Hey guys... thanks for the comments! I've been stalled on this build because I have not been confident about how to go about securing the Aires resin cockpit/wheel well. Outside of the main resin components, there are a number of small rods and wires represented int resin that need to be attached. Normally, I would prefer to glue everything together and then paint but it would be impossible to paint. So I have to paint-assemble-paint-assemble and thinking about it has replaced the actual doing for the better part of a month.
I gave myself a kick in the pants to get on with it so here goes... The first domino to fall will be the resin wheel well boxes that go in the wings. These are small and I've ascertained their position after numerous dry-fitting sessions. So I paint the wheel wells first. Nothing added just painting the resin parts and giving it a wash.
I then glued the boxes into the wings using JB Quik Weld. It's a 2-part epoxy that sets fast... hard about five minutes. I like it for this kind of application as it creates a strong bond and adjustments can be made in those few minutes before the epoxy starts to harden. That front spar resin piece has not been glued into place yet but you can see how nice it fits here instead of trying to balance it on the curved wheel well tub.
Checking to see if the upper wings halves fit properly.
The boxes have been pushed a little bit towards the center as you can tell from the overhang. My dry-fitting told me that this is necessary to allow the edges of the wheel boxes to line up with the sidewalls.
I'm going to paint the main resin pieces and then assemble them and fit them into the fuselage. I'll add the extra bits and pieces afterwards... hopefully I'll to be able to reach the places I need to reach. The front spar piece is included but I forgot to pull it off of the wing for this pic.
The resin components are given a base coat of black. I'm going to paint the wheel wells aluminum with some RLM 02 added in areas.