Thank you Lyle and Clint! I try to be as complete as possible when describing the build process without it being tedious. Although it may be repetitious, I want each build log to be independent of previous builds as much as possible.
With the cockpit tub being complete, I started doing some major component dryfitting with the cockpit in place. I've read other builds of this kit having an issue with the cockpit being too wide and not allowing the fuselage sides to close completely. To this end, I made sure that the cockpit frame was glued as tightly together as possible, especially when it came to overall dimensions. Fit is VERY precise on this kit and alignment pins and holes need to be inspected and adjusted as necessary, especially after painting, to ensure a flush fit.
Even with this precaution, I found that the both the front and rear of the cockpit bulkheads appeared to be too wide and were shaved down to get the fuselage sides to close without forcing seams shut. With the fuselage buttoned up with tape, I was able to slide the fuselage onto the wings, from back to front, without having to trim the outer edges of the cockpit cage. This may change when the wheel well parts go in but for now, the fuselage to wing fit seems ok.
Another issue with the cockpit forcing the fuselage halves apart is that it may throw off the wing alignment, pushing center wing portion into an anhedral position when it should be flat. I don't seem to having that problem as of now.
The bottom wing to fuselage joint doesn't look great so we'll have to keep an eye on this area. Shims might help.
The two nose halves have been glued together a long time ago. With the top half sawed off to accept the resin engine, the joints that hold the two parts together are confined to the front and bottom. This has left the rear to be noticeably narrower than the fuselage. Keep in mind that there are some internal parts in the nose that may help to spread this apart. Or I may have to consider shims here too.
A test with a temporary spreader bar to see if a fix was possible and it seems to be fixable.
The internal parts within the nose seemed to help but not completely cure the issue. The bottom joint looks ok though.
A few more peaks at the cockpit through the fuselage opening. One thing that is puzzling me is the blank rectangular section on the top center of the instrument panel. I've seen some builds where this has been cut out and other builds that have left it in. It is full width plastic so it will take some effort to saw it out plus the complication that the IP has already been glued into place. The gun sight and mounting frame will probably hide most of it so I'm leaning on just leaving it alone.
John sets the example for us to reach for.
nice… VERY nice!
