I have always had a fondness for the Lightning and like so many of it's admirers would love to see the beasts still flying at air shows all over the world. I have not had the good fortune to be close to one and can only envy those amongst you that have had that good fortune. My love affair with this British Mach Two fighter/Interceptor began as a child, growing up in Wales, U.K.

Like the B17-G review posted on Scott's site my memories of this aircraft are childhood ones where my father had built the Airfix 1:72 scale Lightning. As soon as Airfix announced that they were building a 1:48 scale version I knew I wanted to have one in my collection. I was so fixated upon this that I ended up using the web to find a site in the US that had them for sale. A month later and some $30+ (USD) out of pocket I get the kit. It was at this time that I came across the Modeling Madness Webzine site and my association with Scott began.

I scoured the electronic waves to find any information about the Lightning that I could obtain. Scott had just completed his review of an F3 and had  used the decal sheet from Aeromaster - Late Lightnings. I tried in vain to obtain this decal sheet, even contacting Aeromaster directly to obtain it! No such luck, Aeromaster declared that all sets had been sold and I
was in a turmoil. You see the model I wished to depict was a F6 of No. 5 Binbrook Squadron, XR 770. This aircraft was striking in that the spine, tail fin and leading edges were red and the remainder of the airframe being Light Barley and Grey.

Enter Scott who kindly donated his set of decals for the XR770, which coincidentally now resides in the Nato Museum in the UK. His only request was that I would provide a review. I had said that I would do this and within a few weeks (maybe months....) I had submitted my first example of a burgeoning madness called modelling. This was the aforementioned B17-G
"A Bit O' Lace".

Now many moons later I finally get my model photography sorted out and I submit the photos of XR770 for your perusal.

I have upgraded the cockpit using KMC's Lightning Cockpit Superdetail set and also employed Eduard Photo etch to upgrade the wheel wells, antennae and the afterburner cans of the twin Avon engines.

For those of you that are not in the know I have it on good authority that the Lightning was also the first VTOL aircraft used by the Brits as may be seen in one of my photos!

I hope you enjoy the images as much as I did building the model. I enjoyed it so much that I have another two awaiting assembly and, hopefully the reviews will find their way into this site in the future.

Published May 2000

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