Time for another short update.
The cockpit is just about finished. I'm still contemplating another overall dirty wash, but I'm rather liking the more "cleanish" look of the cramped cockpit.
The next up is the combination bomb bay and Hispano canon bay. Once they're completed, I can add the few misc. parts and close up the fuselage. I've decided from day one that I don't want to have the Hispano canon bay opened, as the kit has only the bare minimum parts which are just the butt ends of the 4 canons, but noting past the bulkhead bracket that they are molded on. The problem with that is if a Judge or someone with a pen flashlight looks through that bulkhead, the limited view is just a completely empty space. After pondering this issue for a while, it occurred to me that simply creating the impression of the 4 front ends of the canons would be more then adequate, as even with a penlight you can't see much. So using some 2x3 Evergreen strips I created that illusion.
Before I could install the canon bulkhead I needed to paint both gas tanks, which I did with Model Master enamel #2009 British Crimson. When dry, I masked out the three aluminum retaining straps on each tank, and hand painted them flat Aluminum with Testors enamel flat Aluminum. Next was the bottom support for the twin 500 lb. bombs cradles, which I also painted Flat Aluminum.
Test fitting the canon bulkhead necessitated new longer mounting pins. So I just cut off the kit ones, drilled out the mounts, and made new ones out of stretched sprue. I then painted both sides with Tamiya Gun Metal trying to make it a little blotchy for a weathered effect, and finally some dry brushing with flat Aluminum. Then I glued the canon bulkhead into position.
Ok, I'll be the 1st to admit that it looks, shall we say basic at best, but that's not the way one will be able to view it, if at all. Next I dry fitted the assembly to one fuselage half:
Then the other half:
It's really easy to see that short of buying the Aires bomb Bay Resin parts for $27 (which I have absolutely no intention of doing), a complete scratch building effort would be required. And that's just not in the cards for this build. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that I don't have the skills needed to duplicate it. So I cut off the Canon bay doors from the bomb bay doors, scribed the recessed line between the two doors so that they look like separate doors. I primed and painted the interior side RAFIG, and dry fitted it. As with just about every part Tamiya molded, the fit is near perfect.
As you can see, just the butt ends of the 4 canons are easily visible, so I'm fairly confident that I've made the right decision.
While I had the fuselage halves on the bench, I cut off the Vertical Stabilizer halves from both sides, as I'm going to be using the Ultra Cast Vertical Stabilizer as it comes in the package with some of other flying surfaces. As usual for me, a close up visual inspection showed that the kit parts are of about equal quality, so I didn't gain anything detail wise with them.
And now you're all up to speed as to where I am in my Mossie build.
Joel
Associate Editor
As for the how much of the cockpit will be visible, Not much. Mostly a look down into it, and through the access hatch. But it's the perception of added detail that I want to get across to the judges. 
for once... got more to tell on that area :-).
