Thanks for all the comments folks!
@xmald - it may well be easier to scratch the whole thing! I believe the ICM kit has better engines, but the wheels on this one are better, so take your pick....
Here's the latest on the "beast":
I've taken a new approach on the batons which held the fabric in place. I scribed the lines into the wing/tail surfaces and then glued monofilament using ordinary plastic glue. The scribing helps keep it straight and also gives it a little more "bite" to attach and hold firmly - it's not scribed deeply, only two light passes with a scriber is enough. It seems to work, the primer will be the teller....
I decided to use the kit wings as they are not too bad in profile. Surface detail has all been removed. They have been thinned drastically and corrected for aerofoil section (not perfect, but a heck of a lot better). The lower wings had the rear tips rounded off and the upper wings have been narrowed slightly in chord and lengthened by adding 3mm and 1.5mm plastic strip to the inner edges of the main and outer sections respectively. The wing tips have also been reshaped and thinned so they don't look like the scaffold planks they originally resembled. Ailerons have been scratched from stock sheet.
The wing centre section has been corrected by removing the pointed rear ends, adding .5mm plastic stock on either side to widen it and 1mm at the rear to move the rear edge further aft. I then filed out the inner edges of the sides to widen the gap, and the front edge of the rear spar to move it back to its correct position. Pins will be added to attach the wings. The additions to the wings add a whole 1cm to the winspan!



I've attached the outer sections to the main upper wings and will finish sanding them to obtain the same thickness and section before I scribe and add the "batons".
Thanks for looking in!
Ian