Thanks for that cockpit shot. I don't see anything that really contradicts what I've done so far with the possible exception of the gunsight and tubular framing in that area.
Ok,let's jump into that fuselage! The cockpit is connected by two small pins on each side of the inner fuselage that correspond to holes in the corners of the tubular frame. Not the most positive of connections but a bit of extra glue helps to secure it.
I used Tamiya Extra Thin liquid glue to attach the modular inserts to the fuselage from the inside. Mistake #1... The connection of the inserts to the fuselage does not fall along panel lines so I need to address the seam regardless of how nice the glue job goes. So I ended up compromising the fit of the inserts along the fuselage sides in the hopes of getting rid of the seam line at the top.
You can see Mistake #2 in the photo above... I couldn't get rid of the seam line at the top of the fuselage! Heh... I guess I was overly optimistic in my pre-fitting assessment. The area to the rear of the cockpit seems like it can be closed fairly well.
But the front area is going to require a shim.
You can see a bit of overhang in the fit at the rear of the insert pieces. I see a fair bit of sanding work ahead of me.
Definitely not what I was planning for. I'll have to brush up on my scribing skills because that sanding is going to remove some panel lines. I guess that's modeling!
I shoulda just taken my lumps and accepted a joint at the top but I got greedy and now I have to deal with the fuselage sides (much harder) AND the top seam!
Progress report... spent most of my time addressing the fuselage seams. In between steps waiting for Mr Surfacer to dry, I worked on odds and ends.
Added some wiring to the wheel wells.
Drilled out the cannon barrels.
Cut the resin exhausts from their casting blocks and tried them on for fit. Much better looking than the kit pipes!
The fuselage work was getting rid of the seam between the rear fuselage inserts and the main fuselage since that joint does not fall along a panel line. Because of the slight overhand between the insert and the fuselage, there was lots of delicate sanding. And then I had to restore panel lines that were lost. I don't have much experience scribing panel lines so it took me a long time. My main problem was the long panel lines... I essentially had to "connect the dots". Using a scribing tool and a scrap piece of photoetch sprue as a flexible straight edge, I would start the new panel line in the existing one but by the time I got to the other side, I would be off by a hair. So I would keep as much as was salvageable, fill in the rest with Mr Surfacer, let that dry, sand, buff and scribe again. Slowly I got there. Not perfect, but I can live with it.