Thanks chaps.
The idea of Karl operating on me, with April as his assistant does not really appeal - I'd probably end up with a drunken smile, and a chicken leg in place of a shoulder, while Karl wanders off whistling, and grinning widely !
Robert, thanks for the offer, but there'd definitely be a restriction sending them to the UK - like 'No Way' !
It's bad enough for inland shipping in the UK, as they have to be sent by carrier (and some won't accept them) or by 'Parcel Force', which is now a separate part of Royal Mail, and charge three times as much as it used to cost, to send stuff that's been acceptable for a couple of centuries, but is not now allowed !
Anyway, back to the Mossie.
As previously mentioned, I'm delaying doing the casting until my hands are up to the job of carefully measuring and pouring the casting materials, and getting the timing right. So I've been investigating options for canopies for the FB.VI, and the next build, the PR.IX.
An explanation on the latter will be included in the PR.IX thread.
Although the canopy in the Airfix kit appears accurate in dimensions, detail and shape, and is fairly clear, it's rather thick, causing quite a lot of distortion when trying to view the interior. Also, as with the Tamiya FB.VI canopy, it has the windscreen wipe moulded in, which is vertical on the screen which, in my opinion, spoils the look of the whole thing.
There are three options open to me for the FB.VI :- use the kit canopy; clean off the paint and use a forty-year old spare canopy from the old Monogram kit, which is thin and very clear, or try out for fit the excellent vac-formed canopy from Rob Taurus, designed for the Tamiya kit.
The Rob Taurus canopy is a direct copy of the Tamiya part as far as shape and dimensions are concerned, and includes the wiper motor housing, but thankfully lacks the wiper blade, which can be made from stretched sprue, and fitted at an angle. It also has beautifully rendered frames, both slightly raised, and engraved, as well as lines of tiny 'pimples' on the inside, representing the rivets for the internal, tubular frames.
However, I already had slight concerns that the profile of the Tamiya part is slightly too low, and it is also very slightly narrower than the Airfix example,
So, the only way to find out which would be the better choice, was to remove the vac-formed canopy from the mould form, clean it up, and try it for fit.
This was duly done and, after filing down the raised,forward edge of the Airfix cockpit aperture slightly, and placing the canopy in position, it was an almost perfect fit, just needing a bit of 'tweaking' to get it to settle fully all round.
PICS 1 and 2. Show the Rob Taurus canopy after separating it from the vac-formed sheet. It's rigid, and hard to distinguish from an injection moulded item - probably the best vac-formed canopy I'v ever seen.
PIC 3. The vac-formed canopy on the left, alongside the Airfix kit canopy - apologies for the dust from the polishing tissue !
PICS 4 and 5. The canopy choices, with the 40 year old Monogram canopy at left, vac-form in the center, and the Airfix kit canopy at the right.
PIC 6. It's only just noticeable in this shot, but there
is a height difference, the Tamiya-pattern vac-formed canopy being slightly lower than the other two, confirming my suspicions that the Tamiya item is too low, if only slightly.
PICS 7 and 8. The vac-formed canopy placed loosely on the Airfix fuselage. It won't take much to fit this properly, and blend it in. Notice also how clear the canopy is, with the interior detail easily visible.
This needed to be done now, as, once the cockpit is finished, and the fuselage halves joined, I need to fit and blend-in the canopy, and seal the door aperture, before proceeding, as there will be some filling and sanding needed on a couple of sink marks on the fuselage, which will create some dust.
I am exceptionally pleased with the canopy, and the fact that it will fit. The internal frames will be created by painting the interior colour on to clear 'Sellotape' (clear parcel tape, equivalent to 3M 'Scotch' tape), cutting this into very thin strips, and applying the strips to the frame lines on the inside of the canopy. In general, this is a better method than using coloured or painted clear decal strips, as it is easier to place and fix the strips, which can be moved and re-fixed if not right first time, being self-adhesive, and they are less likely to move or lift, if given a clear coat. It also allows the colour to be exactly matched to the interior.
I'll be back, hopefully tomorrow, with another up-date. Thanks for looking in.