1/48 Airfix Electric Lightning

Ooooo, super nice!  Love the Lightning, as it is so Jerry Andersen “Thunderbirds” looking!

Wow, this one looks real. Super nice work.

BK

It's a Frightning, as the Brits say.  Nicely done!

I'm not normally into these, but that is sharp Chad. Your NMF is outstanding. 

Real G

Ooooo, super nice!  Love the Lightning, as it is so Jerry Andersen “Thunderbirds” looking!

 

BrandonK

Wow, this one looks real. Super nice work.

BK

 

tempestjohnny

Sooo nice. This was so far ahead of its time when it came into service

 

mississippivol

 

jeaton01

It's a Frightning, as the Brits say.  Nicely done!

 

lawdog114

I'm not normally into these, but that is sharp Chad. Your NMF is outstanding. 

 

What color is the blue?

It's Vallejo Model Air 71.004 Blue.  First I laid down a base coat of Vallejo Metal Color Aluminum, then oversprayed a few light coats of blue. 

It looks good to me, great job.

Is this the same type of aircraft that Matchbox released that had the drop tanks over the wings? I used to wonder what's the deal with drop tanks over the wings.

It is. Those tanks were ferry tanks, permanently attached for the flight.

The sub sonic range without external tanks was about 700 nm.

Supersonic intercept range (it's primary mission) was 135 nm.

With the ferry tanks it added maybe 500 nm to subsonic range.

In otherwords an aircraft designed to intercept Russian bombers for V Bomber airfield defense. 

But Mach 2.2 remains very quick. It was a real hotrod.

It is! Kind of looks weird on a supersonic aircraft right?!  Here's the 1/72 Airfix kit I made last year with the pylons.  The 1/48 kit had a pylon option but I preferred the sleeker look of no pylons. Especially with a metallic finish.

So without overwing tanks, it could go supersonic, but with the tanks it was subsonic?

And the tanks are removable, but not air droppable?

As a kid, I just imagined that they inverted to drop.

Beautiful job.  I echo the comments on the NMF - really superb.  Very nice looking build.

GMorrison

It is. Those tanks were ferry tanks, permanently attached for the flight.

The sub sonic range without external tanks was about 700 nm.

Supersonic intercept range (it's primary mission) was 135 nm.

With the ferry tanks it added maybe 500 nm to subsonic range.

In otherwords an aircraft designed to intercept Russian bombers for V Bomber airfield defense. 

But Mach 2.2 remains very quick. It was a real hotrod.

 

IIRC, this was the first aircraft with supercruise, the ability to go supersonic without the use of an afterburner in level flight, before the term was even invented. Yeah, it was a hot rod.