Sword 1/72 EE Lightning T.4/5 - RAF Cold War Fighters part 2

[Dave Ward]

After the HobbyBoss Sabre - something more of a challenge:

This is a short run model - no locating pins to be found! ( butt jointed tail! )
A large decal sheet, with loads of stencils ( A lot of which probably won't be used )
The detail is rather restrained......................
Resin Seats & Exhaust Nozzles ( I've got two AM pilots to inhabit the cockpit )

PE fret

You can make either the T.4 ( pointed tail ) or T.5 ( flat topped tail ). You get four decal variations:

I always associate Lightnings with the silver finish, so it will be the T4 with either the black or blue spine & tail.
Dave

[Ian M]

One of the best Jets to leave the runway.
lookforward to seeing her built!

[adt70hk]

Interesting!!

[Tim Marlow]

Love the lightening, so will follow this with interest…..

[Mini Me]

Nice looking bird.....that etch sure looks interesting.

[Dave Ward]

Off we go - with short run kits you have to constantly dry fit bits to make sure that you've not trimmed too much material away - anyway - I have 2 am pilots ready to inhabit the cockpit - if I wanted to use the resin seats by themselves, I would have to add these............

With using the pilots - I'll miss off those straps & only use the top plate & firing handles - bearing in mind, this is 1/72!
The intake cone & nosewheel housing is where you add weight to prevent tail sitting - no mention of how much!

I've packed it with lead wire ( fly fishing stuff ), but I don't think that will be enough, so I'll be epoxying weight under the cockpit, behind the lower engine intake fan. No real locating points for the cone/wheel well, but it should line up with the fuselage opening for the undercarriage. The plastic is a little soft, almost soapy, so careful priming will be needed.
I've been looking at which paints to use - I've found an Vallejo Ultramarine Blue that looks like the 92 Squadron T4 spine/tail & I've just been doing some paint patches on my guinea pig ( Matchbox He 111 ) to see which silver I'm going to use - no decision so far!
Dave

[Dave Ward]

A little more progress - the lack of positive locations for parts - especially the intake cone, makes thing a little iffy!

I've added the PE to the ejector seats - I was going to use the figure-of-eight handles, but they were too small for me - so the ordinary handles were fitted

The seats are a very snug fit into the cockpit tub, but I can fit them later in the assembly.
Dave

[Dave Ward]

Beginning to take the shape of a Lightning.................

As is the case in of a lot of short run models, I needed to fettle around the cockpit tub, to get the fuselage halves to join - trimming, dry fitting, trimming etc etc. ( I'd epoxied some more weights behind the cockpit tub)
The wings & elevators just needed a bit of tlc on the roots to give a good join. I'm going to leave this overnight to really set, then see what sort of clean up is needed when I remove the tape. It's been slow progress so far, but I've done the most difficult part of the assembly.
Dave

[minitnkr]

A real labor of love.

[Dave Ward]

A real labor of love.

Paul,
it's the nature of short run models - if you want a model of a particularly obscure subject, then short run is often the only way to go - years ago, it was vac-form models, but that is now only used by a few die hard makers ( Welsh Models for one! ) . If you can make a good job of a normal kit, then a short run model shouldn't cause too much of a problem
Dave

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
I've never attempted a short run model - well I don't think so anyway. A lot of extra thought and work is needed but progress to date looks good.
Jim

[Dave Ward]

Hi Dave
I've never attempted a short run model - well I don't think so anyway. A lot of extra thought and work is needed but progress to date looks good.
Jim

Jim,
with short run models, you're just doing those bits that the mainstream makers include as standard - adding location tabs etc. They do take a bit more work, and a few additional bits in the tool box ( ie wire to strengthen wing attachments, plastic card to add tabs etc. ). I do have quite a few in the stash - like the Vickers Wellesley ( NOT the Matchbox version ), and the McDonnell Phantom I, and others that aren't available as mainstream models. I do like things that aren't that common!
Dave

[Dave Ward]

A bit more work - and I find I'm in ready for priming the airframe black. I've painted the spine & tail blue

I'll leave that to harden off overnight, then mask the cockpit, spine, tail & inlet area off, then a black spray primer coat, ready for the silver I associate with the Lightning.
Dave

[Dave Ward]

Masked up & black primed..................

I'll leave that for a couple of hours, then I'm going to give it the first misted coat of silver,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Dave

[The Smythe Meister]

Gotta love these iconic Planes,
Coming along very nicely indeed there:thumb2:,
Andy