Hasegawa 1/72 Lightning F.6
Kit Number: C 9
Price: ¥ 350
Decals : two versions, 56 sq RAF and Kuwait AF
Comments: Show me a modeler that does not like the Lightning and I'll show you a modeler that doesn't like jets. The Hasegawa kit is one of their early releases. The cockpit is nearly non-existent, the gear doors too thick, the missiles just a representation and the plastic is quite hard and thick. In spite of these, it can still be built into a great kit. After all, your other choice in 1/72 is Matchbox!
Since I got several of these back in 75 for about $1.00 each (yen/dollar conversion was 368 to 1), I dug one out to build. For this one, I also got a ton of aftermarket bits to do it up good. This includes an Airwaves brass interior, PP Aeroparts boarding ladder and missiles, Kit Bits intake FOD guard, Aeroclub ejection seat and Modeldecal's decal sheet for a 5sq plane (with sharkmouth) in the last camo scheme of two greys and small roundels.
What this means is that I sank about $35.00 worth of aftermarket stuff into a $1.00 kit. I also added a pitot tube made from stainless steel tubing and some door actuating rods from brass strip. The result looks great, especially when I attached bare metal foil to the parts of the aircraft that would be left in natural metal. I also built an arresting hook and hook attachment box from scrap styrene sheet. It is the best Lightning that I've done and I have done about eight of them of various marks. The Hasegawa kit itself fits very well considering its age.
If you have one sitting around, I would recommend dragging it out and putting it together. With the plethora of aftermarket parts available for this kit, it is easy to make a superb replica.
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