So, just like the title says, how do you guys & gals deal with open cockpits? Most specifically, fuselage painting & masking off the cockpit hole. I'm working on the Revell Stearman PT17, and there doesn't really seem to be a way to do it.

Jim

Go to the makeup department of your drugstore and get a bag of makeup sponges. Tear up a sponge until it's just slightly larger than your cockpit opening, squish it in place and spray away happily

If you do a lot of open cockpit models, try going to a foam wholesaler and getting a chunk of viscoelestic foam the size of a cushion. That'll give you enough foam to do an entire air force.

This same trick works for doors, wheel wells and other openings of irregular shape.

Thanks, Jessica. I'll give it a try. Time to raid my wife's make-up bag!

Jim

Jim,
I use the same foam as Jessica suggested, especially since I run a CVS Drug Store. The make sponges are cheap, and if one wants to be really thrifty, you can use them a few times.

The trick is to just push the sponge down into the cockpit but not so far as to damage delegate parts.

Joel

Hi James

Otherwise - soft tissue (loo paper works well! ). I often run masking tape around the inside of the cockpit opening to form a generous "lip" - that allows you to insert sponge-foam or tissue without it pushing in too far if there are delicate details near the opening.

All the best

Rowan

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate the help.

Jim