Ian M does the 56sq Lightning/Tornado

[Ian M]

Right then. As mentioned my efforts for the first SIG build will be these two;

Airfix E.E. Lighting and the Hobby boss Tornado F3, Two kits I have had in the stash for a while. The connection was a total coincidence as one day the penny dropped and I realised that the two where both from the same squadron! They will hopefully look rather good together.

As well as the basic kits, I have some goodies here and on order for some PE and resin for the lightning. The Tonka should be good enough OOB, but if not I have loads of time to find some extra detail for it.

I will post a box top later. I don't think we need to go into sprue shots but if you want to include them, feel free.

Start date for building is set to the 1st. March and we should aim at six months to finish.

I hope you all have fun and If any one wants to join in, just start a thread in this forum.

Ian M

[AlanG]

ooo shifty fix Sqd aircraft lol

[Ian M]

Well this is what I have at the moment. I still await some goodies from David Parkins, flight line products.

Ian M

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[Guest]

Hi Ian, looking forward to this, are you going to do them together or one at a time. I think you bought your wheel bays from Hannant, if so check that you have both wheel bays, my Item 13 was missing. Cheers Derek

[Guest]

eagerly watching for this one Ian

[Ian M]

Thanks for the heads up Derek. Just had a look and they are both there. I got them as a Christmas pressy, but the came from e-models. I think I will do them one at a time. Said that before though so I'll probably end up doing them together. As long as I stick the right wings on the right fuselage, it will be OK.

I must say that your build of the lightning is going to save ma loads of time and hassle.

Will you be joining in the fun Derek. Go you know you want to....

Ian M

[Guest]

Hi Ian, thanks for the invite, but I will just doddle along at my own slow pace, especially as my Tornado is finished. Glad all your bits were their, when I saw the two colours of resin parts, I thought yours might be like mine. I am hoping to finish my lightning as the attached photos I took in 1967/69. Will need to make up my own decal serial numbers, but thats not a problem as I did some in my 'Where Eagles Dare' Junkers JU 53/3M last year. Cheers Derek

p.s. XR728 is the one preserved at Binbrook, they were not sure if it had flown with the large Eagle on the tail, until I sent them these photos..

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[Ian M]

Well the start has been a little held up due to a rather tenacious Avro 504k that refuses to co-operate! Still it gives me time to find some PE for the Tornado. I have been looking at the Eduard sets for this kit and they are not to shabby at all.

I hope to start in the weekend when I have a bit more time/room.

Ian M

[Ian M]

Due to having seen the Resin bits from NeOmega in one of Derek's builds, I have put the Tornado back on the shelf and dragged the other one down. Yes I will be starting with the Lightning while awaiting the seats for the Tonka.

Just to break from the norm, I am not starting with the cockpit!!! I thought I would start with the wings. Having seen the fun that Derek was having with his, I thought "If I can get those out of the way" ....

So here is the root of the problem:

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The existing wheel well it to say the least boring. Totally devoid of any detail. Aires make some rather lovely ones in resin. Unfortunately these dictate the the wits ones must go.

The wheel well walls were cut of with a new blade in the knife and deposited in the bin. Now the tricky bit. The wing has a thickness of 5mm. After sanding the wheel bay from Aires down to the part, removing the casting block, the part was still 8mm thick.

A rather long and tedious and frustrating hour was spent sanding the backside off the wheelbay to within a quarter of a mm of going through. The last of the excess was shaved off the inside of the wing, thinning the plastic to a more scale like thickness and the last bit came of the actual sides of the wheel bay walls.

After all that I ended up with this!

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So one down one to go.

The big question that was running around in my head was; Are Aires aware that this part is almost twice as thick as the wing it should fit in?

Spent the last hour cutting and trimming the remaining parts from the casting blocks and having a good look at them. They really are rather nice.

More later.

Ian M

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[AlanG]

Was the info any use to you Ian? I'll try and find some pics out for you to show you what i ment

[Ian M]

Yes thanks Allyne. Sorry I forgot to reply but yes it was most helpful. I have ordered the seats and been looking in the paint locker.

Ian M

[Guest]

Hi Ian, nice job on the wheelbay, I know they are a pain, but well worth it. Keep up the good work. Cheers Derek

[Ian M]

Agreed! total pain in the rump but they look 1000 times better. Got the other wing done this AM. The wing has come up a little thicker than I would of liked, but if I carried on sanding and shaving, there would be holes where you least want them!!!

Have also done the front wheel bay/intake/radome thing this morning.The paint is drying as I type. I have taken photos, and will post them later.

This afternoon I have turned my attentions to the office. Cleaned and put in a stick ready for some primer, along with the rather nice bang seat and side panels for the pit.

My Saturday luxury of a bar of chocolate, has put the mockers on more building until devoured!!

Discovered that I now have two options for a 56sq bird. The one with the all red tail and leading edges as per the display aircraft AND the 'Ordinary' red/white chequer tailed one. Now I don't know which I like the most. The Chequer tail is an F3, the display one an F1a so I need to decide very soon!

Ian M

[Ian M]

Well got the picture side of things sorted.

So here they are and hopefully in some kind of order.

After having fought, I mean built the wings, The next parts where those that are to go inside the fuselage. The intake-pipe and nose gear bay. Oh and the cockpit.

Yet again the hobby knife had a large part to play in fitting the radom/UCbay into the intake pipe.

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Here are the radom and nose wheel bay and the two half's of the intake pipe. As you can see there is a lot more detail in the resin gear bay. I is also a lot deeper. Should be fun to paint. The Intake pipe has to lose the kits wheel bay.

The nose wheel bay - Radom unit after having some Alclad II White allu thrown at it.

Right, the cock pit- Also from Aires, is rather nice. Detail is fantastic and I just know I am going to cock it up painting it!!! (Oh yeah!). The seat is also very crisp. As of yet the straps and webbings are still on the PE fret. There is a nice little film to go behind the PE "dash board".

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As far as colours go I think I have it sorted, unless some one can tell me that the colours in an F1a are totally different from an F3.

Ian M

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[Ian M]

Well got the cock pit painted and the ejector seat is all done and prettied up.

Just got to get it to fit in the Fuselage now. Maybe tomorrow.

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Seeing them on a huge screen, I can see there are a couple of touch ups required!

So will it do?

Ian M

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