Clarkeeboy56

Coming along rather nicely Jens!

Fantastic! An awful lot of work has gone into that...like it a lot!

Fan-bloomin''tastic!

I definitely need to spend a bit more time on here Iain! What a fascinating build! Looking forward to seeing this one progress...

Fantastic modelling! A Lightning! What's not to like?

Just catching up on this one Tom! Superb...as ever!

Thank you all for your support!!.it is appreciated! I have started construction with the wings, the right starboard wing has been cut out and re-scribed. `I'm not too happy with the scribing to be honest, The plastic is quite "flaky", but given its age thats hardly surprising! Its proving difficult to get a dead nice straight defined line. I'll have a think about that. I've been toying with the idea of "plating' the wing in 5 thou plastic card, and cut out individual panels and butt-join them. That would also help with the rivets and may, just may, provide a puckered textured stressed skin effect. It may also be a step too far!! In which case I'll revert to a good coat or three of Halford's primer, and re-scribe into that. Anyway, progress thus far. Vacform plastic, by its nature is flimsy. To build some rigidity into it. i added strengthening "spars" as used to be recommended in Dynavector kit's, though Taro suggesting supergluing these in, to stop possible melting through of the plastic. I never had any problems, so have used Tamiya thin to glue them in... The wheel wells aren't that well detailed as provided, so I decided to replace the well roof with plastic card. The ribs and plumbing will follow, I need to find some rivets along the main strip. I've been practising with that Riveter "Rosie" but may revert to Mr Archer's decals! And finally for today....many, many years ago (when this kit first came out actually!) my old and departed friend Peter Ogden gave me his unfinished Hunter FGA9. He couldn't be bothered masking it for painting , so asked if I would finish it off, I had already started my FGA9 build so agreed but decided to convert Peter's FGA9 into a FRADU GA11. It has seen better days..but as it was handily placed I decided I could use that as a template for scribing, adding ducts etc., I had re-done those for a series 100 Avon jet anyway, so that will help with the T8C. As I still have most off the parts for the GA11 (the nose cone is somewhere safe- just need to remember where!) I thought it would be nice to re-build it, but back date it an Extra Dark Sea Grey and White jet, instead of the later Dark Sea Grey scheme shown here. It will also let me make good a few mistakes in the original kit (ailerons/airbrakes etc). It should, when parked next to my Dayglo/LACG Hunter T8C be reminiscent of Yeovilton back in the late 70's early 80's. I'll just need a SHAR1 to go with it!!

Fantastic workmanship Michael. Excellent fix on the intakes.

That looks so realistic Peter! Once again superbly skilled engineering!

Hi Brian, the Skyshark was issued by Dynavector...I loved their kits. They were in 1/48th, I built their Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Javelin, TSR2' And Hornet. Gorgeous kits....

Thanks Dave, I hope I can use as many of the decals I have, I can always use stencils from the Revell kit, but i may well take you up on your offer!

Thanks Chek, I've a bit of time to ponder the canopy issue. I may crash mould a canopy, or get someone to do it for me, OR indeed see if Paul can help me out...

Hi Phil, it's just over 1mm thick, about 40 thou....

Thanks Jack, it certainly is a golden oldie...especially the 'clear' section!

Thanks Kev, it certainly is well designed and thought out. It's showing its age a bit, particularly with the white metal, but I hope to do it justice.

Okay a tentative start... Vac-form kit's really aren't that scary! Honestly! Basically once you've removed the parts from the backing sheet, you stick the parts together! A bit like a plastic kit.......oh wait...................! Echelon kit's (Two Hunter's and a Lightning basically) were amongst the best, along with the likes of Dynavector and Aeroclub. I started with one of the wings. I separated the piece from the backing sheet along the raised plinth. Simply score with a sharp blade and snap it off. There's plenty of a plastic "buffer" to avoid any grief! A limitation of this medium is that panel lines can be a little vague. They are here on this kit, and from what I can tell , are in the correct place! I decided to re-define them. I used a Jeweller's Tungsten Scriber that I purchased in London's Hatton Garden a long tome ago. Its sharp and removes just the right amount of plastic. I've gone in a bit closer and here I've removed the plastic backing up to the wings, and the aux air intake on the wing top . Note that I haven't removed all of the required edging plastic. I'll do that with a file and wetn'dry paper. I've removed the gear bay doors. Not too sure about the shape of that though!

It's been a while since I posted on here, so I thougt this a good opportunity to rectify that!! I bought this kit a good decade or so ago now, off of e-bay, and it wasn't cheap then! I've been planning on making a start on it since purchase, so thought now was as good a time as any. Now, before you ask, yes I do have Fisher's cracking conversion set, and yes, I will build that one day, but sometimes modelling is as much about the journey as anything else. I have thoroughly enjoyed building vac-forms in the past and will savour this one . It will be a long build, as most of my models tend to be nowadays. When I get bored with it, I'll put it to one side and finish off one of the others I started last year, or the year before (this list is growing I'm afraid!!). But for the meantime lets get cracking and see how far I get... I may build this as a FRADU jet in the 1980's in Dayglo and LACG. I happen to think that this would look rather fetching on a mammoth model like this would look rather nice in 1/32nd....although another possible candidate may be an Admiral's barge, I'd like to use the airfield arrestor hook you see..though If I decide on a T7 it will most likely be something with a Raspberry Ripple flavour, though 92 Sqns Blue Diamond's XL571 is a candidate......we shall see. Box is well tatty!! Echelon provided four solid sheets of quality moulded vac formed sheets... One with the fuselage... Two for the wings.... One for the rest..... A clear (well it WAS clear when it was issued - it's a bit yellow now!) canopy and spine. This can be used on its own, or in conjunction with the vac-formed part...I will need to replace that though. Undercarriage and seats etc., in good old 1980's white metal!! Decals....well bearing in mind these are approaching 30 years old I think they are bearing up rather well! Designed by Richard Ward by all accounts, he of Modeldecal fame, so we know that they are accurate. Just hope I can use them. You may notice that the single seater decal sheet is there too. Frank Brown (Mr Echelon) donated the sheet when I purchased one of his last Lightnings 20 odd years ago! He had to find a box to put it in! Top bloke! I have actually made a tentative start yesterday. I'll post a couple of photo's later. BUT before I do, I'd like to say that i know the amount of research that Frank Brown and the late Edgar Brookes put into this kit. I'd like to dedicate this to his memory. I know we differed on certain things at times, but he gave an awful lot to this hobby. I'm grateful for that.

What a superb build! Fantastic workmanship....

No rush Tim, the wait will be worth it.............

Fantastic work Tim, I'd be very interested in the F3 set.....

First of all, Airfix have told Edgar that it WON'T be a Spitfire. Second, Airfix do not, and will not be issuing kits in 1/32nd. So why the predictions for Spitfires, or 1/32nd scale kits??

The last Airfix 1/24th Jet...wait....the ONLY Airfix 1/24th Jet, was the Harrier. Issued originally when? 1973? ( and upgraded to GR3 and then Sea Harrier ten or so years ago). On That basis, a Jet should really be next and a Hawk would fit that bill, and maybe being modular to allow the T1 or T2 to be issued.....of course other jets are available!! That is IF Airfix decide to continue with their 1/24th range of course. If they do I expect a hefty gap between new issues, certainly based on the time between the Mosquito and the Typhoon...

I predict a Hawk T2, but it won't be for a year or two.....

Excellent news! I have been planning on hacking the Tamiya F4J into something similar to an FG1 for many a year now, so will now cancel that. I can spend the wait on the Echelon Lightning, or the Revell/Fisher Hunter T8. Happy days!!

Been a while since I've posted on here, but I've just read through this thread and have to say what a well thought out and informative thread! Well done Derek! I'll check out Iain's thread on BM and Jen's on here and I think I'll be treating myself to one!