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

[TonyW]

I've just called a halt to a couple of car builds that I know I can't realistically finish in time, and there's a great big part done Victor that I also very much doubt I'll get finished either. Having said that, I do believe I can crack out another build over the top of that lot. If I keep to a straight out the box build, it's possible.

 

This is all just a means of giving myself an excuse of sorts for getting another build done. It's all @PhantomBigStu fault. He listed a Lightning for sale earlier and, like a moth to a flame, I couldn't keep away. The kit is here now, and I'll be cracking into it over the weekend. Here's baby...

 

 

 

Stuarts kit is the early version. I bought the other one at the Shuttleworth show earlier in the year but that one stalled when I found the nose ring was missing. I thought that another would turn up, and so it proved. I'm currently taking a mould from Stuarts kit to allow me to build the other kit at some point. I'm even kidding myself I might get the second Lightning done for the GB!

 

Stuart has given the build a head start by priming the parts. I'll be making a start on the build over the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

On 27/05/2022 at 20:20, TonyW said:

I'll be making a start on the build over the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Plenty if it was me ! 

 

Best of luck

 

Cheers Pat

[TonyW]

The build, or builds if things go smoothly, is well underway now.

 

I'll be trying for the two schemes provided in the later kit, the 5 Sqn F6 in grey and green and the bare metal F2A from 19 Sqn. Both planes are getting built, side by side. If I'm lucky both will get done. If I hit a wall on either, I can carry on with the other. I should get at least one completed. I'm not going for broke here, just a steady cruise towards the finish line.

 

Things started with parts cleanup, followed by cockpit assembly and painting. Just bare bones black in there, not a lot will be seen with the canopies on. I'll keep this attempt  box stock, to match the Phantom and Hunter I did earlier. 

 

 

The parts all fit well so far, with a tiny bit of fettling at the wing roots. Trailing edges have been sanded back to a much thinner edge than Matchbox supply.

 

 

Both fuselages have been closed up and the wings and added. Tube cement and a bit of superglue got the job done quickly and securely

 

.

 

The missing nose ring got  moulded using the existing ring for a pattern, and is the dark grey one in the last picture. Both nose cones got a sharpening, exhausts thinned out and painted black and the missiles assembled. I've also cut the pilots head off and refixed it looking left. He may get used, I'm undecided at the moment.

 

That lot can dry overnight and tomorrow should see a bit more done.

 

 

 

[TonyW]

Both builds got a bit of a body makover this morning, with some serious Matchbox overdetailing removed. I took away the manhole covers on the wings, the speed bumps around the tailpipes and quite a few other oversized protuberances. I've left about half the raised panel lines, but everything got reduced a bit.

 

 

Once that was done, I primed both with Tamiya primer and took a good look at what I've got. Neither airframe look good enough for a bare metal finish really.

Scratch that option then.

 

I'm now going for a pair of cammo planes. Digging out some reference books gave me about a hundred options! All looked good as well. One option stood out a mile for me, 5 Sqns XS897, in a retro roundel finish. Absolutely spot on. Checking my decal sheets brings good news, I have all I need. 

 

 

First coats have already been added. Humbrol 29 grey as an undercoat and Revell Aquacolour dark green over that. Both will need another coat.

Xtracolour DSG over the 29 and if the paint behaves, Tamiya RAF green over the Revell paint. I'm mixing about here to be able to paint a bit quicker, time is running out. 

 

 

The second Lightning has had a first coat of Tamiya RAF Green. Two should do the job. That one is getting an all green topside scheme as shown in this slightly out of focus picture...

 

 

It's one of the options that came with the first issue of the kit.

 

Some detail assembly and painting took place as well. Radomes got painted with a mix of khaki and olive green, followed by a coat of Tamiya clear yellow once dry. Both will get a flat coat tomorrow. Wheel and tyre painting commenced, along with a bit of canopy lining plus an undercoat on a pair of missiles. The exhaust area got a bit of metalizing and some weight was added to the nose with Milliput and a handful of nails.

 

A steady plod of a day with more of the same tomorrow.

[TonyW]

I was up just after sunrise this morning, keen or what? I wanted to get another coat of paint on both builds to keep things rolling along

. The paint didn't exactly go on perfectly, with a couple of slight pulls here and there. The second coat didn't fully cover either, leaving no option but to add yet another later. Less than ideal.

Leaving the models in sunlight all day and then giving both a couple of hours on a radiator later on for good luck. I tried adding the third coat just now. No good. The three brushed on coats look a bit thick, patchy and far from satisfactory. Possibly the weather is against me. It's been rain/sun/rain/sun all day. Maybe a bit of humidity affecting drying.

Whatever the reason, I've just scrubbed all the paint off the green model with rubbing alcohol, back to bare plastic. The other kit got its green scrubbed off, rinsed and dried, and now it's in a bleach bath for the night to remove the grey enamel.

I'll be firing up my airbrush tomorrow and will be giving that a go. I'm not panicking yet, well maybe a slight flicker of panic...

[TonyW]

Possible disaster has been averted. I primed the first rescue this morning and sat it in the early morning sun to dry off.

 

 

 

The second rescue took a bit more effort as the overnight bleach bath hadn't removed all the enamel grey.

 

 

A scrub with rubbing alcohol removed the last of it , primer followed drying. Both planes then spent the day sunbathing while I got on with other stuff.

 

 

Later on, both airframes were airbrushed with thinned Tamiya RAF Green. Two coats, an hour apart got the job done without drama. Leave an hour or two, then Humbrol Acrylic clear from a spraycan got the planes nice and glossy for decalling. Back in the sunshine for an hour or so, and the first bit of decalling took place on the all green one.

 

 

While decals were drying, I painted the grey cammo onto the second plane and thought I had blown it. The colours just looks all wrong to me. I used Revell dark grey enamel, and while it looked to be a bit darker than Humbrol 27, it dried looking rather bright. A coat of Humbrol clear over it got things looking a whole lot better. It darkened quite considerably. Adding a couple of roundels to it just before knock of this evening got it looking better still.

 

 

I'm off to my local model club for the evening, I can't wait to get back on the Lightnings. Decalling will take best part of the day I think, as the wingwalks look a bit fiddly. I'll be mixing and matching decals from my supplies to get the pair done. I'm aiming at all the topside decals on tomorrow, leaving the following day for masking and painting the undersides. 

 

Tony.

 

 

[bigbadbadge]

Nice work,  looking good

Chris

[TonyW]

An hour before brekky got more decaling done. Fin badges and flashes, more walkways, ejector triangles etc. The urge to add more has been resisted. I've got all exited in the past, and fired on loads in one sitting. That usually ended up with more decals stuck to my fingers and sleeves than on the model. I've been a bit more sensible with these two and quit while I'm ahead. The decals are a mix of Matchbox, Airfix and Modeldecal. The Modeldecal ones are getting on a bit and are very fragile. The AC fin letters nearly caused problems as the aftermarket code sheet contained no letter C's. A pair of G's had to do, with a bit of paintwork touch up later to get things as they should be. A couple of roundels need edges touched up as a bit of white is showing here and there.

 

 

Another session at lunchtime is on the cards.

 

 

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[Wings unlevel]

Looks great, they’re really coming to life!

[TonyW]

Still chipping away here, and making steady progress.

 

 

Kilo is closes to completion, with the wing walks now fitted along with the belly tank stripes. Alpha Charlie isn't far behind but usable wing stripes are running short here. 

Both planes got masked and their undersides painted this morning as it just seemed appropriate to do them at the time. I brush painted a 70/30 or so mix of Humbrol silver and pale grey and it went on just fine.

 

 

The nose rings on both were initially done with Molotow ink but the finish would be more suited to a '57 Buick than a Lightning. I used Humbrol silver in the end. It contrasts nicely against the silver mix on the undersides. Last thing this evening was a coat of satin clear over each in preparation for more tomorrow.

 

 

[TonyW]

Yet another early start this morning got plenty done before mid day

Missile loadout was decided and acted on. Training rounds for the all green Lightning via a bit of fin removal, grey paint and a few decal bands for good measure. AC got Firestreaks, possibly a bit early for the airframe but I thought they suited the retro scheme of the plane. Straight white finish with another couple of decal bands added. 

I tried hand painting the yellow lining on the cockpits but struggled to get a clean finish. In the end I taped two scalpel blades together and used them to cut Tamiya masking tape into very thin strips and used that to line each cockpit canopy. Not strictly accurate, but following the real things different thickness lines looked a bit messy, so I winged it. Undercarriage doors were fitted, with thinner ones made from plastic card up front. The main doors are as provided by Matchbox.

The telegraph poles  that were the front probes got thinned down to fence post thickness before the plastic started to fail and lost all straightness. A pair of sewing needles were used instead. The last bits of wing walk were cobbled together from strips of decal and a bit of lining pen ink. 

 

More satin clear was added, a bit of drying time allowed and the pair were done.

 

 

 

 

The mouldings are a bit on the chunky side, with very prominent raised detailing. Allowing for that, and not expecting too much from an old kit leaves me happy enough with both of them. The rather sombre colours on them will contrast nicely with my Airfix and FROG/Hasegawa bright metal finished models. I count that as a result for the home team.

 

[Galligraphics]

They look great, Tony - nicely finished 

[PhantomBigStu]

Fantastic work, so glad to see it was built in the end  

[TonyW]

1 hour ago, PhantomBigStu said:

Fantastic work, so glad to see it was built in the end  

 

Had you not offered your one for sale, neither would have been done. Thanks again Stuart.

[Wings unlevel]

A couple of beauties. Given its age I think this kit builds up really nicely. 

[Pete in Lincs]

Tony, Lots of likes from me. Two nice builds.

[JOCKNEY]

Congratulations Tony, both look really sharp.

Old Dave will be a busy boy when he sits down to update the build list !

 

Cheers Pat

[George Norman]

cracking effort on this pair, Well done!

[bigbadbadge]

They look lovely great work 

Chris