Made some progress on this one. The bubble canopy was a big concern for me because it's larger than any I've been able to pull with just heated plastic pulled over a form. So I figured I'd better make sure I could get the canopy to work.
Formed the paper canopy.
It's a bit odd in shape, bigger in the bubble than it should be, but good enough to form a Sculpey plug with.
My first attempt at this didn't go well. Not only did I not get a good canopy, I broke the plug in half! After fixing that, I made sure I heated the plastic thoroughly for the next attempt and I was pleasantly surprised when I got a good one on the very next try!
It took a good number of passes to slowly trim it down to size. The canopy is far from perfect; there as some uneven areas, but it should look OK. I attached the frame, double checked the fit and , satisfied, set it aside for later attachment.
Tail wings went on fine. The frame for the main wing is rather complex and I simplified it some. It's still plenty strong;
The main wings and fairings went on easily.
So far the fit on this kit has been really nice, the paper canopy being the only questionable piece.
That's it for now. More ASAP!
Chris