how to fix this gap?

update: well, I left it intact, installed vertical stablizer, but can't stop looking that area. so, despite of installed vertical stablizer, I tried again, filled with PPP, keep sanding and it is now much better.  re connnect the panel line is not going well,  but overall, I like it better. lessons learned: always fix the fitting first.

Greg

 

 

Phil_H

Actually, it's the top. It appears to be a Hasegawa F-14 Tomcat.

 

 that is fine. thanks. 

Eeks, that's embarrassing! My bad.

That pretty much makes my suggestion useless as well as silly.

I need to pay better attention and sorry about that, United2019

 

Phil_H

Actually, it's the top. It appears to be a Hasegawa F-14 Tomcat.

Eeks, that's embarrassing! My bad.

That pretty much makes my suggestion useless as well as silly.

I need to pay better attention and sorry about that, United2019

I guess I will live with it as some folks suggested. yeah, it is hasegawa 1/72 f-14D kit, I would say its fitting is pretty bad.   Now I will face more challenge to fix the gap between the head and fuselage which again not in same level.  

Greg

I was going to say leave it be and if anyone goes to pick up the model to look at it's underside, slap their hand. Hard.

Actually, it's the top. It appears to be a Hasegawa F-14 Tomcat. That part is separated in that way because the kit allows a number of different tail configurations depending on what particular variant.

Looking at a number of builds online, it appears that some people work around the instructions and glue the top half of the tail section to the upper fuselage, the bottom half to the lower fuselage and then glue the two fuselage halves together, rather than glue the tail parts together and then add as a unit to the completed fuselage. It's a bit late to take this approach for this build though.

Other than what GM has suggested, maybe a thin strip of plastic stock to go over the V. Then sand it down very gradually. Once you are satisfied with the look, re-scribe any panel lines. 

Unfortunately, this is not an easy fix.

GMorrison

Could you just live with it?

Before I read GMorrison's suggestion, I was going to say leave it be and if anyone goes to pick up the model to look at it's underside, slap their hand. Hard.

Thanks for the new pic. I was tryng to figure out how folks were seeing anything, and if anyone can on that first pic, your monitor is way too bright.

That helps a lot. So there's a whole area that's recessed more than it should be. And it's hard to tell, but was there a joint in the middle of it? Kind of a poor feature of the kit.

Can you take it apart again, maybe soften each half there and bend it up to be flat? Is that the bottom of an aircraft? Could you just live with it?

sry for the bad photo. please see below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C402jLp7D3X6ECYD-1Qr-pCfYp7qIxth/view?usp=sharing

I apologize, I didn't read that you already have PPP. Is it possible to take a couple more pictures of the area? I'm having a hard time seeing and understanding the V shape in the loan picture you have. 

Thank you all. The problem is the "V" shape, if I add putty,  two more "panel line" are created at each side of the putty after sanding. these "panel line" are not even straigt.   looks even worse.  sry, forgive my english. 

I would use Perfect Plastic Putty Here, because it's water soluable. So, it's very easy to work with. 

And I'd do what GH recomended, use the masking tape to limit the amount of detail that could be removed.

sorry forgot to add what GH said 

Ditto to what GH said above.

Jim  

Run a line of masking tape on both sides of your gap prior to filling and sanding to preserve the panel lines.

the  gap doesn't look that bad , try some mr primer surfacer 500 , put on with a small paint brush , smooth out with a cotton bud dipped in some laquer thinner ,sand when dry . hope this help's ,