In preparation for assembling the cowl to the fuselage, the engine wiring first had to be completed and the engine glued to the firewall.
Also, the various exhaust stubs were drilled out. At left is the kit part prior to drilling them out.
Here's the completed fuselage. To help with blending the seam, I've dabbed on some Tamiya primer which will be filed and sanded down, leaving the paint in any voids that might be present.
Cleaning the seams on this kit is tricky as Eduard has realistically molded in the the ship-lapped fuselage joints behind the cockpit. Its a detail that should not be lost in sanding so each panel needs to be done individually.
Should be in a position to splash on some paint this weekend. Thanks for your continued interest guys.
Thanks. If you like the Hellcat, you won't be disappointed as the fit is very good. Some minor gaps where the wings enter the fuselage recesses but these are so small that I was able to fill with primer paint.
Just doing the catch-up Andy. Happy New Year to you, it sure looks like you have been putting you spare time to good use, some lovely work here my friend, just lovely.