Got a little more done today. I completed and installed the gunner's hatch, as shown in the pictures below. I'm also building up the wings and hope to attach them by the end of the week. Then I'll be ready to do the final painting topside.
Cheers,
Russ
Added 9/8/19 from my notes.
Creating the Gunner's Hatch
The gunner's compartment hatch cover is outlined on the right rear fuselage, as indicated in the first photo below. The second photo shows the hatch on the actual aircraft.
If you would like to show the hatch open - as it frequently was - follow the procedure below to cut out and detail the hatch.
1) Using a sharp #11 Xacto blade, carefully cut out the hatch cover along the scribed outline. The plastic is 2 mm thick so cut slowly and repeatedly to avoid accidental slippage.
2) The actual gunner's hatch cover had a thick flexible "plug" attached to it to seal the inner pressurized gunner's compartment. This plug was made up of two parts that I'll call the "cushion" and the "inner seal," as shown below.
3) Make the bottom cushion from 3.0 mm-thick material cut to 5 mm x 6 mm.
4) Center the cushion along the bottom edge and sides of the hatch cover. Shape the bottom surface of the cushion to match the curvature of the hatch cover.
5) Glue the bottom cushion to the hatch cover.
6) Make the top cushion from 2.0 mm-thick material and cut it to the dimensions of 6 mm x 6 mm.
7) Trim the inside edge of the top cushion until it matches with the inside edge of the bottom cushion.
8) Center the cushion along the top edge and sides of the hatch cover. Shape the bottom surface of the cushion to match the curvature of the hatch cover.
9) Glue the top cushion to the hatch cover.
10) Taper the surface of the bottom cushion until it is even with the surface of the top cushion at the inside edge.
11) Make the inner seal out of two pieces of 0.5 mm thick sheet plastic.
12) Cut the bottom piece 4 mm x 7 mm and glue it to the bottom cushion.
13) Cut the top piece 5 mm x 7 mm and glue it to the top cushion.
14) Round off the corners of the inner seals as shown above and fill and sand the joint between the seals. Allow the hatch assembly to dry.
15) Apply a small fillet of super glue around the inside edge of the inner seal and around the base of the cushion.
16) Allow the glue to dry thoroughly, then sand the filleted edges with fine sandpaper to achieve a smooth transition, as shown in the photo below.
17) Construct two hinges from 1.5 mm thick stock cut 3 mm in length. Carve one side of each hinge in the shape of a half moon.
18) Glue one end of each hinge to the top edge of the gunner's hatch cover spaced 3 mm apart, as shown above.
19) When the hinges are dry, glue the hatch to the top of the hatch opening, as shown below. The exact position is not critical.
