The Little World

And not just in one stage, either.

When you take on an older kit, you accept the limitations of the art at the time that it was made. You can build it with the skills of that time or with modern ones. Either way is a sort of compromise.

Here we have a combination of engraved and raised panel and flying surface lines. I have elected to leave both as they are moulded and just concentrate on getting the major parts to mate with no seams. Fortunately, Heller are not bad in this respect – there were no major misalignments to battle.

Plenty of small ones, however, and a particularly annoying lack of contour at the nose where the radome met the rest of the fuselage. That took three goes of filling and sanding, though my initial worry about the clear plastic canopy was unfounded – it assembled and fit wonderfully well.

Note the short-shot on the starboard wing tip. Perhaps Heller were having an Airfix moment…