Whitey

Welcome to the LSP Silver Jubilee Group Build - also known as the LSP 25th Anniversary Group Build!
 
2024 is LSP's 25th year online - longer than Facebook and YouTube, and only one year less than Google! So let's celebrate with a year-long Group Build (well, almost).
 
This Group Build will run from 1 March 2024 until 25 December 2024. The two titles above reflect the two main eligible themes: anything related to "silver" and anything related to "25". For the sake of inclusion, we'll be playing fast and loose with the eligibility criteria as far as the themes go, so even the most tenuous tie-in will probably get a pass - best to ask first, though! I encourage you to be creative!
 
For example, "silver" isn't limited to the obvious case of natural metal or silver finishes. It could be a Silver Wings kit. It could be a kit moulded in silver plastic. The pilot's name could be Silver - etc.
 
You have even more latitude with the "25" criteria - aircraft designation (B-25, Su-25, etc), aircraft markings, manufacturer's block number, kit product number - the possibilities are endless. You only need to state what relationship your entry has to the theme (if it's not already obvious), just so that it's clear to everyone. I'd like to encourage as many members to enter as possible, so the flimsiest of pretexts will be considered!
 
Of course, the standard Group Build eligibility criteria still applies, in that your entry must qualify as an LSP kit under our definition thereof, and be less than 25% complete at the time of entry.
 
If you have any questions, pop them below. The answer will probably be yes, but best to ask anyway!
 
Oh, and have fun!
 
Happy 25 everyone.
 
Kev

This is my recently finished 1/32 Great Wall Hobby's P-40B with TuAF markings .
These Tomahawks were Ex-RAF Tomahawks from Mediterannean stocks. 
They were re-painted in Turkey by using RAF fighter paints.
 
Cockpit modified by using Eduard instrument panels and RAF seatbelts. I found the RAF gunsight from an old Hasegawa Spitfire in my spare box and used it.
Main wheels are from Barracudacast
 
Paints are Gunze Sangyo acrylics.
National insignias are painted by masking
Star and Crescent on the rudder is from Turquoise decal
"White 3" decal is from Customhobbydecals.
 
Happy  modelling
 

























 
 

Hi all!
I finally got my hands on KASL Hobby's resin nose replacement.
Comparing to KH's plastic version, the resin part has the following extra details:
Provides the two rectangular access panels on either side which are appropriate for the EGM version More accurately represents the IFF antenna ribbing that's integrated along the cone Overall shape is wider and closer to the real thing While the first two points can be easily corrected by the modeler, changing the overall shape of the cone can prove more challenging.
Installing the resin part does require the removal of a small section of plastic which is simple enough.
I think most modelers may choose not to use the resin replacement since these details are either minor or easily done DIY.
Having said that, I will be going ahead with the replacement since I already got it. 
 











 
 

Here is my rendition of Tamiya's magnificent F4U-1A Corsair in the guise of NZ5277 of No 15 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, at Bouganville Jun 1944.
 
My WIP article for some more details is at:  http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=64536 
 

 
I didn't want her to be too dirty but she did need some character added.
 
Added some thin lead wire for ignition lead but they are barely visible.
 

 
Paints are Tamiya rattle cans as per the instructions, decanted and sprayed through my airbrush. 
 
Oil stains were applied with Burnt Umbra oil thinned with turps.Top coat of Tamiya semi gloss with some matt added.
 
I added some Barracuda cockpit stencils and their wheels. Airscale decals behind the instrument after a muck up with the kit ones.
 
"Irate Donald Duck" mission markings and serial number are from Montex. I needed two of these after a minor issue. I am informed that the mission marking weren't on the real aircraft but they add a bit of interest so there they are.
 
The NZ roundels are from Ventura. I needed a second set after stuffing up the first attempt too. Lovely thin decals.
 

 
Some panel fadiing was applied with thinned down colours with a little bit of white added and all of the walkway lines are painted instead of decals.
 

 

 
The oil wash worked really well on the light coloured undersides.
 

 

 
To finish here she is with a Foe that I built back in 2012. The individual aircraft would never have met as the Zero was shot down on Melville Island during the first Japanese air-raid on Darwin in early 1942.
 

 
The Zero is on LSP somewhere way back.
 
I learn lots of techniques, get lots of hints and lots of inspiration from great LSP members that have enabled me to get to this stage with my modelling, but it is easy with a great kit like this and all the aftermarket that is available to enhance her looks. Happy modelling one and all.

Use it on your floors and not your models.

Use it on your floors and not your models.

Here is my 1/32 Kitty Hawk OS2U Kingfisher in the guise of RAAF A48-13, Antarctic Flight 1948.
 

 
The RAAF operated 24 Kingfishers during WWII for seaplane training and coastal surveillance. Early in 1948 A48-13, resplendent in high visibility yellow paint was transported to Antarctica on Australia's first post-war expedition to Australian Antarctic Territory onboard an elderly HMAS Wyatt Earp. 55 hours flying was undertaken in Antarctic waters but the difficulty in launching and retrieving it from a small ship limited the use of the Kingfisher. The severe conditions and the bumps and scrapes from assembling and dismantling the aircraft had a huge impact on the paint surface. It took 5 hours to assemble the aircraft and to launch it and the same to retrieve and dismantle it on the small deck. It was assembled and dismantled 3 times during the voyage. With only limited availability for observation duties the Kingfisher was returned to Australia and stored for possible further use but was finally offered for disposal in 1953. It's fate afterwards is unknown.
 
Kitty Hawk's Kingfisher is a really nice kit with lots of subtle detail and it looks the part in all examples I have seen built.
 
There are some fiddly bits and poor instructions, but nothing that could not be overcome with some brain power and patience. The engine assembly, exhausts and mounts was one of the awkward parts in that it had to be all straight to ensure that the cowlings were able to put on properly.  The wing float attachment to the wings could be better engineered but at the end of build it is all there and looking the goods.
 

 
The guns and associated paraphernalia was removed and some fine cigar box packing was trimmed to simulate floorboards and a working table in the rear cockpit.
 
Eduard photoetch was also added to both the front and rear cockpits. Homemade springs were made for the pilot's seat adjustment.
 

 
MRP Silver Primer was used over the entire airframe to and some hair spray in various areas to affect the extensive chipping present on the airframe, before spraying with SMS Trainer Yellow and paint ripped off several areas. It initially looked overdone so I then overpainted some of the chips to simulate corrosion control by the crew.
 
 
 
EZI-Line was used for float rigging and aerials with some white paint to simulate the insulators. Aircraft serial number from Ronan Decals.
 

 
This is the real thing on the water beside Wyatt Earp.
 

 
I still have to make up the DF loop housing on the front panel of the rear canopy.
 

 

 
Even the fin is offset to counteract the torque of the prop.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Overall a nice kit of a lovely aircraft with a unique history that was both challenging and enjoyable to build. 
 
Thanks to my Queensland Copper mate for the loan of Red Roo Models' "Kingfishers of the Antipodes".
 
 
 
 
 
 

Use it on your floors and not your models.

Hi all,
The cockpit is nearly completed.
The pilots seat is a replacement from 'Gaspatch'.
I've added the control cables for the ailerons, rudder and tail plane incidence control.
The elevator cables are external, so not in the cockpit as such.
Also I've added the trigger cable on the control column for the pilots Vickers machine gun.
Finally I added control rods from the pilots throttle quadrant and the radiator shutters control.
Weather was done using 'Flory Models' wash (Grime).
The cockpit assembly is now fitted into the closed up fuselage.
 
However I do have a problem to solve.
I got distracted, so unfortunately, I fitted the cockpit into the fuselage without any bracing wires fitted.
I now have to try and fit them all through the cockpit opening in the fuselage.
It happens,
 
Mike
 

 

 

 

 

This kit is a pure magic. Absolutely fun build. It took about a week. I messed up few things due to my own arrogance and clumsiness. But the overall feeling is a pure joy.  Thanks to William for the kit itself , I missed out on the initial order and he was kind and generously thoughtful to get extra one for my grubby fingers. He also provided guidance along the way. I have to admit my knowledge of the subject is minimal and his help was immense and badly needed.
And finally a big thanks to the Kotare team for their efforts resulting in this amazing kit. 
 
Cheers 
Martin 



 
More pictures HERE

Hello guys,
this is my recently finished Kotare Spitfire.
While I have no special interest in Spitfires and I have very limited knowledge of the subject I have to say that this is the best kit I have ever build so far!
Especially from buildability point of view, with logical build steps, great fit, almost no cleaning required, extensive decals and best in class instructions with detailed color callouts and great profiles, the kit has the highest probability to get finished once started.
I did not used any other references except the instructions. Truly OOB build except HGW seatbelts and Artscale double sided masks, which btw fit perfectly.
I hope that Kotare will raise enough cash to become major player on 1/32 market. I have no doubts that I will buy anything they will release (and I don't mind that it will be small collection of Spitfires )
Jan












 
 
 

F-15E Strike Eagle
 
Mission
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. An array of avionics and electronics systems gives the F-15E the capability to fight at low altitude, day or night and in all weather.

Features
The aircraft uses two crew members, a pilot and a weapon systems officer. Previous models of the F-15 are assigned air-to-air roles; the "E" model is a dual-role fighter. It has the capability to fight its way to a target over long ranges, destroy enemy ground positions and fight its way out.

The aircraft's navigation system uses a laser gyro and a Global Positioning System to continuously monitor the aircraft's position and provide information to the central computer and other systems, including a digital moving map in both cockpits.

The APG-70 radar system allows aircrews to detect ground targets from long ranges. One feature of this system is that after a sweep of a target area, the crew freezes the air-to-ground map then goes back into air-to-air mode to clear for air threats. During the air-to-surface weapon delivery, the pilot is capable of detecting, targeting and engaging air-to-air targets while the WSO designates the ground target.

The low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night, or LANTIRN, system allows the aircraft to fly at low altitudes, at night and in any weather conditions, to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided and unguided weapons. The LANTIRN system, consisting of two pods attached to the exterior of the air craft, gives the F-15E unequaled accuracy in weapons delivery day or night and in poor weather.

The navigation pod contains terrain-following radar which allows the pilot to safely fly at a very low altitude following cues displayed on a heads-up display. This system also can be coupled to the aircraft's autopilot to provide "hands off" terrain-following capability.
Between April to October of 2018, several F-15Es from the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (the "Panthers") deployed to an undisclosed location in the Middle East to support Coalition Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, tasked with striking Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. While deployed, the Panthers completed nearly 2,000 missions, over 10,000 flying hours, employing more than 500 precision-guided munitions in support of US Central Command operations. On their return to Lakenheath at the end of the deployment, the aircraft were seen sporting some very striking nose art and mission markings.
This is the Tamyia F-1FE 1/32 kit which is a dream to build, painted with Tamyia acrylics, and features 2 x Reedoak figures, this aircraft is based at RAF Lakenheath 

No more ballerina stance !
 
 

This is my Hasegawa 1/32 Spitfire Mk Vb that I converted into a Royal Australian Air Force Mk Vc.   This build is dedicated to Tolga Ulgur who has shown us on many occasions just how well Hasegawa's Spitfire kits build up.   I think they did an amazing job of capturing the shape of this aircraft at a time when 3D scanning hadn't even been thought of.   The kit is a very simple one, parts wise, and is adorned with raised surface detail.  This was my first attempt at fully re-scribing a model and, in retrospect, I was a bit heavy-handed with the scriber.   I added Aires' Spitfire Mk V resin cockpit set which is a vast improvement on the kit cockpit but which seems to suffer from somewhat sloppy pattern work - certainly not the 'tight', crispness of Aires' more recent resin sets.  I scratch-built the wheel wells and radiator and dropped the elevators a tad.   I bought some nice resin wheels but couldn't use them because Hasegawa's gear struts aren't moulded with stub axles on them.  Instead, Hasegawa chose to mould the inner side of the wheel hub onto the strut.  Damn!!!   Fortunately, the kit wheels are very good and I simply rounded the tyres a bit more.   A HGW seat harness set, Barracuda Resin wide cannon blisters and Master Details turned metal Hispano cannon barrels were also added to the model.   The model was finished with MRP Mr Paint and SMS lacquer paints, which are both a dream to spray.   All markings, except Jimmy Cricket, were airbrushed with the aid of Montex masks.   Having been compelled to undertake this conversion (to get a Mk Vc) I've just heard a rumour that Kotare might produce a Mk Vc kit - Doh!  Isn't that typical of our hobby?    Comments and polite critiques are welcome.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
Here are a few images of the work in progress:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

more pics.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIAO!
Piero

Hello,
 
this is my latest Harrier in 1/32.
The starting kit is always the same old Trumpeter... unfortunately, Tamiya doesn't want to give us this gift…
The model represents an RAF Harrier GR.7 based at Laarbruch in Germany in 1994.
It has a beautiful tail adorned with the colors of the IV(AC) Squadron: this choice was adopted as a safety measure in terms of "visibility" during very low altitude flights and I believe also because this Harrier was used to participate in the summer airshows of that year.
 
Speaking of the model, as I have already said with the previous Harriers that I have made, there are many things that need to be modified and added to this kit:
A new resin nose made by me replaces che same plastic part of the kit that is really poorly made with completely incorrect details such as the FLIR and the ECM Zeus antennas. Furthermore, the panels are wrong and a slight square bulge is missed in the lower part, Also the RCV is completely redone because wrong. The glass covering the ARBS targeting system sensor must also be replaced with one of a more suitable shape. For the cockpit I’ve chose to use the Aires resin tub with a MK.12 seat made by me based on an MK.10 resin seat. For the HUD I’ve used the beautiful resin piece made by Flying Leathernecks Decals. The nose gear well also comes from an Aires resin set, the detail of which is unmatched The legs of the undercarriages are completely redone by me, while the wheels come from the Reskit resin set, beautiful. I didn't spend much time to work inside the large air intakes, because I had already decided from the start to apply a couple of anti-FOD which give also a bit of color once finished. This GR.7 had 100% LERX since it left the factory: these pieces were made by me using plasticard and detailed to match the fuselage panels and wing edges. The entire wing has been completely revised in its profile because the pieces of the kit are really poorly made: therefore the only solution is to study the profiles carefully with the photos and go down hard on the plastic parts with putty and sand paper. All the panel lines needs to be redone. All the panels lines must be redone also because those in the kit are completely wrong. The 4 exhaust nozzles of the Pegasus engine have also received care and details to make them a little more similar to the real ones, as for the protection metal plates. All 9 pylons have been replaced with the Flying Leathernecks Decals resin set: great 3D resin pieces with beautiful details. However, adaptation work to the wing plastic parts is also necessary here if a correct alignment of each pylon is desired. The empty gun pods are the plastic parts of the kit that need to be shortened and heavily detailed... I feel like I'm being a bit repetitive... One piece completely missing from the kit that is characteristic of all second generation RAF Harriers is the chaff&flare launcher box which is placed behind the ventral airbrake. This is a resin piece of my own making. All the bulges and antennas of the ECM/RWR system on the ventral fin and on the tail cone have been redone and detailed. As I said before, all the panels and rivets have been redone, as the various antennas and sensors. I’ve opened the access steps, added a retractable ladder and extended the In Flight Refueling Probe.  
The model is painted using Gunze (H) and Tamiya (XF) acrylic paints:
The topside is in NATO Green, obtained with a mix of H-64 and H-309. The underside is in Lichen Green, obtained with a mix of XF-65 and XF-73.  
The decals come from various sheets (Model Alliance, Xtradecals, Zotz…).
 
CIAO!
Piero
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It feels like it has been a while since I finished an LSP build and posted here. I started on the Border Lancaster a while ago and then got distracted with the Kotare Spitfire. The local hobby store asked me to build a Spitfire for its store display, unfortunately now, that store has now closed, and it will now live at their second store that is at the other end of the country.
 
What can I say about the kit... Nothing bad really, it was a dream to build and that I have another one that I have already started. The Spitfire was built OOB, painted with Tamiya acrylics and lacquers as per the kit's callouts, weathering was done with Ammo products as the store stocks them and requested that I only used them. Hope you like...
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I present my build of the Fokker DR.I #425/17 in its early days.
This Meng kit is well detailed and mine presented additional work due to mis-aligned mold halves, in addition to the usual warped wings and broken fuselage panel.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for looking in!
 

This is 1/32 Revell Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb from RAF No79 Sq Fairwood Common, South Wales in July 1941.
Cockpit modified with Eduard Space set.
I have used Eduard Brassin exhaust set
Main wheels are from Barracudacast
Paints : Gunze Sangyo acrylics
 
You can see the full build story by using the following WIP link:
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/97146-finished-132-revell-hawker-hurricane-mkiib/
 
Happy modelling
 

I've had this kit sitting about for a while and thought i'd have ago at it, after a bit of research i found that a lot said its bit of a pig to build........and they're right. But, there is a great reward if you can pull the thing around. The fit is 'iffy' and if i built it again (which i will) i'd certainly attack it differently, but thats the learning process of modelling.
 
So here is the Trumpeter&HobbyBoss 1/32 P-38L 'Scat II'
Kit additions:
Red Fox Studio set, Aires wheels, MASTER gun set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Hope you like it, i am quite happy with it considering how difficult it was to get made. All Comments and questions welcome 
 
 
 

Hello, all.  After ripping through the A-20G in no time flat, I wanted to keep up my momentum... aaaaand, I've been wanting to clear out some of the backlog of kits on my shelf of doom.  So, down came this build.  I did the cockpit and fuselage probably 2 years ago and it just sat and sat and sat.  Every time I'd get it off the shelf, I'd look at those dumb little workable gear legs and gear doors and just nope it right back onto the shelf.  This time, I swore I would finish it.  Before I start anything new, I'm going to clear out at least 3-5 off the half built kits on the shelf, so here we are. 
 
If I ever do this kit again, I'll ignore any and all of the workable toy crap.  It just complicates the build and brings no real value if you're doing a static model as I was.  Outside of that issue, it was pretty typical Tamiya quality and was generally a decent build.  Paints are generally Tamiya, but a custom mix to get it closer to what my eyes see.  Cowling is MRP and, aside from an aftermarket seat belt (I no longer recall the manufacturer), it's 100% out of the box.
 
This model represents aircraft X-182 of the No. 3 Kokutai when photographed at Lakunai Airdrome in Rabaul around October of 1942.  Previous identity markings were crudely painted over in the field and the new markings added.  It had previously been flown by chutaicho Lieutenant Miyano Zenjiro before he left the unit in April of 1942.  The fate of this aircraft is unknown.  Photo and description all come from Michael Claringbould's Pacific Profiles Vol V.  If you're looking for inspiration on a build, they're a fantastic and informative resource.
 
Hope you enjoy!
 
Remember to subscribe and smash that like button or whatever the hell it is those youtubers are saying these days.
 

























































 

I've been struggling with the tiny little turntable that came with my new spray booth, so I dragged out one of my old Ikea lazy susans and replaced it. These worked great in my old booth, so I'm not sure why I didn't think of it sooner!
 

 
Really, though, I could just do with a much bigger spray booth. Sadly, the larger commercial units are simply not available here, and I'm not handy enough to build my own (and then are a bunch of regulatory restrictions around the use of suitable extraction fans, etc).
 
Kev

hi all, 
just some little steps ahead, I began to figure how to deal with the scribed lines proposed by the kit. actually trenches, more than lines.

 
I tried to fill these with sprue lines and putty

 
here after a first passage with sandpaper. it needs some primer and some retouch, but it should work. since the most of this aircraft was canvas covered, I hope to do it without going crazy.

 
I also filled with sprue the wrong lines on the wings, and then rescribe these. here I highlighted these on the upper wing with some ecoline to better understand what the hell I was doing. before I had given a coat of primer and added the inspection hatches, simple plasticard discs. I think it would be nice to highlight the strips of canvas that covered the ribs, but I'm still figuring how to do.

 
then the tailplane, here a photo in progress: on the left as they are from the box, on the right with first modifications: on the stabilizer I engraved a cutout for the end section of the same, cantilevered, and on the elevator I planed the part towards the stabilizer, which was plain.

 
here after having scribed the joining lines on the tops, riveted them and glued the cantilevered sections.
on the right elevator a test for the strips of canvas I mentioned earlier, but I'm not convinced at all. just as I really don't like the lines of the rivets seen on the monitor, I think some corrections are necessary.

 
well, now I remembered why this box has been lying in the attic for years...

 
the only nice new is that a friend of mine saw the restart of the building of this aircraft, and identified it with this picture.
I just can't blame him!


 
cheers, Paolo
 

hi all, 
sorry for start this topic just now, but I didn't discovered this section til now.
also I fear I won't end the building in time for the assigned deadline, but maybe this will be the right boost to complete a kit that I have on stash since I guess 2003.
it's a 1998 Revell reboxing of a 1978 Matchbox kit, wich I already did in my early teens when the latter was issued.  

 
in the years I piled up quite some references, but the book you must read if you are interested in this subject, is this one:

 
the box in question spitted out a pile of pieces with which I have beaten myself several times over the years trying, and postponing each time, to give a little dignity to this plane, whose rendering as a model is correct in the general forms, but really crude as details.
every time I opened the box I got discouraged and closed it again, after thinking a bit about what to do.
so now I don't know if I can complete it this time, but I would like to put its direct competitor close to the Fi 156. let's start with the things I've already done, I don't even remember when: the wing.

 
unlike the Storch, which had them fixed, this thing had movable slats, divided into three sections per side. the two outer sections automatically extended when the speed ran out, lowering the stall speed, while the inner section not only did the same thing (at a lower speed) but was mechanically linked to the flaps, making landing operations at low speed very simpler from the point of view of surface management (we will talk later about tailplane trimming). pity that the model provides the wing with the slats nailed closed (which is quite rare, on the ground) the flaps retracted and only the separate ailerons. the mc-answer was to cut flaps and slats, and reconstruct the rounded profile of the former, while the latter I remade from scratch in sheet brass.

 
this, I see now, is far from acceptable at my present standards. I think I have to revise the scribing lines (part of these are simply badly mistaken by the kit) add rib tape to flaps and ailerons at least, add some hatches and so on.
the other thing I did, who knows when, is the exaust ring. the kit rendition lacks totally the inner part with the collectors housing from the cylinders. I did a master with clay and did a resin cast of it.

 
this is also a crude work, especially taking into account the fact that nowadays we may find very good rendition of this engine, being the same used in the Gloster Gladiator and PZL 11, rispectively made by ICM and IBG.
there is to do ... everything else, and it's a titanic job. the cockpit, very visible due to the large windows, is unwatchable. the engine yuck. the tail planes mh-mh. the landing gear bah. in short, I foresee a tragedy.
I hope that the already "done" parts are less than specified by the group rules. honestly it seems to me that everything in this kit has to be redone by roots, and whichever will be the effort, it never will reach a decent level.
if you can encourage me, I will need it!
cheers, Paolo
 
 
 
 
 

As noted elsewhere in the forums, I've recently started tinkering with some of the vac kits in my stash, as a way to get some modelling done while I'm watching a movie. These projects are intended to foster skills development and some growth as a modeller, rather than result in great models. They're also intended to be fun, without necessarily having a great deal invested in the outcome.
 
With that said, here's a rare one: the Air Press Models 1/32 He 162. I'm not sure how old it is, but I'm pretty sure I saw Fred building one on The Flintstones. It's garbage, basically, and the worst vac kit I've seen so far. This is the entirety of the instructions:
 

 
I'll be splicing in a host of leftover parts from a Revell kit, and don't plan on using any more than the fuselage and wings from this kit, which I've already cut out and cleaned up.
 

 

 
This may seem like a completely redundant exercise, when I could just build the Revell kit instead. And that's a fair point. But as I stated at the top, this is about having fun and growing as a modeller. I also have a strange addiction to odd projects, and doing things the hard way. And when combined with my philosophy that no kit go to waste, this one actually turns out to be an obvious choice for me! I'll consider it a triumph if I finish the project at all.
 
The rest of the vac parts are garbage, and I won't be using them:
 

 
And the supplied vac canopies appear to have an identity crisis:
 

 
So it appears that if I want a finished model, I'm going to have to create a new windscreen and canopy. This is the only part of the project that has me concerned, but also a key opportunity for the growth I keep banging on about!
 
Test-fitting of some of the Revell internal components has been promising so far:
 

 
I'll also be using the Revell kit as a template to aid with locations, angles, etc. If I get a chance, I'll take a photo of the vac and Revell fuselage halves taped together, so you can see the comparison.
 
Until then, don't hold your breath! And welcome to the nut house.
 
Kev