Sword 1/72 Lightning F1

[Scargsy]

I've been missing the building with all the painting and decals I've been doing lately so was looking forward to starting this from the stash (even though I have a couple of KUTAs I could restart that need decals, etc.)...

It's a second hand kit, but everything seems in order - actually I think there's an extra piece that doesn't belong (the light grey bit at the top middle - oddly seems the same sprue colour).

The kit has a couple of resin (I think) bits - the exhaust and pilots seat, and some colour photoetch.

I've never built a Sword kit before but this may well be my first and last (more on that below).

So the sprues don't contain any numbering (not a deal breaker) but the parts - well, there's no attachment 'pins'/sockets or anything - you have to align them up by eye!

I made a start on the nose cone - it says to add weights to them (no amount specified) - I fitted a steel ball bearing in the nose and one in the rear section that attaches to, possibly I'll need to add more weights later, doesn't seem lots but I couldn't fit any more. I fixed them in place with some 2 part epoxy glue.

I also decided to glue up the wing halves, but there was some serious injector marks that had to be taken care of first as they were getting in the way.

So I can see this is going to be a 'fun' build. The only parts with and locator parts are effectively those stubby wing to fuselage parts and some dry fitting when the wings had dried showed they don't fit (so they'll need some modification)!

The tailfin and rear wings also have no good strong attachment points which will be 'fun'.

The part I'm dreading first though is getting the fuselage halves together they pretty much fit (a little plastic warpage but nothing some glue and clamping won't fix) but without connecting guide points it's going to be an engineering challenge (I'm thinking of building some bits of inner 'lip' on one side with plasticard to help hold it aligned whilst setting, but that's only half of it - I've also got to align and attach the cockpit (ok there's a tiny lip for that), the front radome/wheel-well part and the intake fan all at the same time so it all lines up.

Any tips on this appreciated (I'm half tempted to ditch it / kit bash it with another Lightning kit - e.g. take the decals, PE and resin parts and attach them to another kit).

Oh add to that I'm planning to try a BMF and this has all the hallmarks of turning into a nightmare project full of silver gluey finger prints!

 

 

 

 

[Andwil]

Good luck!

 

AW

[Col.]

Nice subject choice and while not the easiest kit ever issued a little care and preparation seems to yield good results.

Your spare grey bit looks to be the twin seat cockpit tub from the T.4/5 kit.

Adding tabs to the fuselage will help alignment considerably. In similar kits I've used dollops of blu tak to hold internal parts in place while test-fitting everything as that helps to establish where things need to locate and then glued or more supports situated. For the flying surfaces I can also recommend some tabs or pins from either plastic or metal rod to not only help them locate but also impart a bit more strength to ensure they stay where you want them to rather than wandering off in a huff if you accidentally knock them.

[Scargsy]

Some progress...

Firstly I noticed that the exhaust port (I think that's what it is) on the side of the rear fuselage is rather badly moulded - almost looked like a melted indent to start with, but photos of actual planes show it's there...

I made a start on the cockpit PE - not intending to do all of it, I know some of you guys enjoy this stuff but I always find it a bit too faffy so won't be using all the tiny pieces and I'm planning on having the canopy closes so it probably won't be too visible.

Given the very tight fit (well wouldn't to start with) wings I decided to attach them to the fuselage halves first - I was worried it would end up being difficult without cracking the shell later by applying force. So a lot of sanding and whittling the openings and I got them nicely on...

I managed to position the front section, cockpit and engine input after lots of trial and error - the engine input needed sanding down at the sides, as it came it was just too wide to fit anywhere.

I also added some plasticard 'tabs' as can be seen just about - to help hold the halves together.

The two halves of the fuselage were then glued shut.

I added the fin and horizontal tail-planes - which was painful, given they just butt-joint onto the main frame. they were too thin for me to contemplate attempting to pin.

Hopefully they're not too far off square, I added some filler down the joins - annoying there was a slight vertical misalignment when I put the halves together.

So that's it for now - have to decide whether I want to model it with the landing gear up or down. I have a possible stand (ICM) but it's a bit flimsy looking and something I haven't tried before.

Oh I noticed that I'm missing the HUD clear part from the bits (it's a 2nd hand kit) - not too big an issue I guess.

I also managed to knock off the tiny ejector seat handle (I think that's what the bit is above the seat) but luckily didn't lose it - so will reattach before adding the canopy.

 

[Col.]

Nice work. Not the most straightforward of kits but you're making good progress.

[Scargsy]

So the undercarriage doors aren't a good fit (slightly too large) so rather than lots of messing around trying to sand them to fit over the multiple angles or trying to make some / fill the openings, I've decided to go with the legs down.

 

The canopy wasn't a great fit (seems slightly too wide at the back) but it's passable.

So I masked up and gave the whole thing a coat of Alclad II black primer.

Don't mind the little chap at the back - he'd gotten a broken in the garden so me and the youngest had reattached his leg and given him a fresh coat of paint.

Once the primer had dried I gave it a coat of Alclad Gloss Black - I thinned it 50;50 with Mr Hobby Self-Levelling thinner, I've had issues before with this combo leaving a texture so thought the thinners might help.

In the end it did leave a bit of a texture as can be seen...

I should have checked whether it's due to the primer or not (I should have maybe rubbed that back), I'm hoping for a nice smooth coat before the metallic coat, it might be due to me not giving a sufficiently wet gloss coat though too?

Luckily some wet sanding with a bit 2000 grit sanding sponge seems to have smoothed it off, though I may have left the odd deeper scratch.

 

That's all for now, progress slowed by having to go back to work!

 

 

[Andwil]

Nice symmetry with the gnome’s hat and the Lightning’s nose!

 

AW

[Scargsy]

OK so watching some Alclad tutorial online - the guy sprayed the Black Gloss Base on bare plastic so maybe that's where I went wrong?

Anyhow - I rubbed it back with some 2000 grit sanding sponge and then some 3000 grit paper to smooth it out, however it appeared speckled still (I guess from gloss + matt finishes).

On went the Alclad airframe aluminum paint - first coat:

Second coat...

The only problem with this stuff is it seems to damage easily as a paint finish - I managed to mark in a few places (e.g. the nose) when taking off the masking tape carefully.

So I put a coat of clear on - this too seems to knock off some of the luster, but at least it should be a bit easier to handle.

I hand-painted the nose ring again in Tamiya chrome and the exhaust end of the fuselage in gun-metal and made a start on the decals.

 

The kit decals themselves are pretty decent, I hate doing thin lines, but no breakages so far and the larger decals are thin enough to conform where needed easily - the instructions as to where to place them though leave a lot to be desired! I followed them as best I could but after looking at some photos of real aircraft it's apparent that the lines towards the rear side of the wing should have been placed further towards the fuselage, leaving a gap and the roundels should be lower (making up for the gap in the lines, not where the kit instructions suggest to place them)!

Oh well too late now to fix it, just have to finish it off as best I can, there are some other black lines it's suggesting placing on the underside of the wings but it's impossible to tell where, I could I guess snip these and fill the gaps.

 

[Col.]

You've produced a good paint finish despite the fragility of the Alclad paint. Sorry to see the kit decal instructions were so vague but you've also got them pretty close; although I've no idea where Sword got the idea of underwing walkway lines from. Perhaps they are for the belly tank maintenance stand guide lines? If you think it'd be any help I'm sure some of us with an Airfix F.1/1A kit can provide a scan of the decal placement guide.