Thanks gents. I now have done the second wheel and I have finished the main undercarriage.
The undercarriage legs are the etched legs from the Eduard kit, reinforced with sanded down plastic struts. This adds some strength and helps get rid of the 'flat' look of the Eduard legs.
I had to do the second wheel on the same axle as the first, as I was too afraid to slide the first wheel off the axle in case it turned into a mess of spokes. Because of this approach, I had to slide the undercarriage legs on first, then work around the three main leg pieces and the first wheel. Thankfully my pet spider behaved and had no problems threading the second wheel. That's why I made sure the axle was quite long - it allowed me to slide things around, including the first wheel. I'll keep the axle long and the wheels free to move for the time being, as this will help with painting (and any final adjustments). Here are some more pictures of the undercarriage very loosely (and crookedly) taped to the fuselage:
I now have all of the major structural components completed, save the rudder, which I will likely steal from the kit. The project is now very viable.
That's the last update for a while on this one - tomorrow I go overseas on holidays for two months. Glad I made it this far before I left.
Cheers and see you all on the other side!
BC
