The cockpit and the gunner’s floor are the most involved construction in this kit. As it says in the instructions, be patient. And take your time. The assembly is very simple and straightforward but it really must be done in the sequence indicated on the sheet. You will note that I haven’t dealt with the map table at all yet. If you put it in now, you probably won’t get the floor assembly past the seat. Construction will probably slow down while you practice new swear words. Two notes that may be of interest. There is a lot of very delicate detail on the instrument panel face. After this piece was painted and decaled, I used that now famous silver pencil to pick out the raised detail. It is simple and easy to control and also added a bit of a worn look.

The horseshoe shaped detail on the floor just ahead of the control stick is a control gust lock and will add a bit of color if carefully painted red. And the funnel shape on the floor to the right is our traditional relief tube. Hey, it was there. It was either dark red or black rubber.

The second note: I mentioned the use of oil washes in the previous step, and they will really make a difference in the appearance of this assembly. There is a lot of molded detail on the floor and around the rudder pedals. A wash really will make this detail pop. You don’t need to overdo it, as a little goes a long way.

Now, take a look at the photos. As you can see, this step provides a large proportion of the detail in the kit. A careful, non-rushed assembly will really reward the builder. And it gets a lot easier from here on. I’ll also be passing on some tips that you might not be aware of.

The finished piece!

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