I've had a Hasegawa Vb half built for about a year and decided to go back to it. Somehere along the line both of the cannons have disappeared (have no idea where) and I've only got the stubs left. Does anyone know if there's an aftermarket replacement or what gauge brass rod I should use to replace them? I don't usually build planes so it's all a bit of a mystery to me. I'd like to get it finished. Many thanks.........

Which scale?
Edgar

sorry! 1/32nd. This new format thing is a bit confusing!

Hi Karl:

Try with hypodermic needles. They can be found in diferent gauges. Look for one that don´t look overscaled.

Thanks for that Carlos. I'll give that a try.

If you're building it as ready for a sortie, with machine gun ports covered, the ends, of the cannon, would be covered, as well. There were "proper" covers, but, occasionally, during shortages, a certain item of rubberware would be pressed into service. Sometimes the ejection ports would have newspaper pasted over them, too. I may be preaching to the converted, but ensure that the holes, by the wheel wells, are filled in; these were boxes, which held the empty shells & links, which poured out, when the boxes were opened. That's why there are no ejection ports for the cannon.
Edgar

Thanks Edgar. I hadn't realised that so it's much appreciated! I usually do tanks and figures but fancied a change so I don't know an awul lot about aircraft. Any pointers are gratefully received!

How long have you got? The small "lumps," sticking out of the front of each exhaust, were tubes, which took heated air through to the guns. At the rear of the exhaust, there's a raised line scribed on the fuselage; this should be a bent tube, which came out of the exhausts, and dived into the fuselage. Don't paint the crowbar red; that was a post-war innovation; black, n/m, or bronze green are better choices. If you use the radio, supplied as p/no C9, don't fit an aerial, from the mast to the rudder. That radio was VHF, and had a short aerial, which was fitted inside the mast. If you're doing a UK-based a/c, you'll need IFF aerials, from the front corner of the tailplanes to the fuselage, almost smack in the centre of the roundel; Hasegawa mould a small "pip," on the starboard fuselage, which marks the point of entry (same both sides.) Don't fit them for the desert scheme; they didn't have IFF. The seat should be red, almost brick-red, since it was moulded, in resin, not metal, as in the early Spitfires. There are six seatbelts, in all; two come up, from behind the seat, and in front of the armour, and join with two more, which come through the small slot in the bulkhead. Behind the bulkead, these two join together, in a "Y" shape, with a cable attached, which heads off down the fuselage. Two more straps came up, from the floor area, over the pilot's legs. At that time, the harness was the Sutton type, with just holes, (no connection box, unlike later systems.) The "lump," moulded on p/no A12, just behind the u/c lever, should have a red top. It was a hinged lid, under which were two push-buttons, which detonated a demolition charge, in the radio (after the pilot had got clear, of course!) C26 should not be red; they are comressed-air bottles, for the u/c & guns, and steel is a better colour. That's all I can think of, for the moment; hope it hasn't put you off!
Edgar