Fly Models - Hunting Percival/BAC Jet Provost T.4 1/48th

[Bigkev]

Hi all,
Little update.
Now have got cockpit inset trimmed and sanded to shape and reduced the gaps significantly. The Instrument panel assembled, and a brace fitted to support it as the attachment points are quite small. The nose has been filled with a mix of Plasticene, some lead .22 pellets, and some aquarium lead sheet under the cockpit. I checked that there is enough by doing the fingertip balance, by balancing the fuselage between the fingertips in line where the main wheels will be. In my case there is plenty, no tail sitting with this one.
The wheels, legs and cockpit parts all cleaned up, and then given some primer. Whilst primer out, the intakes got a blast, and generally all is good, just a faint seam to rectify during final assembly.
The jet pipe installed and primed. Some pictures follow:-
Thanks for looking Kevin.

[chriswil42]

Looking very nice Kevin.

[cph64]

Hi Kev, when I'm checking nose weight I usually lay a pencil down flat and sit the plane on that as that way it covers both where the wheels are and goes across the wingspan. Maybe of use to you?

[Bigkev]

Hi Chris,
Sounds exactly what I do, but without the pencil.
Kevin

[Bigkev]

Hi All,
A little update. The cockpit side walls have been painted and decalled. I used a very dark grey, then applied a coat of 'Kleer'. After this had dried I gave it a wash of heavily thinned black oil paint. Once dry a dry brush with some light grey paint to highlight details.
The floor received a similar finish but I stopped short on the top of the bulkhead as I want to fill any gaps once the fuselage and cockpit interior is all glued in place. A slight difference was that around the rudder pedals and floor I added scratches from a silver coloured pencil where the boots would mark the paintwork.
The instrument panel was painted up. I added the dials individually from some Airscale instrument decals and some Reheat dials too. Those that were too big I just got a suitable size punch and die and punched the centre part I wanted. A few dots of colour added, admittedly using personal choice to add intrest.
All the above now need a sealing coat of Satin Varnish, and the the fuselage halves joined.
Some pictures follow, thanks for looking.
Kevin
 

[chriswil42]

That's some nice detail.

[zak]

Lovely cockpit detail.

[MSea]

Good detail

[councilman]

Your work is surgical Kevin.
Very nice.

[Bigkev]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Well moving on, I have now glued the fuselage halves together.
Being a short run kit, there are no locating pins, only the tabs that I attached the fuselage halves earlier in the build. Some misalignment on the two halves namely around the upper fuselage/spine and underside, were evident.
Also the fuselage/cockpit bulkhead would need some filler to fair in.
For the fuselage cockpit bulkhead I used Mr. Hobby tube filler, applied with a spatula. For the rest of the fuselage I used Milliput white. To keep the area of application to a minimum I applied Tamiya tape strips either side of the join, and also some finer strips across the fuselage where panel lines cross the join. This enables these to remain visible and not removed with over enthusiastic rubbing down. As can be seen in one of the pictures gaps in the Milliput where the Tamiya tape has protected these areas.
After a session of rubbing down with sanding sticks and wet'n'dry, got a nice smooth finish. The cockpit bulkhead faired in nicely and will need the paintwork touching in to match the cockpit internals later in the build. Any panel lines that have been lost or lost definition will be rescribed after the wings and tail have been attached.
Some pictures follow:-
Thanks for looking.
Kevin