E.E. Lightning SB 'The Lightning Boys!'

[Stuart]

Oh. Also F2A could not carry the overwing tanks

David

That bit I knew!

Also Firestreaks and shorter cable run thingys down the fuse sides...

[DavidWomby]

Hey, Stuart, although I feel I should know the answer already, is there any end date to the SB?

David

[MarkyM607]

Oh. Also F2A could not carry the overwing tanks

David

That bit I knew!

Also Firestreaks and shorter cable run thingys down the fuse sides...

Leave me alone! I only have a little brainy bit! I've fished out the MDF on the Lightning although it doesn't say about the wing edges. Airfix's F.2A has the extended tips so that's good enough for me!. Room is opening up as the Arizona and the Zuikaku are either done or all but done.

[Stuart]

Hey, Stuart, although I feel I should know the answer already, is there any end date to the SB?

David

Hi David - Not as such, It starts about now and I guess it'll run until we get most of the builds done and people move off to other things - that's what normally happens.

Cheers

Stuart

[lancfan]

Not as such, It starts about now and I guess it'll run until we get most of the builds done and people move off to other things

Judging by the multiple builds being planned (and the Lightning kits to be ordered by me in the next couple of weeks) this could last a while.

David.

[DavidWomby]

I know what you mean, David. I had planned to do one. That sort of morphed into two. Now I keep eyeing my Mbox T55 that has a spare Airfix belly tank and wings to make into a T5 as well. However, I am also being drawn to the Canberra SB.....................

Must be careful here, could prove my undoing if I have too many on the go. Based on past experience, that leads me to multiple DNFs!

David

[lancfan]

Based on past experience, that leads me to multiple DNFs!

David

I Know just what you mean David.

[Stuart]

Well I for one am looking forward to seeing all your builds!

Happy new year all - Here's to good things in 2017!

Cheers

Stuart

[Kitaholic]

In between my household duties I managed to fit a bit of modelling in (Mrs Kit decided to break her leg on the 30th, and boy is she making the most of it).

Anyway intake ducting on the Airfix F.2A. Wasn't sure of the internal colour so went with bare metal, mostly invisible anyway. You can see a few ejector marks but these will only be visible to the pen-lighters so just left them.



Dry fitted to show how it sits.



Same area on the Sword F1. I have a cunning plan to deal with the lack of detail but unfortunately I can't work out how to use a turnip



Cockpits for both kits (Airfix on the left ). Amazingly the spare PE for the F2 from the Sword kit is an exact fit for the Airfix kit. Don't know how accurate it is for an F2A but it looks good and was free . Got to repaint the interior to better match the PE now.



The bang seats provided (resin one from the Sword kit on the left, they provide you with a resin seat, great PE set but no belts, go figure ). Will probably go AM for these.



Intake ducting together and ready for test fit. More on that later.



As you can see nothing visible inside



Parts for the exhaust. Bit of a pain having the sprue inside but I can see why they did it. Nothing that clippers and a half round file won't sort.



Exhausts from both kits ( Resin one from Sword on the right ). Very comparable, detail obviously a bit sharper on the resin part.



Plastic panels with PE attached (Sword on left ). Once more the Sword PE is a great fit on the Airfix panel.



Now it got interesting. Dry fitting the fuselage halves showed an excellent fit, then I dry fitted the interior parts. Oh boy, fit went to hell. Fuselage around the nose and cockpit area just wouldn't close or come close. Ended up filing about 0.5mm off all around the intake trunking. After lots of test and repeat the fuselage would finally close. Then I attached the cockpit to the top of the trunking and lo and behold, fuselage won't close. Culprit appeared to be the IP. With the PE attached I didn't want to try filing this down so I figured the only way was to gouge a trench with the side of a needle file in the fuselage side where the IP would sit. More test and repeat and now it closes. Then I test fitted the exhaust. Hallelujah, fuselage closed up perfectly, but what's this? Exhausts were sitting about 1mm proud of the rear fuselage. Two options, remove the blanking plate and shorten exhaust ducts or just sand the plate so it was thinner. Figured sanding the back of the plate was quicker as it is thick enough to handle a good sanding so went that way. You could also remove the ridge that the plate rests on inside the fuselage but that looks like it might affect the airbrake interior. Anyway, all fits now and in place, some roofing lead behind the cockpit for ballast.



Fuselage is all closed up now, time to bring the F1 to that stage

[MarkyM607]

Looking good despite the fit tribulations!!. Is it a great big turnip in the country??.

[lancfan]

I have the Airfix F.2a waiting in the wings to follow the P.1a and two of the sword kits are on my January shopping list so this build is very useful for when I start my second and further builds.

David.

[DavidWomby]

I am sure the tribulations are worth the resulting detail, Kit, but you're making me glad I am using old Airfix and Mbox clunkers with no risk of such fit challenges !

Sorry to hear about Mrs Kit's broken leg.

David

[MarkyM607]

This is my entry. As there is no indication of gun ports (or where they have been) and the side 'trunking' is almost half the size I think it should be, I may just do this as an F.6 as I have done the F.2A is 92's colours.


I've only done the seats, well replaced the immersion suited pilot with one from the Hawk I'm doing. The seat is bereft of detail but I may try some adding although I plan to display this on a stand going almost straight up!!.

[Stuart]

Those are two great looking builds kit!

Alas the only thing christmas really bought me this year was a really bad cold - so I've not been up to much building. I have however started the Airfix F.3 - so far I've got the fuse togther along with the wings - This kit appears to be some sort of SNAP-Together kit as it's taken a lot of fettling to get it to fit. I don't think it would have worked well with no glue.

I've not bothered about doing anything to the cockpit - as I needed something really simple to get my teeth into, and this kit fitted the bill. Cockpit detail painting envolved painting the pilot.





Cheers

Stuart

[DavidWomby]

Yes, Airfix converted the moulds of this to 'snap-fit'. I think it was probably back in the brief Palitoy era of the early 80s. I know they did it to the Angel Interceptor too but don't know what else got messed about this way.

Thanks for tip on parts fit due to the 'snap-fit' changes. I haven't got there yet but plan to soon.

David