They're called Berna Hobby Clamps, Micheal. Very handy as they are great on curves. I have the 3 clamp set. In your country...Berna hobby clamp assortment
Thanks guys. Andy, even though the cockpit tub looked to be put together, in my opinion, correctly, it required quite a bit of grinding. Test fitting the parts together, I could feel something springing inside near the bottom. I couldn't see inside so I focused my filing there. Test fitting the next parts to go together....
....not sure why there is a clear piece in the bottom as the instruction call for it to be painted over.
The one part of this build I'm not looking forward to is attaching the tail surface control cables which are not shown in the instructions but the attachment points are there. I'll need to drill out fuselage openings.
This.....this gave some grief for several minutes. I got it about a third of the way on and then it refused to budge. By the time I got it off, you could see where the plastic had whitened and threatened to break. Minutes of sanding and trial fitting and it slid on.
Once this sets, I'll glue on the lower tail insert, paint the fuselage and then start to work on the wings.
Thanks gents. Hopefully Andy, it'll give a heads up to others what to look for but no other build I looked in on mentioned any issues with the tail section. I did have one other issue with the tail. The struts are glued into the under fuselage insert and then glued onto the fuselage. Test fitting the struts alone into their respective holes in the stabilizers showed that it was best to glue in one strut at a time.
Ignore the attachment points, they were dealt with. Not sure what the other two pieces are called but they secure the wings in the folded position when they are in the down position.
This little jerk is really getting on my nerves. It's mounted on the port fuselage half. There are smaller pieces in the kit so I don't know why it wasn't separate. Note how the base is turning white from all the times I've had to straighten it out so far. Last night I coated it with super glue to strengthen it. Note also the tight fit of the stabilizers to the fuselage.
I decided to add all the fuselage insets before painting. The upper wing mount insert was a very tight mother to fit. I was afraid of popping some seams so I spent a few minutes lightly sanding around the posts. It still required some force but it popped in flush.
Just need to add the rear deck around the gunners station and then I can paint.
Thank you gentlemen. Had a minor heart attack, couldn't find my Sky Grey for a few hours and thought I would have to go to P.G. to pick some up. My two remaining brain cell collided and I remembered I bought the Vallejo version and not Tamiya. In the meantime I painted the exhaust collector ring: paint the 1mm silver band with Citadel Runefang Steel, mask, Mr. Hobby Burnt Iron exhausts and Vallejo Bronze...
Thanks gents. I started painting the wings earlier tonight as they will be paired up and the rigging is added before they are mounted to the fuselage. This was done about 8:00PM my time. I've stared at the wings, then at the photos I've found and then back at the wings. I'm still up looking and I don't feel they look right. I've checked the FS. numbers of the topside green and they both correspond to the Tamiya and Vallejo colors I have. I've looked at other builds and some look similar but a lot look a little lighter. Having said that none of the other builds have the counter-shading on the lower wings. I'm open to offers....
....keep in mind, this is the first coat
Geo
EDIT: I think I've found the solution, I'm going to bed now, repaint when I wake up.