Thanks Paul, it's appreciated.
The basic painting has now been done on the main cockpit components, and just needs some tidying - up and touching - in here and there, before the other small details are made.
Work has started on the instrument panel, using the blank part from the kit as a base. I needed to use a 3mm drill bit for the holes for the 'basic six' instruments on the blind flying panel, and this caused a small problem. The bit was just too big to fit my pin vise, and wouldn't fit my mini-drill either. So, I had to go 'large', and use a flexi-drive on a fairly big Dremel, as I couldn't find anywhere that sold the old-fashioned hand-drills anymore! Consequently, control of the drilling was a bit hit and miss, more the latter than the former, as it took twelve attempts to eventually get the six holes more or less in the correct positions! Fortunately, the real panel isn't dead 'square' with the instrument positioning, as some of the instruments are slightly larger than others. The panel overall isn't perfect, but by the time it's cleaned up and painted, it should look acceptable. I'm hoping to be able to cut and use some decals from the Revell Mk22 Spitfire kit, if they'll settle into the reccesses satisfactorily. If not, then it's back to painting and scratching! The kit provides a single, clear decal, with instruments printed which are rather ill defined.
There isn't a gun sight with the Beaufighter kit, but as I built a gyro sight for the Spit XIV conversion, I have a MkII reflector sight left over from the Hasegawa Spit kit, which will eventually be mounted on its folding bracket above the instrument panel coaming. Once the cockpit is finished, and the radar monitor built and fitted to the observer's position, then the fusdelage can be joined. When that's done, the model will be put aside in order to make room, and time, to finish the Avenger and its base for the PTO GB, as Karl and I are off to visit Roman in the Czech Republic this time next week, so I'd better get a move on and finish it!
The pics show the basic painting done on the cockpit so far, and the start of the instrument panel, which has yet to be cleaned up and tidied.
Thanks again for your interest and compliments.