Thank you for your comments Antonio, Warren, RAGIII, Nigel and Beryl.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to put it any significant time on this because of unexpected events and my spare time is now going elsewhere.
I started on the Harry Tate, typical Airfix kit with very thick plastic, push rings, ribs too prominent and no interior detail whatsoever (the pilot and observer were glued on plastic tabs that protruded from the sides). I had built it out the box as well. The join seams are also very noticeable.
The naughty bits that protruded were cut out and filler was put liberally around it.
The cockpit opening is completely the wrong shape and it's sides have the scale thickness of Tiger Tank armour. I cut a large section out so I could heat mould a new one in hot water using plastic card and a balsa pattern. Using that big opening I carved out a lot of the plastic from the sides and put in the wood formers and thier rigging using plastic card and fuse wire. A floor board was put in where the observer goes and a couple of planks in front of where the seat will be. The top former was made a bit thicker than it should have been because two of the cabane struts attach to it (and it was at least that fat before anyway)
There are a few differences in the underside of the engine between Harry Tates and the Airfix kit doesn't cover any of them but conveniently the kit does have a very shallow bottom making it easy to put this one on. I also thinned the hideously thick plastic air intake and removed all the oversized nuts that are on either side of the nose. I put the nuts back by drilling holes with the thinnest drill bits I have, putting stretched sprue thru them and cutting them close to the panels, although they are now a lot smaller they still look like Scania wheel nuts but having broken three drill bits doing this I don't have the heart to take them off.
Lastly I worked on the cockpit. Seat was scratched and whicker detail painted on. The picture looks like it is glued to the floor but it is actually quite high up and sits on top of two plastic card beams spanning chord wise. Instrument panel is plastic card with photocopied dials cut out and glued to it with fuse wire rings put atop them. Pedals, joystick and connecting tunnel is all stretched sprue. I think I have put enough detail in the interior, it might be noted that although this is 1/72 the size of the opening is about the same as some of the 1/48 kits I have done. If I am wrong and after closing it up it still looks like it needs something I can't see it being a problem because of the huge opening.
https://i.imgur.com/NertXV4.jpeg
Seat belts have been made out of masking tape but will go on later.
Thanks for looking in.
Alan.
