Well guys/gals this is the start of yet another Monster , first port of call is i’ve strengthened the area where the wings will go as i think its a bit weak and i’ll be adding two more strenghteners to the rear of the cockpit [back of seat]
Also made up and painted the rear exhaust jets, i’m now also having fun drilling/cutting out all of the air ducts also thinned the inside down so it doesn’t look like 2 inch steel, scratch built a type of air duct which can be seen in the pictures. I’ve done this as the model only has outlines for ducts and looks rather poor at this scale
Heres the painted/bodged together exhausts and the many easy stuff which went together quite good and the fit up to press is excellent, somehow seems very Airfixish !
Test fitted the wings and are also a very good fit and installed the wheel bays, everything seems to be falling level unlike an FM kit
Well guys this is the other fault i’ve come across ! The air intake is set too far back and theres an ugly gap between the nose ring and the intake, this can be clearly seen inside the nose. So i’ll have to break off the locating tab for the cockpit then move the intake forward until it ‘butts’ up to the back of the nose ring. Then reposition the cockpit, they sure have cocked up here !
What an ugly mother of a gap !
The gap viewed from the front/side
Airfix Lightnings are like this ! just spotted the moulding circles you can’t really see them when the centre part is in place.
Rear exhausts glued in, i dry fitted the exhuast nozzles so the exhaust tubes where level when i glued the tubes in.
I’ve put all the nose parts together and theres no way whats so ever in putting the intake trunking directly to the back of the nose ring as you can see in the pictures, On Airfix 1/48th lightnings the green nose actually comes out further than the trumpeter one.
This ugly gap has got to be closed up as you can clearly see it from the front.
More head aches on a poorly researched model Well done Trumpeter.
Started the office,simple matt black covering with satin black switches and dry brushed with H56.
Made up the Firestreaks, fit OK here ! and look rather neat.
Well guys been hard at again today though i’ve spent most of the time neatly removing the plastic from the optional gun port covers, as trumpeters are totally wrong :blink:
I’ve noticed today that the side panels which go on either side of the cockpit are a really tight fit and you can’t really close the two halves of the fusalage together fully, so i’m not putting them in ! you can’t even tell they arn’t even there.
F1 Lightnings and early Lightning have a BLACK cockpit, unlike a MK 6 which has a grey cockpit, don’t make this mistake if you ever build one !.
Trumpeters very poor attempt at making gun ports, i’d like to see which Lightning they modeled them on
Removing the scrap plastic out of the middle of the ports, careful they nearly snap in two when they are nearly the correct shape.
A bit out of focus but you get the idea, flash not working
For the back of the port i searched high and low for a suitable sized round plastic part, then i spotted the spare missiles and measured them and would do the job nicely , i just ‘feathered’ one end to make it sit at an angle to the port cover.
Back of the cover [oops]
On the edges of the port look a bit too thick so a skimmed a bit off the inside edge to make it look more acceptable.
My gun ports ! NOW WHO’S THE DADDY [:o)] Anyone who builds this kite feel free to copy any of my idea’s thats what where all here for.
Looking good Ian! The Lightning is one cool looking aircraft, how big is that thing in 1/32? Looks like you have your work cut out for you with that one. I have never built a Trumpeter kit, mostly based on what I have heard about them from friends who build them. Good luck! [tup]
Ian - You have really done a Fantastic job so far even with the setbacks. I am so Glad you have decided to do another WIP here.[:)][yeah] Your office looks the business ! The FM Halifax was one of my favorite WIP’s.
Where is Harv doesnt he have one of these in his stash ?
Back to the beastie [}:)] When i mentioned about not fitting the side panels in the cockpit area its these parts in the next picture i’m talking about, they just seem far to tight when you leave them on when it comes to fitting the fusalage half’s together.
Bin these two parts.
Cockpit showing only the upper housing of the cockpit fairing fitted.
Only one side is glued at a section at a time, if you get my drift.
When i glue big parts of the fusalage together, i do a bit at a time rather than trying to glue the whole lot at once, this makes a more secure bond and theres nothing worse than putting half’s together only for later on they ‘crack’ in half due to the glue was nearly dry when you joined them up.
On the instructions it shows you to glue the ‘rail’ to the missile ! DON’T this will only hinder you when painting the missiles, attach the rails to the side extensions.
Don’t attach the front wheel carriage until the model is nearly done you’ll only end up breaking it off or damaging it.
Pilots seat nearly finished, i’ve used MB mk7 Phantom harness’s [:D] yes i know the seat is a MK 4 or 5 but they only cost £3 and looks good. I made the back rest padding from a bit of milliput and two bits of plasticard to add more detail to the bottom of the seat, leg restrants are PE.
Hi Frank the Lightning is 19 inches in length and the wing span is 24 inches in a ‘V’ shape !, heres a picture of a Airfix 1/48th Lightning if you have ever seen one of those.
Just to give you an idea just how big this is the other unfinished Lightning is the Airfix 1/48th kit.
Well it seems someone is at it again! I’ll fitting tough kit? Must be IAN! In 1/32 scale no less? WHere are the propellers? [bow] Pretty fast progress there fellow! [tup]
I wasn’t going to show these because of the embarisment and call me petty but god :oops:
Now then no pictures of the build but pictures of the Decals ! Are the Chinese trying to insult us brits or what [B)] Just take a look at some of the MISSPELT WORDS its a atrotious. [:(!] [:(!] [:(!] [:(!]
For a kit costing £97 + you would expect 1st class ! not the case is it and at this scale they can cleary be seen [tdn] its full of faults.
Should it be EXPLOSIVE RELEASE !
No idea !
Order please ? yes i’ll have sweet chicken balls and egg fried rice TWICE !
ENCINE !! What the heck is a ENCINE ! oh you mean ENGINE LOL
Ian- That decal issue would be hilarious except for the fact that it renders them unusable. I won a 1/32 Trumpeter kit last year at a raffle, and promptly got rid of it. I must say I was not impressed by it’s quality. Especially for the ridiculous prices that some go for. [tdn]
Being in the printing business, I just have to laugh out loud! HAAAAA!
Apparently it’s hard to proof read when the stuff you’re making is in a completely different language! They got the character count right… though.
(some folks here) So what you’re saying is… you’d chuck the entire kit because of some teensy-weensy stencils with typos? That’d make me more compelled to build it actually. It’s humorous and somewhat even more interesting to me!
Wow Ian I have heard horror story after horror story about those Trumpeter Aircraft kits. High priced PITA seems the consensus. Nothing your skills and never say die attitude can’t fix! I often speak to others about how you see problems and kit issues as a chance for some new innovative fix! This is the man made a turret ring out of an old asthma inhaler! [bow]
I have worked and finished many things actually. Hang around the group builds terrorizing the unwary. Just finished a Monogram 1/48 PBY and am almost done with a Pacific Coast 1/32 RE 2005. Probably by tommorrow if all goes well. Bunch of fine fellows there. Working me to death but I am having quite the time of it!
I even have a Fonderie Minature PV-1 in progress. Just a glutton for punishment!
Frank (Daywalker) is curious about those kits as well! Told him they are a dream to build and modelers like you make it seem all to easy!
I think the decals are very odd! Like you say at that price you should have no issues! I mean look how easy those pricey FM kits go together! I’ll be watching![#toast][tup]
Hi Men/ Women and the young at heart, I got Trumpeter’s email address yesterday and i emailed them showing the faults of the decals aswell as the modifications i’ve done and having to do more mod’s to a kit which should be perfect if they are to charge such a high price for a skimpy model which has no detail whats so ever !! I’m waiting to see if i get a reply.
Paid a bit of attention to the nose ring at this scale painting it silver is a big no NO, the foil is only that cheap sticky back alloy tape, does the job.
It took 11 attempts to get the foil on which took some doing and two whiskies
Anyone guess what this is to be ???
I spotted a very good picture of the main wheels and i noticed that you could see a brake disc inside the wheel so i had to part the two sections and start modding the wheels to make them look as if there are brake disc’s inside the wheels by opening up the vent holes and also cutting out a small section in one of the holes, I’ll tell you lot ! it took some doing drilling out all those holes neatly.
To make it look like there are disc’s inside the wheels i found two metal washers which where just the right size, i then painted the inside of the disc’s black wit a polished edge as in the picture.
The completed wheels now back together and look loads better.
Just thought i’d take this picture to show the other side !!.
Front wheel made up and weathered, to me i still think its a major weak spot seeing as its all plastic.
First coat of white on the missiles Put your hands up in the air if you hate painting white
This is a major over scaling by Trumpeter ! What where they thinking its like having wooden telegraph poles on the Lightning LOL
Thin brass rod now added to look better.
Painted up nicely, this will be one of the last parts to be put on the model.
