I just test fitted one of the engine blocks to see what it looks like. There's a lot more supplied detail to be added to the engines before fitting, such as exhausts, shaped oil tanks and rads. I believe, however, that there's a fit problem when the nacelles are added so, to save unnecessary work, I'll wait till the nacelles are test fitted before finalising the engines.
5. The crew cabin was skinned port, s/board and top.
The overhead section, containing the aperture for the astrodome, was cutaway on the s/board side. The exit tube for the flare gun was added to the underside but to be honest, when painted and in position, it won't be visible.
Next, the port side of the cabin was fully skinned. The radio operator's windows were glazed from the inside. Before this skin was added I wanted to give it a basic coat of black. The reason for this was that, because the glazing is held by Glue 'n ' Glaze, I was afraid that if masked for overall painting, the masking might push it into the cabin. This way I can mask around it, on the metal surface. Then I installed the astrodome section.
Finally, the s/board skin was partially cutaway to give a view through the cabin wall to the interior, which is possibly more obvious from the overhead shot.
6. One thing I managed to add at this stage was the dividing curtain in the cabin. Not a great shot, I admit, but it's like a coalhole in there! The curtain itself is is made from light tissue paper, folded and painted dark grey.
I'll finish this section with shots of the cabin in position without the canopy and one with the canopy positioned. The s/board window on the canopy had been removed to improve interior visibility but after this close-up was taken.
7. I had come across a reference for a stowable step to the dorsal turret and decided to scratch-build it.
This I did with scraps from the spare box and it is painted and positioned in the fuselage where it can be displayed either stowed or deployed (marked with arrow)
The section with the dorsal turret and the rear section will be joined together shortly. This is one of my main areas of concern when it comes to joining the fuselage sections. All of the other sections have half bulkheads, at least, as well as the arches of the formers to glue to. The adhesion points for these two sections are the edges of the cabin floor, the edge of a keel underneath the floor and where the ammunition chutes meet. The formers don't touch (although they will be closer together than in the photos when the floors are matched up - and all that will be holding it together will be stringers between the two sections and skinning. There's a fair bit of weight in the skinned tail & fin assembly and I'm worried that the weight will put too much pressure on the joins. There is a chance that I can reinforce across the floor sections, underneath but that's the only solution I have at this time.
I have a similar concern with the join between the cabin and the rest bunk section, between the wings. Although there is a half bulkhead at the base of the formers and the formers touch, there is such weight in the front section that I will need a really strong bond to hold it in place when the supports aren't in place. I don't think that I can reinforce through the bulkhead as they are detailed front and back. I'll just have to see what's possible, hopefully without too much compromise.
8. So where does that leave us? The interior is detailed and completed. I just have to make sure wiring and plumbing runs match up section to section before joining. I know that the next few issues are concerned with skinning and finishing the wings before moving on to the fuselage. Also imminent is the building of the parachute escape hatch in the nose section.
One aileron has been built, awaiting skinning and three of the four split flaps are finished leaving one flap and the second aileron to be constructed. The underwing fuel tank access hatches are either completed or awaiting skinning and painting. And that, as far as I know, will be all the major construction on the airframe done.
The props and bombs will be painted further down the line. That's where I think I'll leave it for now. I now have to disassemble it again, and stow it away in various boxes and drawers. My workspace isn't big enough to have it all out at once. However, I think I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. Just hope it's not an express train racing towards me.
I'll keep posting as I make more progress.
Gerry