1963 vintage Airfix E.E Lightning F.1A 1/72

[Pellson]

The IFR probe was bolt on - EE had actually designed something like the TSR2 and later Tornado retractable fuselage mounted one on the port side of the nose - and available from F1A onwards.  Treble one got three F1s as spare aircraft on loan and stuck them on QRA in the hope that they'd never be used as they didn't have IFR capability.

That's XM192 late in it's career when it was with the Target Facilities Flight at RAF Wattisham.  The markings are on a Modeldecal sheet but I can't recall which one.  I know I did it back in the day, along with a few other second line Lightnings.

The F2As didn't really need the IFR probes, being based in Germany with plenty of airfields to recover too. Don't forget that they had the full BFO tank underneath.

There you are - the photo is then likely not manipulated.. 

I appreciate why the Germany based F.2A's seldom used the probes, but that does leave a plot hole for the F.1A's and F.2's based at home.
Anyway - it's cool to have found a photo of an exception.

*********

Riding on my newfound mojo, I've sorted most of the main structures, including that fin enlargement. And it does make a difference, so probably a good call. Thanks again for heads up, Lee.
Main external items left are the radome, the hardpoints and some probes, or more exactly the pitot and the refuelling probe. Other than that, a few antennae, that air intake to make it an F.2 and then the bang seat and the canopy.

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That radome really needs to get in place. It's such a major detail in the brutal design that is the trademark of this powerful interceptor. But that might have to wait. It's out-of-office work again for a few days, so the Lightning will have to sit for a bit.
But it's good fun so far. More old shitkits to the people!   

[The Wooksta!]

One of the reasons the the RAF didn't mind retiring the Valiant tankers is that they were unsuitable for tanking Lightning. The Victors had higher performance and could refuel two or three at the same time.

[Pellson]

One of the reasons the the RAF didn't mind retiring the Valiant tankers is that they were unsuitable for tanking Lightning. The Victors had higher performance and could refuel two or three at the same time.

Not my tanker Valiant. It would sort two Lightnings simultaneously.

The smaller belly tank on the early Lightnings does make quite a difference to the general appearance of the aircraft, methinks, and so far, the old Airfix kit goes together surprisingly well. Yes, some filler has been used, but I've worked with worse fit in my day.
Also the general shape looks like a Lightning, at least so far. Yes, there are some questionable areas, but all in all, it's not that bad. Yet. We shall se when the radome and the canopy are installed.

[Pellson]

Having a half day at home in between appointments, I took the opportunity to fashion a spine air intake and sort the radome installation on the Lightning. Also, the minuscule intake at the base of the fin is filed out.
Moving on to next appointment, I'm somewhat unwillingly putting the Lightning to one side for today. The mojo is strong on this one.

[The Wooksta!]

Unless you're doing an F2, no spine intake.  It was introduced from the F2 onwards.

[Pellson]

Unless you're doing an F2, no spine intake.  It was introduced from the F2 onwards.

Thanks, I 'm aware. My plan (as loosely drafted somewhere above, or maybe even over in my blog (it was, and can be read >>HERE<<)) is a conveniently cheaper upgrade than the F.2A, but catering for all the Avon 200-engined Lightnings, bringing them to a common, "F.2B" standard, featuring an F.2 airframe, the later, reinforced radome for higher speeds, SARH Firestreaks due to aerodynamics/small fin, the Avon 211R afterburner upgrade, that refuelling probe and maybe, possibly small Sidewinder rails under the outer wings. The latter, I need to mull further on. While operationally absolutely desirable, there is a certain lure in keeping this Lightning as "undressed" as possible, given that my F.6A has not only four missiles under each wing, but also the over-wing drop tanks. And contrast is a bit cool.

Well - it's a whif, and I can theoretically do what I want. However, I like to set a late cold war scenario for my builds, possibly because of that's when I was in my prime, and at that time, a fighter limited to two missiles wouldn't be optimal. On the other hand, the inherently very limited fuel resource in the small-bellied Lightnings, while partially countered by the leaner 200-series Avons, still would mean a very limited range, however further curtailed by more drag - as f.i from more missiles. So there's one for and one against. However again, interesting from the fuel perspective is the fact that IRL, the small-bellied (and small-winged!) F.3's seem to have been kept active almost as long as the F.6's, indicating that systems (Red Tops, in this case) was more important than the longer range in the big bellied but non-Red Top capable F.2A's. So given that, it seems that the better missile and probably also the more powerful engines of the F.3/6's was more important than the better range and aerodynamic properties of the F.2A's.
Or, obviously, it could have been a matter of airframe life and/or commonality in engine/system maintenance. But that argument is unbearably boring, and focusing on missiles/weapon systems will allow my old style Lightning a more interesting later life... 

Choices, choices..

[scautomoton]

Beyond the sprues has a very good thread here showing a lot of the proposed developments, including mockups and actual flight trialled changes.

[Pellson]

Snuck a minute or two today to mask and paint the windshield/canopy split line, then attaching the transparency to the model. Some painting still remains, but that'll be easier with the model to hold on to.
As told elsewhere, I've also puttied a bit and now filed and sanded these shapes to where I want them, and it's looking quite alright. Maybe not the best or most accurate early Lightning kit around ( ) but it's looking like a Lightning. And I'm having fun. With just a tad of luck, I'll be able to complete the build tomorrow, at least minus the possible Sidewinder pylons I'm not sure of yet, leaving only painting for another day.

Looking around for data about these early Lightning versions, I can't find any reasonably reliable numbers on endurance, radius or range. One would think there would be a difference in consumption between the earlier 200-series Avons and the later 300's, and also between the different fuel amounts carried in small respective big wings and belly tanks, but all I get is 2hrs/800 miles for the F.2A/F.6. It would be interesting to know a tad more than that. Anyone having an idea?

[Captain Canada]

Nice to see such an old kit being built !  Have fun for sure.

[NARSES2]

And I'm having fun.

And that's what it's all about, or most of it anyway   

[Pellson]

The canopy has received its first layer of paint, basically providing the inside colour of the non-transparent parts, i.e black. That went fairly well, actually.
Also, the refuelling probe, the missile pylons and the pitot is in place, leaving only a few smallish antennae to go, unless I decide on some extra Sidewinder pylons under the wings.

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While fiddling with the Firestreak pylons, I decided that the guns had to go, thinking that the space and weight would be better used by new radar and SARH missile control electronics. Also, the F.3 and F.6 lost their guns to the Red Top system, so I think it's the right way to go. Accordingly, the ports are now filled in, puttied and sanded and the nose is now smooth. The shape you see is the end of the sprue rod I used to fill out the port.


Next decision will be Sidewinders or not. One might think they're unnecessary as the Lightning was so short on fuel that one head-on attack would be all it could do before having to scurry off home, but having trawled the internet far and wide, this I what I have found about fuel and endurance.

The F.6 was the first Lightning with the big belly tank, and in its original form, it "nearly doubled internal fuel" in comparison to the F.3, giving the F.6 a range of ca 800 miles. However, both the F.3 and the F.6 shared the more powerful but also thirstier Avon 301R engines while the F.2 and earlier had various Avon 200 versions. The F.2A had a slightly refined version of the F.2 Avon 210R, main difference being a fully controllable afterburner. The F.2A is also said to "have the best endurance of the lot, managing 2 hours aloft if carefully flown".
Also, it should be remembered that the RAF kept the small-bellied and small winged F.3 in service all the way to the Lightnings bitter end in 1988, flying them in parallel to the longer-legged F.6's.

Given above, it seems safe to assume that an F.1A or an F.2 would reasonably manage around 60 min in the air, unrefuelled, and if compared with the typical RSwAF Draken 35-40 min intercept flying time scenario, there's plenty of time for a second attack. And if so, then two more missiles might not be that bad, after all.

On the other hand (there's always another perspective), my Lightning looks rather nice being quite uncluttered, contrasting sharply to my F.6A with four Sidewinders and ferry tanks.  Maybe one doesn't want to add more just for aesthetics?

[Gondor]

Sometimes less is more.

I have a couple of these kits which I will be "tarting up" with bits left over from turning a couple of F6's into Two seat aircraft.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Will your Lightning be a Swedish Air Force one?

[Pellson]

Will your Lightning be a Swedish Air Force one?

No, the plan is to make it a RAF aircraft. My background will be that the threat levels increase during the late sixties and early seventies, convincing the RAF that while the Lightning F.6 is ultimate Lightning, numbers matter. Hence the F.2A scheme is deferred as overly expensive as not only most of the remaining F.2's are to be modernised, but also the still operational F.1's and F.1A's, and the changes are kept to a minimum, if not a bare such. All affected aircraft are reworked to a mainly common standard, basically brought up to F.2 level, but the radar and associated systems are upgraded to AI.23B, supporting the reworked Firestreaks mk3, a more or less new missile in the shape of the old one in order to not disturb the aerodynamics of the early Lightnings. This is made possible by electronic component miniaturisation, resulting in a faster, longer ranged SARH missile that makes the older Lightnings quite effective in pursuing head-on attacks, also on smaller and faster targets such as Sukhoi Su-7B's, f.i.

I'll be writing up something later along these lines, making heavy use of your second rule in order to make something viable out of this old dog of a kit. 

[The Wooksta!]

Only 74 Sqn had the F1, which didn't have IFR capability.  At best there were 19 and at least half were scrapped by 1966. The survivors were largely second line training aircraft, gate guards or instructional airframes.

The F2A came in gradually from 1968 and externally nigh identical to early F6.  Not Red Top capable and the wings were not stressed for the overwing tanks.  31 conversions.