The Little World

Sounds like the title of a Marvel Comics movie, doesn’t it?

The problem was there to be solved – and it is one that has occurred on previous models of the Grumman TBF. The .50 machine gun needs to be installed in the turret and the turret installed in the fuselage before you close it up. The fit of the design is close around the ball turret.

The turret on this FROG kit is actually quite good – the frames are not as crisp as they might be but defined enough to allow for painting with a bow pen. The finish is to be glossy, so the frames could be done with the final paint colour.

The problem also includes the fragility of that gun barrel – I’ve broken off one already on an Academy kit and the replacement was a clumsy thing. How to protect the turret and gun during painting?

Answer was to tape a wooden stick to the underside of the elevated barrel and then encase it and the clear portions in a thin wrap of artist’s eraser putty. It protects, seals, and peels off later with no problems. Faber-Castell make a fine product and Officeworks stocks it.