English Electric Thunderbolt F.3

Weaver · April 28, 2016, 03:13:40 PM

Okay, I have made a decision.

I'm going to make a repeat of something that I KNOW I can do in a week with enough effort, the English Electric P.7D Thunderbolt, a single-engined 'Lightning' made from a VEB plasticart Su-7 and a Revellofrog Lightning: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,34972.0/highlight,english+electric+thunderbolt.html

I've been saying ever since that I want to do an in-service version, so here goes. It will be in-flight, in an RAF-in-Vietnam colour scheme similar to this (the underside may be a bit simpler though):

If time allows, I may do an opposing aircraft to go with it, the intention being to eventually mount them both on a 'dogfight-double' base. I make no promises about doing the base in the 1WkGB though...

Obligatory 'no, it's not started' pics:

PR19_Kit · April 28, 2016, 03:45:26 PM

Quote from: Weaver on April 28, 2016, 03:13:40 PM

If time allows, I may do an opposing aircraft to go with it, the intention being to eventually mount them both on a 'dogfight-double' base. I make no promises about doing the base in the 1WkGB though...

That'll be the Lightning fuselage with the Su-7 wings then, yes?

Weaver · April 28, 2016, 03:50:29 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on April 28, 2016, 03:45:26 PM
Quote from: Weaver on April 28, 2016, 03:13:40 PM

If time allows, I may do an opposing aircraft to go with it, the intention being to eventually mount them both on a 'dogfight-double' base. I make no promises about doing the base in the 1WkGB though...

That'll be the Lightning fuselage with the Su-7 wings then, yes?

Not quite...*

*and by 'not quite' I mean 'not at all'....

Dizzyfugu · April 28, 2016, 11:40:56 PM

Very good. The world needs more single-engine Lightning variants!

Weaver · April 29, 2016, 02:32:13 PM

Well that's game-over for tonight: just stuck a craft knife in my thumb....

Got the main bits cut up/off. Looks like I dodged a bullet big-style when I decided to save time by not putting a seat in the original P.7D build, the excuse being that it was supposed to be a museum exhibit of a prototype. Obviously I can't dodge that with this in-flight version, and it turns out that:

a) the Su-7 pilot is barely recognisable as a human being (he might pass as a human bean...) and his seat looks like a trendy designer lavatory (quelle surprise....)

b) the Lightning seat and pilot don't even slightly fit the Su-7: I've had to chop the front bulkhead out to make space for his feet, and his seat needs a packer under it the shape and size of a 1/72nd orange box if he's going to see over the sill...

The Rat · April 29, 2016, 06:04:31 PM

Quote from: Weaver on April 29, 2016, 02:32:13 PM
Well that's game-over for tonight: just stuck a craft knife in my thumb....

A blood sacrifice to the modeling gods! It is a good day to die!

Captain Canada · April 30, 2016, 07:31:56 PM

Ouch ! Good luck with the rest sounds good !

Dizzyfugu · May 01, 2016, 01:05:20 AM

Quote from: The Rat on April 29, 2016, 06:04:31 PM
Quote from: Weaver on April 29, 2016, 02:32:13 PM
Well that's game-over for tonight: just stuck a craft knife in my thumb....

A blood sacrifice to the modeling gods! It is a good day to die!

Iä, Iä! Shub-Niggurath! All hail Styrene, the muse of modelers ans scratch-builders!!!

Captain Canada · May 02, 2016, 02:13:08 PM

lol !

DogfighterZen · May 02, 2016, 02:14:23 PM

Quote from: Captain Canada on May 02, 2016, 02:13:08 PM
lol !

Same here!!

Weaver · May 03, 2016, 08:49:59 PM

Well in between self-harm and chronic distraction, I havn't got as far as I'd have liked:

Cockpit is now passable, fuselage slots have been modified/reinforced to take the Lightning parts, wings have been assembled and drilled to take underwing drop tanks inboard of the u/c, Su-7 fin and Lighting spine have been removed. Trouble is, there's a whole lot of modifying of bits to fit that can't start until the fuselage is together.

KiwiZac · May 04, 2016, 01:57:09 PM

I hope she has nose-art like that Canberra shape in your camo reference photo...The Peeved Vole? The Miffed Dormouse?

Weaver · May 05, 2016, 05:37:27 AM

Quote from: KiwiZac on May 04, 2016, 01:57:09 PM
I hope she has nose-art like that Canberra shape in your camo reference photo...The Peeved Vole? The Miffed Dormouse?

Unlikely in this case: those names were specifically aimed at taking the mickey out of 'Wild Weasel'.

I'm hoping to do this one using surplus decal sheets, so I don't want to put a whole sheet of decal paper through the printer just for two names.

Weaver · May 05, 2016, 05:43:14 AM

Progress, but not nearly enough:

The stickey-out white bits are fillers for some outrageous gaps (some my fault, some not).

Now here's a bizarre excuse for lack of progress. I normally have trouble sitting down at my bench at the best of times, but I'm currently even less inclined to do so since my chair decided to assault me:

S'okay, I don't need councilling.....

Weaver · May 06, 2016, 11:19:54 PM

Don't think I'm going to make the deadline. I've had to make and remake various bits and then wait for them to dry really properly for the second time before proceeding, and now I think I'm running out of time for all the neccessary painting and drying cycles. I will still finish it though, 'cos it's looking gooood...