BAC Lightning F Mk.6 (Combo Kit)

[woody37]

BAC Lightning F Mk.6 (Combo Kit)

1:72 Hasegawa

Born out of research for supersonic flight, the Lightning was designed to meet the requirement of a point defence interceptor. With the goal to get the aircraft to a point in the sky as quickly as possible, all emphasis was put on acceleration, rate of climb and speed and endurance was considered secondary in the design phase. Following success with the P.1 prototypes, the F1 & F2 went into service powered with Avon engines, two 30mm Aden cannon and had the choice of a further two cannon or Firestreak missiles in an interchangeable weapons pack under the nose. The F.6 introduced a more efficient wing, large ventral fuel tank, larger clipped fin and Red Top missiles (the latter two being carryovers from the F.3) due to the shortcomings of the Lightnings combat endurance and high speed stability when firing the Red Top. For an aircraft that was conceived in the 50's, even today, it has some pretty amazing statistics; it's been reported to fly above 80,000ft, could climb to 36,000 in 3 minutes and was the only aircraft amongst it's contemporaries at the time able to intercept Concorde from the rear in 1985 ! All good things eventually come to an end and in the '80's, the Lightning was phased out and replaced by the Tornado F3. It was the first and last all British Mach 2 fighter. It's place in history is probably only seconded by it's place in peoples hearts (mine included !).

The kit

This isn't a new kit, it's a kit that's seen many reincarnations starting out as Frog, Hasegawa and a few more since. On opening the box, you'll find two kits separately bagged. Each kit has 3 light grey sprue's and a clear one separately bagged. First impressions will tell you that the kit does look dated so I'll get the bad news out of the way first. The surface detail has raised panel lines and there is some flash present, which after all these years, you kind of expect. If raised panel lines are an issue for you, a rescribe will be necessary unless you go for the Trumpeter kit which has some obvious issues in shape at the rear. The fuselage is in two halves, with the wings, tailplanes and fin being attached during assembly. Detail in the kit is quite sparse, the undercarriage bays are quite basic, which can be a concern due to the large area they take up under the wings. The cockpit also lacks detail, however as this is so small and hard to see, it isn't so bad to live with.

I built one of these last year and it goes together very well. All the main parts are tight fitting and very little filler was required. The wing has the kink that was introduced on the F.6. Included in the set is a pair of Red Top missiles and the ugly but needed over wing fuel tanks. The nose cone and ring is moulded as one piece and fits very well. The slight downside is that there is no intake duct, it's blanked off, however this isn't too noticeable in this scale if you paint it matt black before attaching the nose piece. The only parts I found not to fit well were the airbrakes in the recessed position. Filler had to be used here to get them flush. The smaller bits such as pylons and undercarriage doors are quite chunky and featureless. Despite the shortcomings in the detail, the shape of the kit is very good. It's all present and correct, just a little dated.

The clear parts are nicely moulded and certainly one of the kits stronger points. Distortion is minimal and the windscreen is moulded separately to the canopy so you have the choice to show off the pit.

The decals

This is a superb sheet. Three schemes are provided for:

• 5 Sqn Low-vis with red spine XR770
  
• 11 Sqn camouflage XR760
  
• 23 Sqn Silver with white spine XR753
  

This covers the three key schemes that the Lightning wore in RAF service. The sheet has excellent register and the detail is finely produced. This is noticeable in the squadron emblems and various stencils. Two instrument panels are also provided in decal form. Wing walkway lines are accommodated in both black and white depending on the schemes you choose. Also included is the yellow canopy lines.

Conclusion

I suspect that opinion on this combo kit will be divided. The shape is quite accurate which means that you won't need to chop bits off and replace them, however, detail is sparse and the panel lines are raised. That said, I enjoyed building mine last year as it went together easily and look forwards to doing these two as well, especially with the decal choices that are included. The price is competitive for two kits and there is a lot of aftermarket accessories out there to improve the areas that are lacking in the kit if this is something you want to do.

Review sample courtesy of

UK distributors for

[hacker]

'woody37' date='Jul 15 2012, 08:40 AM

The shape is quite accurate which means that you won't need to chop bits off and replace them

I remember building this also and found it a easy build but as you said would need upgrading with after market bits. My question is the tail more accurate then the Trumpeter version?

Edited July 15, 2012 by hacker

[woody37]

Shape wise, it's more accurate (ie. not looking pinched as much between the engines), although not a great amount of detail there.