Pollyscale/Testors EZ-Liftoff warning!

You can still save the kit. Just make a new canopy with some clear plastic using the original as a mold.

The Navigator

You can still save the kit. Just make a new canopy with some clear plastic using the original as a mold.

It wasn't the canopy. It was the cockpit tub itself. I have begun building a new one out sheet styrene, but it is slow going as I haven't done a huge amount of scratch building. Plus I am kind of fussy, so I tend to keep redoing it until I get it the way I want it, if I ever do....

Oops, is that the 1/72 scale one? If all else fails, paint the inside of the glass black and take the easy way out. Good luck with the scratchbuilding, Don Hammerloni with the Monogram Mafia might have some pointers.

Scratch build is going well. The worst part is over-trimming the pack walls of the *** pit to fit. Sand, trim, test fit, sand, test fit, sand, test fit, etc. Took several days to get the compound curves just right. I think it will be better as the original tub, the side consoles never touched the side walls, leaving a gap. Details will be no problem as gauges, etc. will be a color photo etch kit.

I don't envy those who scratch build entire planes or ships! The effort that must require! My hats off to you!

If anyone is following this.....

Here are my efforts so far. The new cockpit tub is in place for a trial fitting. Still to go is adding throttles, and the areas just under the front instrument panels where the side panels slope up to meet it. Also I need to try to duplicate some of the detail on the bulkheads behind the seats. Then paint it all, add all the PE goodies, (The partially completed front instrument panel is standing up in front!

The gray slag heap to the right is what I am trying to duplicate. My camera is not so good, so you can't really see the rounded, dissolved overall appearance, the entire surface covered with cracks, and the fact that it actually cracked into 3 separate pieces that I cemented together in an attempt to save it. I tried painting it and even the paint seemed to react with the now soft plastic, causing further cracking.

I don't know if Testors changed the formula of the EZ-lift off when they acquired Floquil/Pollyscale as I never had this happen before. The bottle I had for 20 years finally ran out and I had to purchase a new one  now put out by Testors as the previous one was manufactured by the original company.

I now swear by Simple Green, which even safely stripped paint from clear canopy parts for me on my Phantom without damage. It just works a whole lot slower, but then slow and safe is better than fast and OMG! I JUST MELTED MY FREAKIN' AIRPLANE!!!!! Even the other cockpit parts from this kit were stripped with the Simple Green and came out fine!