Well another week has passed, and it's time for my weekly update.
I was getting to the point of finally being ready to glue up both fuselage halves, but I was still having some concerns about how the part Aeries, part Tamiya, part semi detailed cockpit would actually fit once glue was applied. There were still a few details that needed attending to, such as installing the rear fuselage wheel well mud guard.
I had previously painted and weathered it, then I thought I put it in one of the boxes I use to store sub assemblies and parts as they're worked on, but I couldn't find it! Could have the Carpet Monster paid me another visit, or did my cat named Evil (that's his real name, and it fits him perfectly), somehow managed to steal yet another part? I searched for over an hour but I couldn't find it. So now I was faced with having to make one. The part actually looks like a car's inner wheel well lining. So the challenge was how to duplicate it. I tried all sorts of shapes, but nothing really came close. Then as I was just looking though my spare parts box again hoping for a lazy man's miracle, I noticed that a tire had the approximate shape I needed. I cut out a section, and I thought I only needed a few hours of work to jury rig it. Well how wrong I was. To actually get the part to the correct shape, size, and depth took 2 days.
Then I had to shape the inside as that's what one will see. Nothing is as much fun as sanding Bondo in a complex concave shape.
Final sanding and polishing, then primed, and finally painted with model Master RAF Interior Green. Sealed, glossed, a dirty wash, and flat coated.
Yeah, I know it sure doesn't look like 2 days worth of work, but it really took that long. I then test fitted the Ultra Cast resin rear strut, wheel & tire. Looks pretty good if you ask me.
I'm jumping a little ahead of the time line, but it's easier to follow my work progress this way.
Next up was gluing up the two fuselage halves. One of my goals was to actually have the fit good enough so that almost no pressure was needed to close up any gaps. Dry fitting always looked good, but there just practice runs. To say that I was actually quite surprised that I achieved that benchmark is an under statement.
Another goal was to have the combination cockpit just detailed enough to give the illusion of a really busy and tight cockpit. To that end I think I succeeded. Wow!! Two accomplished goals in one week, that almost never happens during any of my builds.
Turning the Mossie over, you'll see how the combination bomb bay, Hispano canon bay turned out. I also decided at this time to insall the two 500 lb bombs. They were assemblied, primed with MIG AMMO acrylic Gray primer, then airbrushed with Life Color FS 34068 #1503 Weathered Olive Drab. Glossed, then I cut some yellow decals to make the yellow Stripes.
I'll be the 1st one to admit the Hispano canon bay looks pretty so so at bes., Ok, pretty poor when you're looking right at those very basic shaped canons. But it has quite a different look to it once the canon bay doors are on. Keep it in mind that the whole purpose of those canon extensions was to give the nosy judge who shines his pen flashlight through the access holes something to see. To that effect the illusion does indeed work.
Up next is the wings including the wheel wells, but not the land gear sub assembles.
Joel
