Hi again

It's been a while, but I have been tinkering away when time permits - I've simply forgotten to keep my Blog up to date!

I had a play with the gun pods. Kitty Hawk would have you install the guns before assembling the pods - something I always hate, because projecting barrels make cleaning up seams more awkward and are just asking to get damaged.

So, I've tried things the other way 'round - building and installing the gun bays, ready for the guns to go in later:



The guns have large locating lugs on their bases which, if my kit is anything to go by, just don't fit the slots meant for them. Trim those flush and the guns will slot neatly into the assembled pod - letting you clean up the joints etc. first. :



I've left the side of each bay open to make painting easier.

Talking of painting, I've got the wheel wells just about ready to go together. I need to do some more shading and highlighting, as my first effort wasn't very successful - I put that down to sheer lack of practice lately and just growing rusty. I don't build often enough these days...



All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
Glad to see that you've gotten some much needed bench time in.

Like you, I try my best not to install any gun barrels till the very end of the build if it's possible, as I always seem to damage them, and mess up the paint job. I've been known to cut off the barrel from the gun especially if the bay will be closed up and insert it into the opening as a last step.

Joel

Nice to see some progress Rowan

Hi Rowan,
I was going to complement you on the realistic wood grain finish you achieved above, when I realised that it was a wooden ice cream scoop that the parts were tacked to

Nice work (I know how hard it is to get to the bench these days)

Mike.

Cheers Mike

Well spotted - it is indeed an ice-lolly stick (nothing gets wasted if I can find a use for it). Of course, I sprayed it overall white before painstakingly re-applying a wood-grain finish with oils.

All the best

Rowan

At the bottom of Page 8 in the instructions, Part D1 & D6: half is C 317 Gray and the rest is C 27 Interior Green.

First does someone can tell me what the C means? Colors? Or something else

And Interior Green, is that a color or do they mean the interior goes Green and it brings another question: What sort of Green? You all know there's no actual end to that question.

Please, I need help

Marc

Hi Mark

C27 is a reference to Mr Hobby paint #C27 - Interior Green.

Modern Interior Green is often cited as F.S. *4151, but the name is one of those catch-all terms that actually covers a range of colours, depending on the era and manufacturer, so it's best to check photo references of your actual subject wherever possible.

IPMS Stockholm has a very useful page on WW2-era US interior colours HERE - some of which survive basically unchanged to modern times.

All the best

Rowan

Thank you very much Rowan & I do agree with you about the sorry state of this plane's parts re: the ejection pin marks.

It's enough to prevent someone from finishing it.