1:72 EE "Lightning" wheels w/ weighted tires, early

English Electric Lightning, resin wheels 1:72, early form (Armory)

The set replaces the plastic wheels of a model of the British interceptor in 1:72 scale; the tires are weighted with deformation where they touch down. The form matches the early machines, and for the later versions the manufacturer has a separate item in the same range. Make your choice therefore according to the version you are building, not according to which set happens to be at hand.

The real subject

The English Electric Lightning was a British interceptor with the unusual arrangement of two engines stacked one above the other in the fuselage, famed for its exceptional rate of climb. The main landing gear retracted into a very thin wing, which forced narrow wheels with a small tire cross-section. It is precisely such a shape that is difficult for injection-molded plastic and comes out substantially cleaner in resin.

Working and painting

Wash the castings in lukewarm soapy water and let them dry. With narrow wheels, take care when cutting off the casting block, as the part is slender and easily breaks off; make the cut with a margin therefore and level it with a file. Before gluing, try dry how the wheel sits on the landing gear leg and check that the contact patches of both main wheels lie in one plane. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue. Paint over primer, the tire dark gray, the hub according to the Royal Air Force scheme, and a matte coat at the end. British machines were usually well maintained, so treat weathering with restraint.

Who the set is for

• Builders of British postwar fighters
• Modelers who object to the coarse shape of narrow plastic wheels
• Those looking for the correct form for the early version of the type
• Collectors who photograph a finished model from close up

The set is supplied unpainted, as resin castings intended for further work. Paints, glue and the model of the aircraft are not included in the package.