The SwAF 'Acro Blixt' F36 Lightning

[PR19_Kit]

My inspiration for this build came from one of Spinners' wonderful re-skins for the Strike Fighters sim, as shown here.



I loved that scheme as soon as I saw Spinners' post and he was kind enough to send me the basic artwork files so I could draw up a decal sheet for the aircraft, but until now I've never tried to build it. This GB is the perfect opportunity of course.

My start points are an Airfix Lightning F2A starter kit (No, I won't be using their paints or glue....)




And an Alley Cats F3 conversion.



As usual I'm predicting a certain amount of PSR in my future....

[The Wooksta!]

Ask Martin for some advice as he's used that conversion.

Personally, I'd go with the F6, as that's what BAC offered Italy and Australia.  A T55 in Swedish Viggen markings could look really cool too.

There's a proposal in the Wilson book that has the F1a with the kinked wing and different weapon fits. I'll have a look later and post more.

[PR19_Kit]

The Alley Cat conversion needs a whole lot of sawing and slicing and filing. The big belly tank needs chopping right off of course, and large chunks of the upper wing a replaced by the AC wing moulding.



If you cut the wing accurately the new upper wings fits OK, bar a moulding bulge on the inside, and it's best to file the lower wing so it all fits flush. The new small belly tank is a different matter, as supplied it won't go in the slot you've produced by removing the old tank as the intake ducting prevents it from sitting down far enough.

I'm going to hack of the lower part of the compressor face to see if that will allow things to go together properly.

[The Wooksta!]

Martin said he had to remove the moulding block right down to the join line on his.  I've got that conversion and I dare not use it.  Airfix Lightnings are too pricey to ruin*.  Has to be an easier way.  If you have an old Airfix Lightning in the stash**, perhaps cutting that up might be better than doing any more chopping to the kit you've got?  Have you got an old Maintrack conversion somewhere?  He did one for the Matchbox kit, although it was very crude and utterly horrid resin.

If the tank is separate (my conversions are on the other side of the city, I've been in that loft twice already today, had a shower and come home, so I can't check), I can provide a replacement tank, but not the lower fuselage

*I'm lucky enough to have two of these conversions and one of Uncle Colin's for the Frog F6.  I know which one I'd rather use and it isn't the Alleycat one.

** If no, I can certainly supply a spare fuselage to play with, if you can wait a day or three.

[PR19_Kit]

It's not gone too badly actually. Removing the lower part of the compressor face moulding gives enough room for the short tank and its forward extension to sit in properly.

I reckon they 'designed' it with much of the F2A's interior missing, which wasn't too sensible. The wings need a little PSR but not much.

[The Wooksta!]

May be worth scratching some FOD guards for it to prevent anyone looking down the intake?

[kitbasher]

Either of you used the Freightdog F3 conversion with the Airfix F2A/F6 (I realise it's for the FROG/FROGSPAWN F6)?

[The Wooksta!]

No, I've enough Airfix F1a/F3 kits to play with, not to mention a load of wrecks that could be salvaged.

[PR19_Kit]

Either of you used the Freightdog F3 conversion with the Airfix F2A/F6 (I realise it's for the FROG/FROGSPAWN F6)?

No, this is the first F3 I've ever built, ever!

I must admit, until I started to work on it, that I thought the Alley Cat F3 conversion came from Colin Freightdog originally, like the various Swift conversions, but no. It's a bird of a different feather for sure.

It's fighting me, but as my old boss used to say 'Don't mess with Spackman....' 

In passing, looking at F3 pics seems to show that they all had the longer cable fairings just above the missile rails, like the F6s. But this conversion says its for the F2A kit, which only has the short fairings.

Time for some sprue carving methinks.

[The Wooksta!]

I think only the F2A was available when it came out.

If you've got an F6, steal them from there.

[PR19_Kit]

I have, but they're 120 miles from where I am at the moment. The sprue carving will do, I've done it a few times before. 

[PR19_Kit]

Having built 3-4 of the current Airfix F2A-F6 kits already, and having been impressed with the way they almost fell together, I'm surprised to find that this F2A doesn't do that.

Putting the two fuselage halves around the air intake ducting-cum-cockpit-cum nosewheel bay assembly isn't that good a fit, as the interior is just too fat and the halves won't meet. There's either a gap at the top or the bottom which will need filling, or PSR or both.

I think I'll go for the gap on the bottom, as it IS on the bottom.

Perhaps the moulds have worn a bit, and this one was a Starter Kit too. Interestingly it comes with some rather nice 92 Sqdn. decals, rather than the 19 Sqdn. ones in the original F2A kit.

[The Wooksta!]

It's more down to the lousy quality control in India.  Of course, you could always have a rogue kit.  I had similar issues with a Tamiya Mosquito last year.

Fit problems can be exacerbated by the flash that seems to be on every mating surface of Airfix kits these days.  The 2010 Spitfire tool has the same issues with the cockpit internals and the fuselage refuses to close unless some judicious sanding is employed.

The starter kit Lightning is the only Lightning in the range at the minute.  F6s - the kit to have as you can do any F2a or F6 from it - are the one to have but they've disappeared.

[PR19_Kit]

Here's all the conversion bits assembled together, after much filing of the belly tank bit. Some PSR to come, but it shouldn't be too bad I think.



Now I know the F3 was the first British fighter NOT to have any guns installed, but perhaps the Swedes thought they should have some, just in case.....?

[The Wooksta!]

There was a proposal for gun pods under the wings on inboard pylons.  The drawing says it's an F3, but it's got the kinked edge and belly tank of the F6.