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Cold War (1950-1974)
Discuss the aircraft modeling subjects during the Cold War period.
Hosted by Tim Hatton
1/48 Airfix EE Lightning
Fermis
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United States
Joined: December 28, 2010
KitMaker: 39 posts
AeroScale: 27 posts
Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011 - 04:31 PM UTC
Knocked this one out in just under a week. I used a Cutting Edge cockpit and Aires exhausts and gearbays. Took a TON of grinding to get the main bays to fit. I finished it with Model Master enamels and A couple shades of Metallizers and a wash. For an extra "spark", I scratchbuilt the boarding ladder with cut strips of styrene and stretched sprue.





















Naseby
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Slovakia
Joined: October 15, 2010
KitMaker: 825 posts
AeroScale: 476 posts
Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011 - 11:32 PM UTC
Nice one! The Airfix°s 1/48 scale jet plane series is cool. Im planing on the Jaguar.
FalkeEins
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: March 07, 2005
KitMaker: 868 posts
AeroScale: 690 posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 - 12:30 AM UTC

...superb..deserves loads of comments & praise !
litespeed
Staff MemberNews Reporter
AEROSCALE
_VISITCOMMUNITY
England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: October 15, 2009
KitMaker: 1,976 posts
AeroScale: 1,789 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 05:48 AM UTC
Superb work Jeremy and excellent images, would it be possible to do a photo feature of your stunning looking Lightnining. If so please PM me. I am inspired to buy a few when Airfix re-release them hopefully this year.
Thanks for posting Jeremy.
All the best.
tim
drabslab
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European Union
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 10:42 AM UTC
You made this thing in one week to such high standard?????

If during that week you also found the time to sleep, go to the toilet and eat, then I would love to hear how you are organised to pull something like that of
Fermis
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United States
Joined: December 28, 2010
KitMaker: 39 posts
AeroScale: 27 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 04:03 AM UTC
Thanks all!!!


Quoted Text

You made this thing in one week to such high standard?????

If during that week you also found the time to sleep, go to the toilet and eat, then I would love to hear how you are organised to pull something like that of



Unempoyment has its benefits! And, I see sleep as a complete waste of time!
Seriously though, here's the run down:
Day 1. I cut the major parts from the sprue and cleaned em up, Painted the intake trunk, assembled, set aside. Then painted the pit and seat.
Day 2. Closed the pit and trunk in the fuse. Got the gearbays into the wings, closed up. While the cement cured, I cut all the fiddly bits from the sprue, cleaned em up and CAed them to sprue "handles", for painting.
Day 3. Cleaned up the seams on fuse, sprayed the white and black. While that dried, I cleaned up the wings, attached to fuse, along with the elevators. Masked off painted areas and spent about an hour in the paint booth, throwin some shiney at it (along with all the fiddly bits). Metallizer dry super fast! Let dry for about ten mins. then sprayed clear gloss, to dry overnight.
Day 4. Decals and another gloss. Attached all the little pieces, built and painted the missiles, and built the ladder.
Day 5. Decaled missiles, painted ladder and attached....Done!!!

This kit only took about 20 hours at the most.
drabslab
_VISITCOMMUNITY
European Union
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 04:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks all!!!


Quoted Text

You made this thing in one week to such high standard?????

If during that week you also found the time to sleep, go to the toilet and eat, then I would love to hear how you are organised to pull something like that of



Unempoyment has its benefits! And, I see sleep as a complete waste of time!
Seriously though, here's the run down:
Day 1. I cut the major parts from the sprue and cleaned em up, Painted the intake trunk, assembled, set aside. Then painted the pit and seat.
Day 2. Closed the pit and trunk in the fuse. Got the gearbays into the wings, closed up. While the cement cured, I cut all the fiddly bits from the sprue, cleaned em up and CAed them to sprue "handles", for painting.
Day 3. Cleaned up the seams on fuse, sprayed the white and black. While that dried, I cleaned up the wings, attached to fuse, along with the elevators. Masked off painted areas and spent about an hour in the paint booth, throwin some shiney at it (along with all the fiddly bits). Metallizer dry super fast! Let dry for about ten mins. then sprayed clear gloss, to dry overnight.
Day 4. Decals and another gloss. Attached all the little pieces, built and painted the missiles, and built the ladder.
Day 5. Decaled missiles, painted ladder and attached....Done!!!

This kit only took about 20 hours at the most.



and I am eating humble pie. It looks lik i seriously have to look at my working methods. this could would mean 50 hours or so for me.

And this 50 hours would be stressed out over 8 to 9 months instead of a week
mrockhill
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 17, 2009
KitMaker: 566 posts
AeroScale: 507 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 06:40 AM UTC
This is an absolutely beautiful model! It is also a lesson in time management and planning of a build but plenty of talent is still needed to get these results. This has also piqued my own interest in the history of the lightning itself. I dont know more about it other than to be able to pick it out of a line up. Youve taken it from black and white photos and really brought life to it.
Fermis
_VISITCOMMUNITY
United States
Joined: December 28, 2010
KitMaker: 39 posts
AeroScale: 27 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 07:38 AM UTC
Thank you very much!
I didn't know that much about it either, other than it flew very, very high (80 some odd thousand feet), really...REALLY fast, and ...it looks like a pregnant fish! I have a soft spot for ugly aircraft!
VonCuda
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: November 28, 2005
KitMaker: 2,216 posts
AeroScale: 1,080 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 01:23 PM UTC
Nice job Jeremy. I love the Lightning and have seriously been thinking about picking up this kit but the Airfix lable has kept me from doing so. I didn't think their quality was that good but it looks as if I've been wrong. This is an outstanding finished jet. I'd love to have it sitting next to my American collection.


Hermon
FalkeEins
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: March 07, 2005
KitMaker: 868 posts
AeroScale: 690 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 01:03 PM UTC

The Airfix Lightning was actuallly a pretty decent kit, but how anyone could describe the aircraft as 'ugly' I do not know. In terms of performance, it could match the F-15 which was twenty years younger. Interesting article by one of the few pilots to fly both machines..

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/lightning/memories.php
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