ARDU EE/CAC Lightning F Mk. 10 Ressurection

[NARSES2]

That's the best solid nose I've seen on a whiffed lightning. 

Indeed, it certainly looks the part 

[PR19_Kit]

I was wondering where the intake was until I saw the underside view.

That Mirage F1 gear works very well, much better than the F-16 gear I used on my P.1086. 

[Dizzyfugu]

This looks very good and elegant, also in the vibrant ARDU colors. But I have doubts about engine longevity with the intake in this position... 

[Old Wombat]

But I have doubts about engine longevity with the intake in this position... 

Why's that, Dizz? Do F-16's have a particularly short engine life?

[DogfighterZen]

But I have doubts about engine longevity with the intake in this position... 

Why's that, Dizz? Do F-16's have a particularly short engine life?

Not the case, AFAIK, the F-16's P&W and GE engines are pretty reliable and durable. I think that Dizzy is saying that because the intake's sitting right in front of the nose gear so F.O.D. could be a real problem for the engine.
Looks good, though.

[PR19_Kit]

Other way round, it's behind the nose gear, unlike an F-16. But that does increase the likelihood of FOD damage.

[McColm]

Reminds me of the Hawker P.1103 in many ways.

[Zero-Sen]

You should get rid of that anorexic inlet and attach crescent wings (half scaled HP Victor wings and tail plane) to it. 

http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,41904.msg719723.html#msg719723

[McColm]

You should get rid of that anorexic inlet and attach crescent wings (half scaled HP Victor wings and tail plane) to it. 

http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,41904.msg719723.html#msg719723

That's what I used on a 1/144 Boeing 747!

[rickshaw]

While I appreciate the effort gone into with this model, I think I should point out that the intake is in a very bad location.   The builder has assumed that the Lightning, like many modern jets has it's engines in the rear of the fuselage.  It doesn't.  They are staggered, one in front of the other in the middle of the fuselage, just where the intake is.  You'd need a massive redesign of the entire aircraft to use an intake where it is positioned and there still would be the problem of getting the air to the upper engine.

Then, as has been mentioned, there is the problems with the possibility of FOD from where it is located, behind the nose wheel.   That location is what turned the RAAF's Vampires into such dead ducks.  Originally the auxillary air intakes had been placed on top of the fuselage but they were starved of air in that location, at high angles of attack, so they decided to move them under the fuselage.  However, foreign objects, thrown up by the nose wheel ended up damaging them and the engine.  It is why the F-16 has the nose wheel behind the intake.

The paint scheme is quite good, despite the "Orange Peel" effect.   The orange is bright and the lines are clear.  The Nose is smooth.   

[zenrat]

A spat on the nose wheel would solve any FOD issues and we don't know how the engines are arranged inside the fuselage.

[NARSES2]

What you all have to remember is that it's Australian and therefore the intake in that position also comes in handy for carrying its young, any unlucky ground bod who needs to be taken somewhere quickly in this case, the first marsupial aircraft 

Great build  Plus I've learned something about the real Lightning's engine placement  Always assumed they were at the back.

[PR19_Kit]

What you all have to remember is that it's Australian and therefore the intake in that position also comes in handy for carrying its young, any unlucky ground bod who needs to be taken somewhere quickly in this case, the first marsupial aircraft 

ROTFL! 

[DogfighterZen]

Other way round, it's behind the nose gear, unlike an F-16. But that does increase the likelihood of FOD damage.

Doh!  I was thinking about the line of debris that could be picked of the ground by the nose wheel... Yes, you're right, behind is what i really meant.
Re the engine position inside the fuselage, if the intake is extended forward, much like the F-16's, it would "solve" both the FOD problem and the air ducting for the engines would be more plausible, if they were arranged like the original Lightning's engines.

[Modelling_Mushi]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I'm calling her done now for better or for worse and adding a fresh build down the track later on given what I have learned from this one. A couple of general shots first:







I found out that the wings are pretty close to level (how could I doubt you Hasegawa?) its my Mirage F.1 landing gear add in that is wonky. So I shaved down one side's tyres and that has it nearly sorted, except that is you look closely she looks like a knuckle dragger. The Aussie Decals decals were tricky, very thin and probably too good for me, next time.



Now for THAT intake. Well, originally it was supposed to be a straight drop in from an F16C and it all looked good until I found out the F16 intake was a few mills wider than the Lightning body. So it was chopped and thinned. Then, it would not sit properly as far forward as I wanted it to sit, so it ended up about 5 mms further back than Id planned. So, what did I do? Whiffed of course. Who cares HOW fast this bird chews Avons, back in the day we needed industry, and keeping the extra bods employed in CAC churning out jet engines like BigMaks was cheaper than subsidizing the car industry and located in the right electorate too! That is what I thunk anyhow.

Under side shots, showing a fit out for service integration of the AIM54 Phoenix weapons system in a MLU scenario. Yes, we still have the Redtops, no, the Yanks didn't manage to flog AIM9s to us. The black drop tank things are modified photo pods made from Jaguar drop tanks.







In the end I'm sorta pleased with it. Learned a lot but I also know where I wanted this one to go and she just didnt get there.

Thankfully its only plastic and there's next time!

Thanks for the support guys!

Adios