Airfix 1/48 EE lightning build

[T. van Vuuren]

Hi all

I have started on my "allmost got for free" EE lightning.

The cockpit id nearly done as it would be if built "straight out the box", but I will be adding a few bits to make the office a little more realictic and cluttered.

The first problem arrose as I tried to fit the pilot figure on to the seat, this is a rather tall bloke and his helmet goes past the ejection ring ontop of the seat

So I will be doint the plane without him and spend some more time on the seatbelts ect.

Onr thing I can not figure out is the assymetric shape of the cockpit tub, it almost seems as if the seat is slightly more to the starbord side, could this be and if so why?

I know allmost nothing of the EE Lightning and would be very glad for any pix of the cockpit and other detail, and any advice on this plane.

Maybe Saul will join me in this thread and we could compare notes

Theuns

 

[stona]

I don't know anything about these aircraft but from the photos I've seen evrything looks pretty central. Nice piccies anyway!

Steve

View attachment 23428

View attachment 23429

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Darn! I will have to repaint the tub grey and not black as the lit said.

I wonder if the different planes would have had different cockpit collours?

Thanx Steve

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Here is an interesting site

www.lightning.org.uk

Theuns

 

[stona]

Some nice stuff there. This looks like a good day out,but you'd have to have a serious interest at £50.I don't suppose these things are cheap to maintain!

Lightning Preservation Group Based at Bruntingthorpe Airfield near Leicester

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Looking at all the pix of the "busy" cockpit I am now starting to wonder how long this build will take!

Theuns

 

[yak face]

Theuns, take a look on this one too,not just the lightning but all sorts of classic british jets , very useful pics. The cockpit is black on the walkaround pics, maybe the grey one is a restored machine?cheers tony.Thunder & Lightnings - English Electric Lightning

 

[stona]

I looked at pictures of four different cockpits on one site and they were all grey,trouble is I didn't note the website. I'll hastily repeat that I know b*gger all about these jets,the cockpits were in an F3,T5,F6 and F53,no idea why I wrote that down as it means nothing to me. Luckily it's on a bit of paper with some Fiesler stuff on!

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Most pix I saw ther were a medium grey aswell, I will do so as it might give a bit of cantrast between the the tub and the seat detail.

Thanx for the effort guys.

Theuns

 

[niggelac]

Hi

I don't know weather this helps , but from the pictures and other information i have seen i think you will find that the early lightnings F1 F1a etc cockpits were black and the later ones F3 F6 etc were grey .

I have more or less finished a F1 (trumpeter) . Next project i think is a F3 .

Nigel

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Thanx Nigel ,yes it does help.I have been working on the P-51 sofar ,testing out some bare metal painting tecniques and the Lightinig has been on the backburner, hope to get to it in a week or so.

Theuns

 

[Fenlander]

Mmmm, the Lightning on the back-burner....

Let us consider for a moment the back-burner of a lightning. I found it quite a scary sight!!!!!





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[T. van Vuuren]

Very sharp!

I should have said back burners

Theuns

 

[Gern]

Very scary!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but is that little hole just above the jets and below the tailplane where the flame from the pilot light comes out? Or is it spark ignition on these?

Gern

 

[Ian M]

Very scary!Please correct me if I'm wrong, but is that little hole just above the jets and below the tailplane where the flame from the pilot light comes out? Or is it spark ignition on these?

Gern

Dave ! Realy ? I was thinking it was the holder for the toasting fork!

Ian M

 

[Gern]

Ah! I see. Thanks for putting me right Ian.

That does of course raise another question though. If that's not the pilot light then it must be spark ignition, right?

So where does the flint go?

Gern

 

[Fenlander]

Piezo electric? Or maybe a chap stands at the back with a box of Swan Vesta and shouts 'gas on' as he strikes a light..... Not much of a pension plan in that job.

Seriously though, these have to be the most awe inspiring engine outlets and even though I knew there was no way anything could happen, I did not hang about at the rear of this beast. Taken at Duxford by the way.

 

[T. van Vuuren]

I desided to do it as a F1A of #56 Sqn with the red and baremetal.

In the kit the flaps are supplied seperate, what might the deflection angle be for the flaps while parked on the ground? or were they usually retracted?

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

I have repainted the cockpit black to look like the early aircraft.

The intake is installed and the fuselarge has been joined, it was a little tricky to get it lined up nicely, but I will beat it into submition!

This is a truely interesting airplane, I was not aware that the flaps held fuel aswell and that the engines were "stagared" on top of each other.

Compared in size to my mustprang I am working on, this was a massive plane!

Theuns

 

[Ian M]

Hej Theuns! Whats happening with this build?

Guess your tied up with all the football at the moment....

Just wondering what the kit is like. Good, bad, indifferent.... Might try to find one my self some day.

All the best

Ian M