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It's a nice kit. I'd skip the two seat conversion. The quality doesn't match the rest of the kit. I've got one here somewhere and I think @harv has one too that are not the best even after they replaced his. Carl

And speaking of which, I got the cockpit tubs glued in place. I then added the engine and intake trunks. Time to close her up.

Thanks Peter! I'm glad theyre done as it gets me closer to closing up the fuselage. Carl

Looks good Peter. Glad the fix worked out. Carl

Always nice to have a "go-to" kit to build when you want something straightforward. So the bigger question is, USN, USMC, FAA or RNZAF? Carl

Here's the decal placement and camo guides. Nice to see they're in colour and a decent size.

Definitely something to keep the Chicoms happy but the roundels are in the kit. They've even made them into two parts like they do with swastikas in Europe.

I think the best bet for any GWH kit is to get it overseas. The local importers unfortunately seem to charge a fortune. At least here in Canada.

And the belts are finally done on both seats. Which means the cockpit tubs are both down so I glued them together into a single unit. I started on the gear bays, the nose one is different from the single seater so no point in using the Aires set. I assembled the MLG bay but decided to switch tactics and not install the legs. I figure this way I won't snap them off before I'm done. With a slight change to the centre beam, I can install the legs afterwards. I filled a couple ejector pin marks in the cockpit and once dry, I'll get a coat of paint on. Lastly, I painted the intake trunking. For some reason, Italeri only include the intake trunks from aft of the MLG bay and not forward of it. So it's a bit...odd once you install it.

Nice bit of progress Harald. The recent Wingleader books are quite nice references if you're thinking of getting some. https://www.wingleader.co.uk/shop/lancasterlatewpa15 Carl

I'd say the Great Wall kit as well. I have one but haven't built it yet. The moulding and detail are very impressive. Supposedly so is the fit. Carl

During one of @JohnB's WIP, I mentioned if I ever found decals/masks for the CT-133 Mako shark, I'd suffer through another one. Me and my big mouth ... Guess I need to find a kit now. Anyone got one they'd want to inflict on me? As for the decals, Canmilair closed up a little while back but it looks like they sold their catalogue to Above & Below. So if you're looking for things Canadian, it may be worth checking out. I haven't used them yet so can't say how well they work. Carl

Peter, while I was waiting for the seats on my CF-104 to dry I couldn't help but break my copy of the Whirlwind out and I think I've found the issue. I taped together one pair of nacelles and then fitted the corresponding bulkheads. I used G1 and G4 nacelles and the bulkheads are G3 and F35. The problem to me is the tabs on G3 (and the opposite side G23). They don't allow the bulkhead to sit where it needs to. They need to be cut back a bit to fit properly. I modded G3 and it's on the bottom with the stock G23 on top for comparison. Here it is in place without any glue, just the tape holding the nacelles together. From the inside. With some glue and a bit of pressure the fit should be even better. I hope this helps you out. Carl

Peter, looks like two steps forward and one step back. Or is it one forward and two back? Either way, please stick it out as tempting as it is to start something else. This of course coming from me where I have a pile of "I'll get back to it after a quick break" models clogging up things. I think you'll figure it out and get back to making good progress. Carl

I built the Tiger AMX armoured car a while back and found it very much like a Tamiya kit. Even the way the instructions were drawn reminded me of one. If the AML is anything like that, it'll go together nicely. Tiger Models also do several of those "cute" plane kits. They're not ovoid enough to be egg planes. Carl

Paul, I'd go with Rob's suggestion. I did the same Marder kit you have in dunkelgelb using the approach he outlined. Probably could have weathered/chipped it more but I was happy with the results. I think you'll enjoy the kit very much. Carl

The cockpit does looks good Peter. Well worth the bit (hopefully) of extra effort you put in. Carl

I've got the rear cockpit done all done now. Onto the straps for the pilot's seat.

Thanks Peter. The cockpit side panels and IP are from Eduard. Their older PE ones instead of the newer pre-coloured resin versions. Thanks for the explanation. I thought they might be for holding the pilot's arms in place but wasn't sure.

Great idea Gary. Something I'll have to keep in mind if I ever do a purge. Carl

Whoa...

Ernie, the cockpit work looks great so far. Even if you are winging it with some of the details, it's well worth the effort.

Forgot to mention, if you're using Kits World decal sheet for Victorious Virgin, the cookie bomb decal is undersized. My LHS built the HK kit and found that out. It looks ok but is smaller compared to the pic of the bomb. Carl

They do indeed. Not a great pic but here's the one for my HK Lanc.

This will be great to watch. Carl