The Little World

Busy your hands, to stop your mind from screaming.

The engine cowlings on this model have become a standard mark in my workshop. They form the nadir from which anything else is better. I have joined the halves and lit a votive candle.

The interior is bare, but surprisingly neat. It is simple, of course, but sits into the cockpit well easily and can be added after the fuselage halves join. Inch High Guy would undoubtedly detail it further, but I shall just paint and be satisfied with that.

The wings and horizontal stabilisers are going to need help to cling to the sides of the fuselage so it is out with the packet of pins and the drill. This is actually a lot of fun to do and if you prepare the empennage beforehand, the holes in the fuselage are simple to to locate. If you need wiggle room, just file out the holes a bit.

I cement fuselage halves and flying surfaces with Mr. Hobby Special Cement- it is the thicker option that has real grip. This, and those pins, means that once the wing is on, it stays on. If Grumman didn’t make ’em, I don’t want ’em to fold.

The last layer on the repair patches is Mr Hobby Surfacer – I mixed up a special bottle of 750 grade that clogs up the worst gaps. I won’t lie to you – filling and sanding is a labour of loathe…