Matchbox 1/72 Lightning F6

The initial idea was to put this together as a trip down memory lane but I started adding details that Matchbox missed because I just couldn't help myself. Starting with the fuselage there are quite a few vent holes and air intakes missing so these were added using various thicknesses of styrene sheet and the holes drilled and blanked off. Other vents were done using styrene rod that was drilled out and glued in at an angle, the cannon ports in the ventral tank were done the same way with drilled rod to represent the gun barrels.

I didn't intend to do anything with the main gear wheel wells but again the AMS (Advanced Modellers Syndrome) kicked in so the moulded lip around the inside of the lower wing was removed, the edges thinned out and a basic well constructed from strips of styrene;

Once dry these were sanded down until the wing halves fitted together. Before gluing the wings strips of styrene strip were glued in place underneath to shim out the lower wing.
This wheel wells now look much better;

I was going to just fit an Aeroclub Martin Baker Mk.4 ejection seat as I thought I had one in stock, unfortunately I hadn't (loads of Mk 10's though). I ended up ordering a cockpit by Pavla that was designed for the Trumpeter Lightning and it *does* fit (sort of) after some sanding but for my purposes it will do as you really can't see much;

The cockpit was painted and glued into place then the fuselage was stuck together along with the air intake lip and jet pipes at the rear with some filler being required on the back end. After what seemed to be ages with bits all over the bench I now have something resembling a Lightning;

I have even found a second-hand decal sheet (Modeldecal 65) online so I can finish this in the scheme I did originally.
I know there are much better 1/72 Lightning kits out there but it has been good to exercise some scratch building techniques that I haven't done for years such as building wheel wells and making vents and air intakes, hopefully I'll make a decent job of it.