Thanks for looking and commenting guys! The Toryu continues. It's interesting to have so many multi-engine aircraft in this GB going on at the same time. I've definitely noticed things taking longer because most things come in pairs but I'm committed to taking the necessary time to do things right. I'm not in a rush even though I tend to be a fast builder. And forgive me for jumping around. I tend to use the kit instruction sequence as a general guide and will often skip steps to pre-build various sub-assemblies as the inclination strikes me.
There are optional clear pieces for the wing lights. "Optional" meaning you have to cut out the necessary notches in the wing tips to use them.
I drilled a hole into the backs of the clear light pieces and then dipped paint into the holes. This is an easy way to represent colored light bulbs if you have a good way of holding onto the small pieces.
I carved the notches out with a photoetch razor saw. The clear parts were glued into place using Tamiya Extra Thin cement. It looks messy now but once the glue dries, I'll sand it down and give it a polish.
Here is the nose cone again. There is a small square panel that needs to be glued in... it's carries the very end of the gun trough. This is done to accommodate different versions of the Toryu.
After the nose cone is cleaned (including that seam on the inside of the gun port), I do a test fit with the cannon barrel put into place.
I have some available time to mask the cockpit canopies. Once again the Eduard masks are a flawless fit.
The little bulb of white glue has dried on the gun sight. So I cut a tiny rectangular piece of acetate and attach it with a dab of white glue... voila... a gun sight.
The bottom fuselage piece was not seating completely so I shaved down the lowermost edges of the CMK resin cockpit tub and sidewalls.
The bottom is on. I'll have to devote some time on getting that connecting seam tamed down. And no, you are not seeing things... the bottom piece, among others, is molded in a slightly different colored grey than the fuselage halves.
Onto the engine assemblies... the cowlings are comprised of three pieces each: two halves and the front ring. Fit is good so no concern there. The backs of the cowlings are thick and blunt. I can only dry-fit so much and I can't tell if this is going to make any difference but since the back of the cowling doesn't butt up directly against the wing nacelles, I've decided to thin the cowling flaps.
I used a curved x-acto for the majority of the shaving and then some sandpaper to finish it off. Hopefully we'll be able to see this improvement a little later when the engine cowlings are mounted. The engine blocks have been painted Dark Aluminum.
The engine parts are fairly well hidden by the tight cowling, the prop spinner and that round oil cooler so I'm not going to bother putting any extra detail on the engine. A good paint job and a pastel wash should yield an acceptable result.
After the glue securing the wing lights is given ample time to dry, I file, sand and polish them in place. They'll be masked off prior to painting.
There is a small "optional" tail light. I seriously considered just leaving it and painting it white... who'd notice?
Of course I had to put the clear part on. I wouldn't have done this a year ago but now it's automatic. First the molded light is cut off. I've left some excess plastic in place just in case and will remove as necessary depending on the clear part.
And of course I have to go all the way and drill a little light bulb into the clear piece. Easier said than done... this took me a while because I couldn't find a good way to hold such a small piece in my fingers.
After a bit of micro-wrestling under the magnifier, I got my cramping index finger and thumb to hold the speck long enough to a few turns on the drill bit. A drop of white was put in to represent a clear bulb. The piece was secured into place again using Tamiya Extra Thin cement. It should look okay after I clean it up.
The cowling is glued together and cleaned up. You can see the thinned area behind the cowling flaps a little better.