Hi,
well some little progress along the way but I've finally bumped into my inadequacies.
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I finished the internals and the engine and mated right and left frames. This was slightly delicate but they do go together nicely. I had to remember to insert the port side lug of the observer' seat base into the port frame, carefully avoiding the rudder cable tube. Then had to do same when attaching the right frame. In retrospect in might be better to attach the two tubes (but previously rigged) after the two halves come together.
I remembered to attach the header tank/radiator pipe (part F12) before the next step. Then the problems began. I fitted the two main fuselage halves together and taped them up - there was no issue with closure due to misaligned internals or the 'laminations'. Then the tail unit was attached B13 - my little world of pain started. In my neglect/binding of Tamiya tape I had not checked that the two halves were
perfectly aligned. I saw that the port side was a hair's breadth in advance of the starboard side and at the tail apex was a hair's breadth too low. This meant that B13 did not fit without leaving slight gap all around. Some Surfacer 500 and Tamiya putty came to the rescue but I'm not sure how well until I get a primer coat on. PLEASE, PLEASE check this as it is crucial - it is surprisingly quite difficult to restore a smooth unblemished surface. Fortunately there is a transverse band around the rear of B15 and B16 that allows thin putty to be run alongside but there is risk in sanding. B---er!
I next attached the upper fuselage panel F4 after earlier painting the inner part of the cockpit coaming in my leather colour, and the lower part (B17) after drilling out & away the two bomb nose cones. Again there are several seams to deal with - four on upper part and two long complex joins on lower. The fitting of these could have been better on my part and again I think one needs to spend time carefully checking the fit before committing to glue and fix. I have yet to tidy up the seams but the upper will be fairly decent.
Then the next boo-boo - this is becoming a farce - I was idly looking at the WNW instructions and photographs and noticed that an oil filler tube and cap protrudes through a cowling panel (A54) on the right side. I couldn't see it on my model. This stupid boy had not realised that there was an oil tank, A20, to be fitted before closing up the fuselage frames! I think I was looking at stage 4 in the instructions without noticing the oil tank diagram below - there is a mismatch in the drawings showing the engine installed.
I will now have to cut the tank horizontally in half (where it wraps around the water tube) and insert in from above - trompe d'oeil rather than real.
Another couple of hints:
Don't bother attaching the rear lever E12 to the engine as it blocks the insertion of the upper wing tabs. I could force it out the way but will probably just cut notches in the two tabs. It can't be seen anyway - but purists might want it there.
If using the Taurus spark plugs (or any others) don't attach the forward left-hand plug until late in the build - it makes masking of the engine (for fuselage painting) difficult as it just protrudes over the lip of the fuselage side. I'll have to snap mine off and replace it later.
Oh well - this is not as simple as it looks - bring on a BE2 any day!
Cheers,
Graham
