Lightning F6 EC (Enhanced Capability)

[albeback]

This is how it SHOULD have developed!! Another missed opportunity amongst many! Much improved AI Radar. 2 x BAC Red Hawk radar guided BFMs (Big F****** Missiles!), 2 x Red Top heat seekers, 2 x 30mm cannon (optional) with 150 rpg.  Basic kit is the Airfix 1/48 Lightning.The new tail fin is from the Revell 1/32 F-16 XL ( doesn't need it because of plans I have for it!) New air intake is from an unidentified fuselage section I found in my bits box! Red Tops are from the kit  & the BFMs are a combination of 1/32 AIM - 7 & various finny/wingy things I found in the bits box


Allan

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks serious - especially like the chin air intake. Not certain about the overwing missiles, though (personal taste - IMHO it's a tad too much and distracts from the overall great lines of this conversion).

Looking forward to see paint added! 

[albeback]

That looks serious - especially like the chin air intake. Not certain about the overwing missiles, though (personal taste - IMHO it's a tad too much and distracts from the overall great lines of this conversion).

Looking forward to see paint added! 

Appreciate the comment. Problem with the Lightning is that despite it's size, the general layout & design does not actually provide a great deal of space for whizz bangs. However, I reckoned that the over wing pylons were ideal for something a bit more lethal than fuel tanks. I agree, it does not look very pretty but I reckon it DOES look mean!

Allan

[zenrat]

Cool.  I like the BFMs.  I've been meaning to do something similar from my box labelled plane weapons.
I too think that weapons should be kept underneath but that's just a personal opinion.

[albeback]

Cool.  I like the BFMs.  I've been meaning to do something similar from my box labelled plane weapons.
I too think that weapons should be kept underneath but that's just a personal opinion.

I'm inclined to agree with you but, there is actually very little available space under the Lightning wings

Allan

[zenrat]

Yeah, which is a problem.  Wingtips?
I don't even like the ones on the side of the nose.  I think it spoils the lines.
It's a shame when the practicalities of the military interfere with the business of building a good looking plane.

[PR19_Kit]

Looks good with a Feri intake. 

IIRC there was a  scheme to fit Frightenings with tip mounted 'winders at one time.

[Tophe]

Much more pretty than the 'regular' Lightning, thanks for this improvement!

[albeback]

Yeah, which is a problem.  Wingtips?
I don't even like the ones on the side of the nose.  I think it spoils the lines.
It's a shame when the practicalities of the military interfere with the business of building a good looking plane.

I had thought about wingtip launchers for the Red Tops. I'm probably going to upset a lot of people here when I say that I do NOT consider the Lightning to be a particularly pretty machine. In fact, I think it's rather ugly ( cue cries of "Heretic! Burn him on the pyres of Smithfield"!) It was after all once described as a triumph of brute force over aerodynamics! However, it is the rather brutal simplicity of its lines which I personally find so appealing. I don't think anyone could describe the Phantom as good looking either but, it's rather intimidating appearance is what makes it so attractive (to me anyway)

Allan

[Weaver]

That looks great with the revised nose intake - I've drawn several similar things myself. 

[albeback]

That looks great with the revised nose intake - I've drawn several similar things myself. 

Comment much appreciated. My original intention was to use cheek intakes similar to the Sukhoi T-49 prototype. However, for reasons of simplicity I opted for the chin intake - largely because the fuselage offcut I used was the same width as the Lightning.

Allan

[Captain Canada]

Looks way better with the chin than it would with the cheeks, and as an added bonus, simplicity. Love the look of this one. I could go either way with the overwing missiles. Having said that, you could always do photo with them, with tanks, with nowt. Just to give us all a feel of how it really would look operationally.

Great idea and looking forward to seeing more !

[Martin H]

I had thought about wingtip launchers for the Red Tops. I'm probably going to upset a lot of people here when I say that I do NOT consider the Lightning to be a particularly pretty machine. In fact, I think it's rather ugly ( cue cries of "Heretic! Burn him on the pyres of Smithfield"!)

I think your on fairly safe ground there. The Lightning wasnt built to be a looker, It was built to be Bleedin quick!

[DogfighterZen]

I had thought about wingtip launchers for the Red Tops. I'm probably going to upset a lot of people here when I say that I do NOT consider the Lightning to be a particularly pretty machine. In fact, I think it's rather ugly ( cue cries of "Heretic! Burn him on the pyres of Smithfield"!)

I think your on fairly safe ground there. The Lightning wasnt built to be a looker, It was built to be Bleedin quick!

IMHO, this one is much better looking than the original design, although i think that the wing top missiles would look better if they were smaller, i really like the way the new tail and chin intake changes the overall look of the plane.  

[KiwiZac]

Oh yes, that looks like a brute! Great work so far.