English Electric P.8 - Spec F.155 Lightning development

[The Wooksta!]

Alistair has said future ones will be printed in a clear resin.  The nose section is hollow , so the builder could put a cockpit in if they wanted and there are some resin Lightning tubs that would suffice. Based on Lightning and TSR2, the colour would be close to med sea grey.

[PR19_Kit]

PSSsssstt.... Kit.... that was me that posted the pictures of the VG Lightning  

Oooops, sorry Alastair. 

You expect me to read the words as WELL as look at the pics? 

[kitbasher]

Many thanks for running this thread, Lee, very helpful - even more tempted by the P8 - such a Sexy Beast! 

Interesting to see the belly tank and fin photos; natural appendages of course, given their applications on P1s/Lightnings.  I assume you're not adding them to this particular build.

[The Wooksta!]

No, it's going to be strictly OOB as I'd agreed it as a review sample.

The next one... different kettle of fish.

[Lost Cosmonauts]

Possibly a daft question but would it pose a problem if the whole thing were printed in the clear resin? Just saves me guddling around and cleaning the vat which is a messy job

Based on your build comments I've had a bit of a rework and will try it out tomorrow - will take about 13hours to print so maybe have some results Sunday morning. Work of this afternoon:
- clear canopy
- one piece shock cone
- Front fuselage as two halves to allow adding cockpit
- mid fuselage as one piece with engine bay doors as separate parts
- main wheel bay section broken out for easier clean up
- tail section as one piece so the fin doesn't foul assembly
- wings separated and trailing edge thickened a smidge
- control surface detail deepened a bit to try and make them more legible

Owt else I'm missing for now?

[The Wooksta!]

Don't see why not, just depends on the cost - is the clear stuff cheaper or more expensive?

May need to add the rudder outlines. I know it's meant to be a full flying fin according to Tony Butter but all the drawings still show what appears to be a rudder. Trim tab possibly? Actually, the etched detail is just a bit too fine and disappears when sanded.

I've got the bulk of the filling done, just working on rebuilding the wing leading edges as I'd used the centre sections without the tips to aid getting the cockpit section to fit, plus the trailing edges were better.

I'll post more photos tomorrow but I may well have some paint on by then.

[Pellson]

As I build everything flying - would I be horribly difficult to allow for a wheels up configuration?

[Lost Cosmonauts]

As I build everything flying - would I be horribly difficult to allow for a wheels up configuration?

Not at all, All of the doors are there so I need to go backwards a bit and revise. I plan to offer both options once the underlying design is sufficiently tweaked

[Lost Cosmonauts]

Don't see why not, just depends on the cost - is the clear stuff cheaper or more expensive?

May need to add the rudder outlines. I know it's meant to be a full flying fin according to Tony Butter but all the drawings still show what appears to be a rudder. Trim tab possibly? Actually, the etched detail is just a bit too fine and disappears when sanded.

No odds either way on material costs but much easier to print everything in one material than having to drain, clean down and switch over regularly

Rudder is in the revised one now, thanks

[Gondor]

PSSsssstt.... Kit.... that was me that posted the pictures of the VG Lightning  

Oooops, sorry Alastair. 

You expect me to read the words as WELL as look at the pics? 

And you did the Squadron Markings for it....

Gondor

[Pellson]

No odds either way on material costs but much easier to print everything in one material than having to drain, clean down and switch over regularly

As long as the part that need to be clear are clear, I don't see any issues in having everything clear. After all - most reconnaissance noses etc are already all clear in injection molded styrene kits, and it is up to the modeller to paint. I believe the main reason for the styrene not to be all in clear plastic is the fact that clear styrene is much more brittle than regular coloured material.

[The Wooksta!]

Getting there.  The wings are rebuilt and the scribing is done, so off into the garden for a primer coat to ties it all together and see what I need to fix.

Answer - a fair bit, but not as much as I'd feared.  Out with the Revell filler, although there's a few areas that will still need the superglue/baking soda malarkey.

[The Wooksta!]

Progress!

First round of filler all cleaned up:




Primed


Stop! Filler time!




underneath not so bad




Time for the silver primer coat.  That'll shake out the last flaws!




I have added a few tiny things - a tail bumper underneath the rear fuselage where it would be on the standard Lightning and a blister just aft of the canopy for some radio gear.  I'll add a couple of aerials there too.  Finally, I have a pitot tube to go on at some point.

So, final round of filler later and then a proper coat of paint in the morning.

[Pellson]

It's outright awesome!

[Mossie]

Ahah, it retracts inwards rather than outwards.

Thanks for that Mossie. 

PSSsssstt.... Kit.... that was me that posted the pictures of the VG Lightning  

Gondor

I thought he was responding to something in another thread!