Thanks guys. Drove all over town today but no-one has the July issue of Scale Aircraft Modeller yet. Oh well.
I began planning out what parts to use on this hybrid build. The fuselage from the Testors kit is a must as it is the only piece I have that has the correct shape. The wings, however, are a different story. Below can be seen the difference in detail of the Testors F-5A wing underside (left) vs the Monogram F-5E. Although both have raised panel lines, the Monogram wing is thinner with crisper details, especially in the wheel wells.
I will be rescribing the panel lines in any case and have decided to use the Monogram wings.
Below can be seen a comparison of the tail and the nose. Once again, the Monogram details are better molded and the cannons in the nose are inserted realistically from inside whereas on the Testors kit, the cannons are to be glued to the surface. I may go with the Monogram nose if the profile matches the Testors. I will use the Monogram nose gear bay in any case.
I may yet decide to stick with the Testors tail as the thickness at the fillet would need to be built up on the Monogram one unless I can find a cut line further up the fin.
Below the butchering commences with the separation of the lower wing and wheel wells from the Monogram fueslage.
Next comes the separation of the upper wings:
Finally, I traced the cut line for the root extensions onto the longer Monogram extensions and cut these off.
In the meantime, work continues in the cockpit and I'll post some progress shots soon. Thanks for tuning in.