Now here is the finished Battle.
I dry-brushed some highlights on the control surfaces and other raised parts. I flowed a thin dark gray acrylic wash into the hinge line. I ignored the raised rivets and panel lines. I attached all the parts (bombs, doors, landing gear, etc) with white glue, which gave time to position the pieces before it gripped. It will also allow easier repairs when something inevitably falls off--and without that tenacious superglue residue.
It was a challenge to get all these little bits in the right places.
For the uppersurfaces, I used a pinwash on the control surfaces and ran a thin black acrylic wash into the hinge lines of the elevators and rudder. I ignored the raised rivets and panel lines. I noticed the machine gun was a little out of whack, so I adjusted it after I took the photo. References were unclear how far it should stick out; so I just shoved it in as far as the kit part would go.
The rest of the photos are a walk-around the aircraft. The clear parts were the weakest items in the kit. They were thick, marred on the inside and didn't fit harmoniously together. Falcon makes a vac replacement in a set along with other canopies, but it's pricey--especially compared to the price of the old Airfix kit.
Also, I read on the web that the plans Airfix used to make the kit were the wrong plans to begin with, not the plans for the final version of the Battle, and the kit is very accurate to the plans that were used. Accurate plans of the Battle, it is said, were not uncovered until the 1970's. The Airfix offering dates to 1968. MPM issued a Battle some time ago. I don't know how available it is today. Reviews on the web say that it has its issues too.
Bish, it's been a great group build, and a pleasure to participate with you and the other builders. You are a fine host to a group build, and I hope you'll be thinking up more of them in the future.
Enough verbiage. Here are photos of the completed Battle. Thanks for looking.
