1963 vintage Airfix E.E Lightning F.1A 1/72

[frank2056]

Here's the story behind the picture

[Rick Lowe]

Here's the story behind the picture

Cool, thanks for sharing. Interesting reading, and a very flukey shot - all the little things that had to come together at exactly the right moment.

[PR19_Kit]

Excellent stuff, I've never read that entire story befo0re, makes fascinating reading. 

[Pellson]

No real progress as such, as expected given my normal, significantly slower than glacial building pace. However, in the meantime, a significant amount of aerodynamical studies of the prototype F.2B and a completed F.6A has finally led to a decision to add not only light missile rails for AIM-9's under the wing tips, but also an RWR on the fin, much as per the RW Jaguar GR1.



Heresy? Maybe. But it fits nicely with my later and more intensive Cold War threat scenario. 

[PR19_Kit]

Heresy? Hell no, all the best Lightnings have RWR fairings, especially the PR variants 

[Pellson]

Remember this project? I do, but that's mainly because I'm more or less constantly playi.. errm.. performing aerodynamic studies on it while enduring Teams meetings from my home office. It's been a good while since I last posted anything about it, though.
No actual work done on it for weeks, however, one of the reasons being uncertainty around armament/loadout. However, this might just have changed!

One won't get far without friends, as I'm sure most of you would agree. One of mine, known to you all as our dear Narses, made it possible for me to lay my hands on some references in book form, and look what I found on p.77

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This basically confirms that a radar guided, "Firestreak-shaped" Blue Jay version was on the table at one point, allowing me to whif it somewhat with just a tad more speed/range, and with that suddenly having an early Lightning with credible armament. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm mainly looking at a pair of these on the nose and a pair of later Sidewinders on very light pylons under the outer wings.

Now, I just need to find some time to sand those missile tips and build Sidewinder pylons. 

[The Wooksta!]

The radar one evolved into Blue Dolphin.  Freightdog do those in resin, although they may not be current.

[Pellson]

The radar one evolved into Blue Dolphin.  Freightdog do those in resin, although they may not be current.

AFAIK, the Blue Dolphin used another airframe (looking like the Red Top), not compatible with the small finned Lightnings, so I'll stay with this layout.