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PK-114: BAC Lightning F.2A/F.6


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Sign me up! I am excited to add PK-114 to the build list after a little bit of eBay action tonight!

 

132006-11185-pristine.jpg

 

I'll take my time with this as a simple fun build alongside/in between some other planned GB projects over the coming months, and will build the 74 Sqn F.6 as per the beautiful box artwork.

 

Will post pics of the actual kit when the postie delivers, but for now, count me in!

 

Cheers all,

 

Gerard

Edited by Wings unlevel
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Excellent stuff Gerard and apologies for the late-ish welcome to this GB (its quite busy on these pages!). 

I was certainly hoping to see PK-114 added, so this has brought a big smile to my dial. We will look forward to your NMF scheme. 

 

Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave 

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9 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Excellent stuff Gerard and apologies for the late-ish welcome to this GB (its quite busy on these pages!). 

I was certainly hoping to see PK-114 added, so this has brought a big smile to my dial. We will look forward to your NMF scheme. 

 

Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave 

Cheers Dave, looking forward to being part of the fun!

 

Glad I can represent the Lightning, to me it feels particularly appropriate   - an iconic British jet made by an iconic British kit maker with iconic Roy Huxley box artwork.

2 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Just to echo Daves thoughts, both yourself and the Lightning are very welcome additions to this GB.

Good luck with the build.

Cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat, appreciate the fun and welcoming environment you and Dave have created for this GB!

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2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

I remember building this as a youngster, attracted by the shiny finish and Beautiful box art, mine never looked like the one in the picture though!!! 

Good luck with your build

Chris

I built this one as kid too! Definitely excited to have another go at it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well significant progress to report - I now have an actual kit to build!

 

Mostly working from home at the moment but went into the office today and this little beauty was waiting for me I got home (the Post Office's tracking app kind of kills the element of surprise admittedly!).

 

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Box is in good condition.

 

51832365452_47fe2c4a8a_b.jpg

 

 

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Decals seem fair but useable(?).

 

51832365447_920564c997_b.jpg

 

Plastic looks perfect though. Factory fresh, straight from 1976. Love the old school raised panel lines.

 

Maybe I should brush paint it with Humbrol 11?

 

And use the classic Matchbox stand for full effect?!

 

Looking forward to making a start, but busy over in the F/A-18 GB plus going away next week. But this kit has waited 45 years so another few days won't hurt!

 

Gerard

 

 

 

 

 

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Having the Hasegawa / Frog Lightning as a kid, I’ve never really taken a close look at Matchbox’s Lightning expect perhaps whilst marvelling at the lovely Box art at my LHS. I don’t suspect Revell are ever likely to release these moulds again as all their later offerings are still the old Hasegawa kit. Naturally these pale into significance with the new tool Airfix kit, however its always nice to see how other manufactures tackled this classic British interceptor in model form. Looking forward to seeing this kit take shape. 

Cheers.. Dave. 

 

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25 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

marvelling at the lovely Box art

The box art is beautiful, but I’d forgotten just how small Matchbox boxes were!

 

if I had limitless time I’d love to build the new Airfix alongside it. Would be a really interesting exercise to see how far along kit engineering has come.

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1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Having the Hasegawa / Frog Lightning as a kid, I’ve never really taken a close look at Matchbox’s Lightning expect perhaps whilst marvelling at the lovely Box art at my LHS. I don’t suspect Revell are ever likely to release these moulds again as all there later offerings are still the old Hasegawa kit. Naturally these pale into significance with the new tool Airfix kit, however its always nice to see how other manufactures tackled this classic British interceptor in model form. Looking forward to seeing this kit take shape. 

Cheers.. Dave. 

 

I nearly brought the revellgawa in my local  the other day thinking it was the Matchbox, wondering how they compare, might be bold and pick both up.....anyway threads got another watcher 

Edited by PhantomBigStu
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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for the nudge Pat! No progress of note at this point, beyond receiving in the post some rather lovely Xtradecals for it:

 

Decals

 

(Will still do it in 74 Sqn markings so it’s true to the box art.)

 

Nearly finished my MB Saab Tunnan so will make a start on this once the ‘barrel’ is off the bench!

 

So for now it sits quietly in the queue.

 

Gerard

 

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  • 1 month later...

Lightning strikes twice!

 

Comparisons

 

My local model shop had the Airfix Lightning F.6 in stock so on a whim the other day I grabbed it. Not sure how far I’ll go with a double build, but the colour call-outs on the Airfix instructions are useful, and it’s interesting to see what 35+ years in kit design yields.

 

The differences are what you’d expect, finer, more refined detailing all round, from the panel lines to the cockpit to the undercarriage and engine inlet and exhausts. The modern Airfix plastic is softer and there’s no raised detailing, of course.

 

Big step change in decals:

 

 

Comparisons

 

(The aftermarket Xtradecals I bought are on the left, Airfix kit decals on the right.)

 

Overall accuracy of the humble MB is pretty good really. Just, as is all known, the MB fuselage is too narrow.

 

Compare

 

Compare

 

But it will still make a decent kit. Which I’m pleased to report is now finally under way.

 

Time to glue

 

You won’t be able to see the rudimentary cockpit under the thick canopy, but it does seem a shame to seal up the maker’s name.

 

Joined

 

Main fuselage halves have joined up pretty well, and hopefully the rest comes together fairly quickly now!
 

Such a tough looking jet and now it’s under way I’m keen to see it take shape and land in the gallery before this GB is done!

 

Gerard

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wings and horizontal tail on.

 

Coming together

 

More complex Airfix build struggling to keep up. MB proving an easy build with surprisingly good fit, but will result in a simpler, less accurate model. Airfix is a much more complicated kit, much more detailed, but surprisingly poorer fitting (certainly around the nose area, where there is a lot going on). But seeing them side by side the shape and detail is much better (not surprisingly!).

 

Gerard

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Looks stealth in black primer!

 

Primed

 

Airfix build largely managing to keep pace. 
 

Have finalised my MiG-21 and Bomber/strike/GA GB builds today too so should be able to make good progress from here.

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This is coming along very nicely, and an interesting double-build. I love both versions, in fact, the Lightning is my fave aircraft of all time, although another runs it pretty close.

 

I am looking forward to seeing this in the final scheme, you can't have too many 74 Sqn Lightnings.

 

Ray

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5 hours ago, Ray S said:

the Lightning is my fave aircraft of all time

It just has a presence, doesn’t it!

 

I might do the MB in a different scheme from the Extradecal sheet as @Enzo Matrix is doing a 74 Sqn jet, just for some variety in the gallery. And then do the Airfix build in 74 Sqn colours…

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  • 2 weeks later...

Saw a few of the other Lightning builds threads have been updated so here’s mine, with paint underway and the scheme chosen - 5 Squadron’s XS919 circa 1984 in grey it is.

 

Painting

Undersides done - fuselage is RAF medium sea grey, wing and horizontal tail undersides in RAF light aircraft grey. Main colour, dark sea grey to be applied next.

 

Going away this weekend but confident of completion by the GB deadline… I think!

 

Gerard

 

 

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4 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

The comparison between the 2 kits is a great idea :weep:

Cheers Pat, the difference 30 something years of progress is fascinating to see. Wonder what the next 30 years will bring??

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I’ve put the Airfix aside to concentrate on finishing the MB kit by the deadline. Think I’ll get there - just!

 

Painting is now complete, but after more masking than I’d anticipated, the three tone grey scheme more complex than I’d originally appreciated.

 

Masked


But painting, including some touch ups and details like the black at the top of the fin, is now all done. Think it looks alright.

 

Dark sea grey


It’ll be a high speed landing right on the cusp of the deadline, but I think I can bring it home!

 

Gerard

 

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