer. Thanks - amazing collection. Inspires me to start my Lightning book collection. Don't tell my wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 46 minutes ago, Dave Swindell said: The belly fuel tank on Lightnings is a conformal tank separate from the fuselage. Thanks to all again. I now understand. Hopefully this thread will be of use to future modellers when faced with these holes. What an amazing repository of knowledge here on Britmodeller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 2 hours ago, bobsyouruncle said: If it's the holes I'm thinking you're thinking about, on page 219 of Tim Mclelland's Lightning book, they're labelled as 'attachment bolts'. That's it! I remember now (better late than never) access for the attachment for the forward belly tank/gun pack. If I remember correctly Dennis Robinson (sloegin57) )posted some photos of them on here a few years back when someone else asked a similar question. Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete F Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 For completeness this was the earlier posting referred to above: For some reason my searching didn't find it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 15 hours ago, Pete F said: For completeness this was the earlier posting referred to above: For some reason my searching didn't find it. It's a bit of a worry that I remembered the post from 2012 but couldn't remember the actual content lol Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 19 hours ago, Pete F said: Thanks but I suspect it would breech the copyright. I wonder what they are attaching? If they are holes for attachment points maybe they are actually access points for the bolts holding the belly tank on; I'm fairly sure the tank and gun packs were removable. I've also checked through "Last of the Lightnings" by Ian Black and the holes appear to be clean and not venting oil/smoke/fuel etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 On 11/26/2020 at 11:02 AM, iainpeden said: If they are holes for attachment points maybe they are actually access points for the bolts holding the belly tank on; I'm fairly sure the tank and gun packs were removable. All the tanks were demountable the four holes (two in the centre two in the rear) were for spigot type bolts that held the tanks on, The gun tank/ fwd ventral this also has one hole at the front centre but it was a smaller diameter this was the No1 starter exhaust. This tank was attached via a number of bolts the ran down each side where the fuselage meets the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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