SPA Modeler

Thanks so much, Carlos—and Happy Father’s Day to you, too!

You’re welcome Bruce. And thank you.

Stikpusher wrote:New suggestion. Look for some Eduard overtrees for that kit. Get a second underwing panel if you can. Use one for the doors only, and on the other one cut out the door openings. You can combine the two together.

Brilliant! I had that thought too... I even started browsing through the available Overtrees on the Eduard site. If you want to use the kit parts, you really do need two copies as you will not be able to make an exact enough cut to preserve both the hatch and the opening. But it's still a tough assignment because you'd need to thin the door part and add some structural detail to the door interior. And then box off the gun bay and detail it. I couldn't do it.

Suuuper cool project. Bruce, contact me any time for insights on the old Eduard kit. It's not a bad kit like many argue, I'd say it's a great kit with zero tolerance for misalignments or paint on contact surfaces. Cruical spots for NOT messing up the engine nacelle is the positioning of the cockpit tub and the alignment of the firewall (no 90° angles). Here's my ol' German wip to take a look at.
Have fun with it. It's a great project!

Eduard sprue shot

Oh Torben I do have to thank you!!! I really do. Such good intel on the kit.



If I do cut the panel out, I will remove the yellow section first to reuse this on a new flat panel.

You did it! A very bold move! There is no turning back now...

Thanks, Carlos! I saved the section of the hatch where the ammo ejector opening was originally and left as much material as feasible on every side of the opening I cut. I didn’t take a photo of this little saved piece yet; I have to thin it down for the new panel.

There is a little ghost line left on two sides which is a possible CA fill, but I have to report once the oily surface was cleaned up this plastic is one of the better ones in terms of cutting and shaping.

Casualties: I lost a drill bit when it snapped on me and I cut myself pretty good when the X-Acto slipped on one of the last cuts. I punched through the edge I was cutting too quickly with my scalpel and ended up puncturing my index finger under the nail. Damn that hurt—or as my grandfather said with typical British reserve when he hammered his own thumb: “Oh, bother...” I don’t think I can quite be so stoic. I was afraid of infection and nerve damage.

I am glad I did this, though! Truly!

From time to time, the tree of modeling must be watered with the blood of modelers...

Or something like that...

Under the nail sounds painful indeed. The broken drill bit sounds far too common... I’m curious to see what comes next here.

Gotta be careful with all of our sharp instruments. I've poked and stabbed myself countless times. The worst is the micro drill bit into the pad of the index finger when it punches through the plastic. Still, better than barbed hooks. I've had my share of emergency room visits due to hooks.